◆ SpookStack

from cape from the faland i next to tm- possible. Everywhere, night and day, the prisoners are surrounded with aafe- guards Lupressing them with the! helplessness of thelr position. Mill- tary trained guards, crack shots, schooled in the latest theories and practices of keeping a man ton- fined, maintain an alert, 24-hour vigil. Electric Eye Guards Pa ‘The keen eyes and ears of the guards are supposed to see all, hear all, Hf by chance the human element should fail in alertness, there are mechanical safeguards which can- not be tampered with. At strategic ‘points throughout the prison are lo~ cated electrical metal detectors, which are bath visible and audible, No prisoner eon enter a cell block or leave his place of work with single piece of metal on his person, whether it is a gun, = knife or a tiny nail. Should a prisoner, concealing a bit of metal, pass one of the electric detectors, lights Mash, revealing the exact location of the metal, and a buzzer sounds. Not only are the men inspected by the "electric eye,” but every bit of raw matetial, foodstuff and Iaun- ‘dry entering the island ts subjected to the same mechsnical scrutiny as. well as human inspection. “We take no chances,” sald War- den Johnstoc. “We cannot afford ta relax for an instant.” 7 All of the cells and bars are bulit of taol-proof ateel, “No tools, which could be smug. gled into the prison or made by the Brisoners, themselves, can make a Sientrive this steel,” the warden ex- ‘plained. ‘Tried to Escape it by some unforeseen FEmMAtitn in vigilance @ prisoner should hap- pen to acale the wall of the recren- tion yard or make a break while outside the enclosure, there are strands upon strands of barbed wire. skirting the entire border of the island, : “The wite, which follows the edge of the island, In not #0 much to stop an exceping prisoner," Warden Johnston sald, “but to slow him down,” i “How many prisoner have at- tempted to escape since the depsrt- ment of justice took aver Alcatraz from the army?" the warden was asked. “One,” he replied grimly, ‘one dled.” ‘The one break for treedom wes made by Joe Bowers, a mail robber, on Apr. 27, 1936, Bowers, working at the incloerator outside of the main prison walls, tried to ctimb the barbed wire, Alert guards called for him to halt. Bowers kept on, climbing to the top of the wire, Below was the| churning surt and jagged roc ‘wo shots sounded. Two bulidls. ims Bowers and he tumbled off, nd that ' jens Sirst,to the rocks 30 feet bel ‘Not only were the bullets fatal bot Bowers’ neck was broken, Other prisoners did not consider | Rowers’ break as an attempt to en- cape. ‘The imprisoned mail robber went “stir crazy" Is the way the pri- oners explained it. He chase death }to continued confinement on Al catraz. Prisoners “Deensed In” ‘The first Impression « prisoner! iteccives of Aleatraz may not be un-| pleasant, ‘Tru enough, the Island ja rocky nd bleak but there are x few trées, palm and pine, growing In the rocks and the buildings are neat aad clean, But ned up to receive the pria- oners Iss reception committer of walling guards with ready rifles ‘The guards are dressed in trim blue i ‘ '