Rufus Franklin

Rufus William Franklin was an American criminal who served a life sentence in Alcatraz. He is best known for taking part in the third documented attempted escape from Alcatraz Prison with Thomas R. Limerick and James C. Lucas on the night of May 23, 1938.

Rufus Franklin
Born
Rufus William Franklin

(1916-01-15)January 15, 1916
Alabama, United States
DiedMay 26, 1975(1975-05-26) (aged 59)
Dayton, Ohio
Other namesWhitey
Criminal chargeBank robbery (before 1935)
Murder (1938)
Grand Theft Auto
Assault
PenaltyLife imprisonment

Biography
Rufus "Whitey" Franklin's inmate form

He was born in Alabama, in either Calhoun, Jefferson or Montgomery Counties.[1] Franklin was originally sentenced to imprisonment for bank robbery, car theft, and assault. He was then transferred to Alcatraz, where he became inmate number 335-AZ.

Alcatraz escape attempt

In the spring of 1938, Franklin, Thomas R. Limerick and James C. Lucas planned an escape from Alcatraz. Their escape plan began by incapacitating an unarmed guard supervising a work detail on the top floor. Once the supervisor was rendered unconscious, the convicts would escape through a window to the rooftop, where they would incapacitate an armed guard and leave the island via a seized police boat. They enacted their escape plan on May 23, 1938 in the prison's mat shop, where they assaulted Custodial Officer Royal Cline with hammer blows to his head. They proceeded to the roof, where an armed guard shot both Franklin and Limerick, although Lucas wasn't shot. Other guards arrived at the scene. Franklin, Limerick, and Lucas were cornered and surrendered to the guards.[2]

Cline died of his injuries the next day, as did Limerick.[3] Franklin and Lucas, the other surviving convict, were tried for murder[4][5][6] and sentenced to life imprisonment. Franklin spent many years of solitary confinement in Alcatraz's D Block. He was eventually transferred to the Atlanta federal prison where he was paroled in 1974. Franklin died a year later.[7][8]

See also

References
  2. "Three Convicts Fail in Break at Alcatraz; Slug Guard; Two Are Shot, Third Cornered". New York Times. 1938-05-24. p. 1. Retrieved 2007-12-05.
  3. "Hammer Blow Kills Alcatraz Aide in Break: 2 Surviving Felons to Face Murder Charge; Third Slain in Flight". Washington Post. 1938-05-25. p. X1. ProQuest Historical Newspapers document 240807832.
  4. "Alcatraz Prisoners Hear Shooting Related by Guard". Los Angeles Times. 1938-11-05.
  5. "Court Calls for Bullets that Halted Convict Flight". Los Angeles Times. 1938-11-09.
  6. "Alcatraz Convicts Deny Killing Guard In Escape Attempt". Washington Post. 1938-11-23.
  7. "Killers of Alcatraz Guard Escape Execution; Jury Limits Penalty of Felons to Life Terms". New York Times. 1938-11-27. p. 1.
  8. "Alcatraz Pair Get Life". Los Angeles Times. 1938-11-27.
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