Salt Lake Telegram | 1938-11-15 | Page 4 | Cruelty to Alcatraz Prisoners Charged during Felons' Trial

Cruelty to Alcatraz Prisoners Charged During Felons' Felons Trial SAN FRANCISCO Nov 15 INS INS Charges of brutal treatment treatment treatment treat treat- ment of Alcatraz federal prison convicts became a primary issue today oday in the trial of Convicts James Lucas and Rufus Franklin for forthe forthe the he hammer murder of Guard Royal C. C Cline during an escape at- at tempt empt last May Defense claims that a prisoner on The Rock d died ded ed the the day after beng be- be being being ing ng slugged by a guard guad and that Lucas was beaten with with a a blackjack were m made de late yesterday wl when n De De- ense Attorney Harold C. C Faulkner was examining cross-examining Richard Cuver Culver Culver Cul Cul- ver former lieutenant in charge of he the the d day y watch at Alcatraz Culver now ow is c captain of guards at the Mill Point W. W Va federal prison camp Over heated prosecution protests Faulkner asked Culver whether a prisoner named Jack Allen had begun begun begun be be- gun screaming whether Culver had beaten eaten him and thrown him in soli- soli tary ary confinement and whether AIl Alen Allen Al- Al l len en n was found dead the next morn- morn ing ng Culver denied all knowledge of the he asserted incidents According to prison records Alen Allen Allen Al- Al len en serving a term for counterfeiting counterfeit- counterfeit ing ng died January 17 1936 of bronchial bronchial bron bron- chial hial pneumonia He was the first convict to die on Alcatraz after it was was turned into a government prison No inquest was held The witness categorically replied negatively to questions as to whether er he had a fight with Lucas during a sit sit down down strike at the prison after Allens Allen's death whether he ever had struck Lucas and whether he and another guard kicked Lucas do down n a flight of iron stairs