The Wilmington morning star., 1944-02-12
BY WEsTBROOK PEGLER

NEW YORK,-Some weeks ago there came
in the mail from Minneapolis one of those
privately published books which nonprofession-
al authors are forever sending out to persons
having access to newsprint and type This
one was called Stroud's Digest of the Diseases
OF Birds and. after glance. handed it on
10 friend who runs a large chicken farm,
believing it might be useful in his business
The book was soon followed by a letter re-
vealing that the author, Robert Stoud, had
been prisoner in solitary confinement at
Leavenworth prison since 1916 and had re-
Gently been transferred to Alcatraz where he
would be unable to continue his experiments
on birds. Meanwhile my friend, the chicken
farmer, reported that the book was very good,
revealing long and intelligent study and ex-
pertinent and containing many excellent draw
ings to illustrate the identifying signs OF such
maladies and Injuries as birds, and particular.
ly canaries, are prey to.
Here then, is the story of Robert Stoud
who has bred, raised and nursed canaries
through many years of isolation from all but
the most necessary and formal relations with
other human beings, and those few guards
and doctors, who, with the possible exception
OF the late Jesse Pomeroy, has spent more
time in solitary than any other American
prisoner.
Stroud wac born in Seattle in 1890 and in
1909, at the age of 10, was setting himself up
in the business Of 1nackerel or pander in
Juneau, Alaska, starting with stable of one
prostitute, some years older than himself One
morning the lady came home from an en-
gagement with bartender and reported that
he had paid her only $2 Stroud went to the
bartender's quarters and shot him dead,
robbed him of such money as he had on
his clothes and brought it home. For this he
got II years on a charge of manslaughter,
being tried in the federal court because the
crime occurred in federal territory. He was
sent to Mcneil island prison where he had
served % months, when he attacked and
wounded another prisoner with knife. He
got six months additional time for this and
was transferred to Leavenworth There, in
1916, he sneaked up behind a guard in the
mess hall and stabbed him dead with a
handmade knife. In the federal court he was
convicted of murder and sentenced to hang
but was spared on a communication to life by
Woodrow Wilson on his own representation
that the guard had been prosecuting him.
The warden of LeavenWorth, taking no more
chances, put him in solitary where Stroud,
casting about for hobby to occupy his time
less existence began to show an interest in
books about canaries. The warden let him
have a few birds, got him microscope and
literature and presently there were caneries
all over the place. He was never allowed out
of his cell with other prisoners. For exer-
else ne was permitted an nOur OF lWo d
day alone in a little recreation yard opening
off the solitary cells The birds became a
nuisance, however, so the warden gave Stroud
some cages and he made even better prog
ress experimenting with breeds, feeding and
medicines to cure their ills. He casually men
tons that IN the summer of 1888 he was EN-
gagged in some experiments with white canar-
les to produce pastel pink and lavender plum
age by feeding them on organic dyestuffs.
He even describes methods of setting, splnt-
ing and restricting the use Of broken wings
and legs, and his "reminiscences of victories
over injury and disease in individual birds
are related with tender affection as well as
with informing realism.
Stroud, now SO years old and having spent
IL more years of his life in solitary than he
ever spent free as child and young man.
probably will die in prison as restricted
inmate. even in the maximum security OF
Alcatraz. where such unrestricted bad men
as Basil Banghart and machine gun Kelly
enjoy relatively privileged Life ne was sent
to Alcatraz in December, 1912, Tor reasons
which the Bureau of Prisons considers TO be
GOOD. His book is dedicated to MS irlenos
and to his enemies whose mean, little or
thievine souls actuated by Spite blgotry, Jeal-
ousy. sadism, vindictveness, or Ignorance, ny
their very opposition have stlmulateo me 70 .
greater effort and accomplishment than would
|b.ve otherwise been possible Tor me.
| ue m longer has his canarles.