James C. Lucas
Encyclopedia
James C. Lucas was an American
criminal who served a life sentence in Alcatraz. He is best known for being part of an attempted escape from Alcatraz Penitentiary in 1938, and for attacking Al Capone
in the prison's laundry room on June 23, 1936.
and was known there as James "Texas Bank Robber" Lucas.
from the prison barber shop. Capone had been working in the laundry
area 10 feet (3 m) away. Lucas was sent to solitary confinement for his brutal attack on Capone.
and Rufus Franklin
planned an escape from Alcatraz. Their escape plan began by incapacitating an unarmed custodial worker supervising a work detail on the top floor. Once the supervising worker 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 worker Royal Kline 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.
The custodial worker died of his injuries the next day, and Thomas Limerick, one of the wounded convicts, also died. Lucas and the other surviving convict, Rufus Franklin
, were tried for murder
and sentenced to life imprisonment
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
criminal who served a life sentence in Alcatraz. He is best known for being part of an attempted escape from Alcatraz Penitentiary in 1938, and for attacking Al Capone
Al Capone
Alphonse Gabriel "Al" Capone was an American gangster who led a Prohibition-era crime syndicate. The Chicago Outfit, which subsequently became known as the "Capones", was dedicated to smuggling and bootlegging liquor, and other illegal activities such as prostitution, in Chicago from the early...
in the prison's laundry room on June 23, 1936.
Biography
Lucas was originally sentenced to thirty years' imprisonment for bank robbery and violation of the Dyer Act (interstate trafficking of stolen vehicles). He arrived at Alcatraz in January 1935 from the Texas State PrisonHuntsville Prison
Texas State Penitentiary at Huntsville or Huntsville Unit , nicknamed "Walls Unit," is a Texas state prison located in Huntsville, Texas, United States. The approximately facility, near Downtown Huntsville, is operated by the Correctional Institutions Division of the Texas Department of Criminal...
and was known there as James "Texas Bank Robber" Lucas.
Attack on Capone
On June 23, 1936, Lucas stabbed Al Capone in the back with a pair of shearsScissors
Scissors are hand-operated cutting instruments. They consist of a pair of metal blades pivoted so that the sharpened edges slide against each other when the handles opposite to the pivot are closed. Scissors are used for cutting various thin materials, such as paper, cardboard, metal foil, thin...
from the prison barber shop. Capone had been working in the laundry
Laundry
Laundry is a noun that refers to the act of washing clothing and linens, the place where that washing is done, and/or that which needs to be, is being, or has been laundered...
area 10 feet (3 m) away. Lucas was sent to solitary confinement for his brutal attack on Capone.
Alcatraz escape attempt
In the spring of 1938, James Lucas, Thomas R. LimerickThomas R. Limerick
Thomas Robert Limerick was an American criminal, who took part in the third documented escape attempt from Alcatraz Island on the night of May 23, 1938.- Biography :...
and Rufus Franklin
Rufus Franklin
Rufus 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.-Biography:...
planned an escape from Alcatraz. Their escape plan began by incapacitating an unarmed custodial worker supervising a work detail on the top floor. Once the supervising worker 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 worker Royal Kline 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.
The custodial worker died of his injuries the next day, and Thomas Limerick, one of the wounded convicts, also died. Lucas and the other surviving convict, Rufus Franklin
Rufus Franklin
Rufus 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.-Biography:...
, were tried for murder
Murder
Murder is the unlawful killing, with malice aforethought, of another human being, and generally this state of mind distinguishes murder from other forms of unlawful homicide...
and sentenced to life imprisonment
Imprisonment
Imprisonment is a legal term.The book Termes de la Ley contains the following definition:This passage was approved by Atkin and Duke LJJ in Meering v Grahame White Aviation Co....
.
External links
See also
- May 23, 1938 Alcatraz Escape Attempt
- List of Alcatraz Escape Attempts