Rufus Franklin
Encyclopedia
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.
and Assault
charges. He was then transferred to Alcatraz, where he became inmate number 335-AZ.
and James C. Lucas
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. Franklin and the other surviving convict, James C. Lucas
, 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 taking part in the third documented attempted escape from Alcatraz Prison with Thomas R. Limerick
Thomas 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 James C. Lucas
James C. Lucas
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....
on the night of May 23, 1938.
Biography
Franklin was originally sentenced to imprisonment for Bank Robbery, Grand Theft AutoGrand Theft Auto (series)
Grand Theft Auto is a multi-award-winning British video game series created in the United Kingdom by Dave Jones, then later by brothers Dan Houser and Sam Houser, and game designer Zachary Clarke. It is primarily developed by Edinburgh based Rockstar North and published by Rockstar Games...
and Assault
Assault
In law, assault is a crime causing a victim to fear violence. The term is often confused with battery, which involves physical contact. The specific meaning of assault varies between countries, but can refer to an act that causes another to apprehend immediate and personal violence, or in the more...
charges. He was then transferred to Alcatraz, where he became inmate number 335-AZ.
Alcatraz escape attempt
In the spring of 1938, Franklin, 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 James C. Lucas
James C. Lucas
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....
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. Franklin and the other surviving convict, James C. Lucas
James C. Lucas
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....
, 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....
.
See also
- May 23, 1938 Alcatraz Escape Attempt
- List of Alcatraz Escape Attempts