ALS on one page of 7.75” x 10.25” lined off-white paper, dated November 15, 1948. The lengthy letter is signed three times by notorious criminal Robert F. Stroud (1890-1963), first as "Robert Stroud" at the top of the first page above the recipient's handwritten address panel, second as "Bob" at the conclusion, and "Robert Stroud, 594" below the informal signature. Written from the U.S. Federal Penitentiary at Alcatraz to his half-sister Mamie E. Stroud.
Letter reads, in part: “I am not surprised that Marc has not written to you…we had a little difference of opinion about certain angles of my case, so we got down pretty solid with each other. He is really a pretty swell brother…from what he tells me, my business seems to be going alright…The hearing is two weeks from today and I do not know how long it will take. From what he says, all of our plans are working out all right.” In fine condition and encapsulated by PSA to an overall size of 9.75” x 13.25” and autograph graded MINT 9.
Stroud's letter was composed about six years after his transfer to Alcatraz Island on December 19, 1942. Stroud had previously been incarcerated at Leavenworth for 30 years, and he remained there until 1959. He was frequently in solitary confinement or the hospital due to his aggressive behavior and various ailments. Stroud’s significant love for and knowledge of birds earned him the nickname, “The Bird Man of Alcatraz.”