March 15, 1965

Johnson calls for equal voting rights

1972

Francis Ford Coppola’s The Godfather opens

*March 16, 1802

US Military Academy established

1850

The Scarlett Letter is published

March 17, 2011

Clark pleads quilty in

Yale grad student slaying

1776

The British evacuate Boston

March 18, 1852

Wells and Fargo start shipping,

banking company

March 19, 2003

War in Iraq begins

1931

Nevada legalizes gambing

March 20, 1965

LBJ sends federal troops to Alabama

1852

Uncle Tom’s Cabin is published

March 21, 1871

Stanley begins serach for Livingstone

1965

Selma to Montgomery march begins

March 22, 1933

FDR legaizes sale of beer and wine

1972

Equal Rights Amendment

passed by Congress

Alcatraz closes its doors

March 21, 1963

Alcatraz Prison in San Francisco, California closes down and transfers its last prisoners. At it’s peak period of use in the 1950s, “The Rock” or “America’s Devil Island” housed over 200 inmates at the maximum-security facility. Alcatraz remains an icon of American prisons for its harsh conditions and record for being inescapable.

The twelve-acre rocky island, one and a half miles from San Francisco, featured the most advanced security of the time. Some of the first metal detectors were used at Alcatraz. Strict rules were enforced against the unfortunate inmates who had to do time at the prison. Nearly complete silence was mandated at all times.

Alcatraz housed some of America’s most difficult and dangerous felons during its years of operation beginning in 1934. Among those who served time there were the notorious gangster Al “Scarface” Capone and murderer Robert “Birdman of Alcatraz” Stroud. The Birdman was transferred there after three decades at the federal penitentiary in Leavenworth, Kansas. He spent 17 years on The Rock, however, despite his nickname, he was not permitted to keep birds at Alcatraz as he had done at Leavenworth. George “Machine Gun” Kelly also spent time there, 17 years for kidnapping, as did gangster Alvin “Creepy Karpis” Karpowicz who was listed as Public Enemy No. 1 by the FBI in the 1930s. He spent 25 years behind bars at Alcatraz, reportedly more than any other prisoner.

No inmate ever successfully escaped The Rock although 14 known attempts were made over the years. Those 14 tries involved 36 inmates. Of the would-be escapes, 23 were captured, six were shot and killed during their attempted getaways, two drowned, and five went missing and were presumed drowned.

The most famous escape attempt resulted in a battle from May 2 until May 4, 1946, when six prisoners overpowered cellhouse officers and were able to gain access to weapons, but not the keys needed to leave the prison. In the ensuing battle, the prisoners killed two correctional officers and injured 18 others. The US Marines were called in and the battle ended with the deaths of three of the rouge inmates and the trial of the three others, two of whom received the death penalty for their actions.

The end of its prison days did not end the Alcatraz saga. In March 1964, a group of Sioux claimed that the island belonged to them due to a 100 year old treaty. Their claims were ignored until November 1969 when a group of 89 Native Americans representing the American Indian Movement occupied the island. They stayed there until 1971 when the group was finally forced off the island by federal authorities.

In 1972, Alcatraz was added to the Golden Gate National Recreation Area. It is now open for tourism which sees over one million visitors to Alcatraz each year.

Clinton County News Headlines:

Thursday, March 16, 1950 – Volume 1, #20

Heart attack fatal to O. A. Brummett

Mr. Oscar A. Brummett, 55 year old farmer of the Bug Community, died of a heart attack at his home Thursday, March 9.

Mr. Brummett had lived in this county for the past two years. He spent most of his life in Russell and Wayne counties, having moved here when his home was acquired by the government for Wolf Creek reservoir.

Baptist buy Huff property

The Albany Baptist Church has purchased a 58 ft. by 103 ft. lot from the Huff heirs. The property, which was bought for $6,000, joins the property already owned by the church on which the church house stands. This doubles the size of the church property and comes to within ten feet of the Granville Hotel. A new church building will be erected on this site in the future.

Hear Mrs. Roosevelt speak

Among those from Albany who heard Mrs. Eleanor Roosevelt speak in Louisville Wednesday were Mrs. C. C. Langford, Mrs. Georgia G. Sawyer, Mrs. Robert Higginbotham, Mrs. Leah Dyer, Mrs. Ed P. Warinner, Mrs. J. B. Wade, Mrs. John Dorris, Mrs. Fred Smith, Mrs. Bob Johnson, Mrs. Sallie Smith, Miss Audrey Maupin, and Mrs. Pryse Haddix.

St. Patrick dies

March 17, 461

St. Patrick was a Christian missionary, bishop, and apostle of Ireland. He died at Saul, Downpatrick, Ireland where he had built his first church.

Much of what is known of St. Patrick comes from St. Patrick himself in the Confessio, a book he wrote during his last years. He was born to a well-to-do Christian family of Roman citizenship. At age 16, he was captured and enslaved by Irish marauders and for the next six years worked as a herder in Ireland, turning to a deepening religious faith for comfort. Following the counsel of a voice he heard in a dream, he escaped and found passage on a ship to Britain where he eventually reunited with his family.

In another dream, he heard voices of Irishmen pleading him to return to their country and walk among them once more. After studying for the priesthood, Patrick was ordained a bishop. He arrived back in Ireland in 433 and began preaching the gospel, converting many thousands of Irish and building churches around the country. He lived in poverty, teaching, traveling, and working tirelessly for God.

Made the patron saint of Ireland, St. Patrick is said to have baptized hundreds on a single day, all the while using a three-leaf clover, the famous shamrock, to describe the Holy Trinity. For thousands of years the Irish have observed the day of St. Patrick’s death as a religious holiday, attending church in the morning and celebrating with food and drink in the afternoon.