Imprisoned for murder at the age of 18, Stroud spent more than 54 years in jail (47 in isolation), where he became a self-educated authority on birds and bird diseases and author of an important reference, Stroud’s Digest of the Diseases of Birds, published in 1942. A self-taught legal scholar as well, Stroud wrote an exhaustive history of the federal legal system. Revealing ALS signed “Love, Bob, Robert Stroud, #594,” one page both sides, 8 x 10, February 12, 1952. Stroud discusses bird diseases and treatment at length and comments on his own situation. In part: “Birds are very susceptible to viruses of the cold and influenza type carried by human beings, and there has been a lot of them going around now, but, if one bird out of a display is all that died, it does not mean anything. . . . You Florida breeders are in a wonderful position. If you will all go to all the resort owners and tell them what is in the wind and what will happen if you have to fight alone and the fight becomes public, they will stop those county authorities right now, because the publicity would cost that state millions of dollars in tourist trade. . . . Do you have a copy of my 1948 article from All Pets? . . . It gives much of the history of disease, and it was that article that was submitted to the subcommittee of Congress in 1948. . . . It is the most forceful argument ever printed on that subject. . . . With me things are just the same old seven and six. . . . Regardless of what may ever be, you can always be sure of one thing: I will be true to myself to the best of my ability, and I will not let either fear or hope influence my conduct, but that is the very reason some people do not like me.” In fine condition, with usual folds and a few light pencil underlinings. R&R COA.
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