The Birdman of Alcatraz. Imprisoned for murder at age 18, Stroud spent over 54 years in jail (47 of them in isolation!) where he became a self-educated authority on canaries and bird diseases, publishing Stroud’s Digest of the Diseases of Birds in 1942. Also a self-taught legal scholar, Stroud wrote an exhaustive history of the federal legal system. ALS signed “Robert Stroud #594,” one page both sides, 8 x 10.25, November 20, 1945; he also writes his name on the top of the first page. Letter to an associate. In part, “I have studied those feathers carefully, and there are some buff feathers in each group, but without seeing the birds, I could not say for sure that they are all buffs. You can find a few buff feathers on most any bird. My judgement is that #1 and #2 are by far the best, though all are good…I like cinnamon birds, too, but not for breeding red feathers and I would be willing to bet my life that every one of those red birds has black eyes.” In fine condition, with expected folds and a bit of light toning. R&R COA.
