Rufus Roy McCain (July 7, 1903 – December 3, 1940)[1] was a prisoner at Alcatraz who attempted escape with Henri Young and Arthur Barker in 1939.[2]

Rufus McCain
Born
Rufus Roy McCain

(1903-07-07)July 7, 1903
DiedDecember 3, 1940(1940-12-03) (aged 37)
Known forattempted escape from Alcatraz

Attempt

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On the night of January 13, 1939, McCain, with Young, Barker, and two other men, attempted escape from the Rock. The guards started to fire shots at Arthur Barker. Barker eventually died and the others were recaptured. McCain and Young were sentenced to almost 22 months each in solitary confinement.

After Young and McCain returned to the normal prison population, McCain was assigned to the tailoring shop and Young to the furniture shop located directly upstairs.

Death

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On December 3, 1940, Young waited until just after the 10 a.m. count to run downstairs and stab McCain with a sharpened spoon. McCain fell quickly into shock and died five hours later. Young refused to disclose his motive for the murder.

References

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  1. ^ "Alcatraz – The McCain Stabbing 1/2". www.notfrisco2.com. Retrieved 2019-12-26.
  2. ^ Clune, Bob Davis and Brian (2019). Ghosts and Legends of Alcatraz. Arcadia Publishing. ISBN 978-1-4671-4387-5.
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