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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 July 7, 1903 New York City, New York, U.S. |
| Died | December 3, 1940 (aged 37) |
| Known for | attempted escape from Alcatraz |
On the night of January 13, 1939, Rufus McCain, Henri Young, Arthur "Doc" Barker, Dale Stamphill, and William Martin, attempted to escape from the Rock. The five men escaped from the isolation unit of the cell house by sawing through the iron cell bars and bending the bars on the window. They then went to the water's edge, where correctional officers found them on the shoreline on the west side of the island. Martin, Young, and McCain surrendered. The guards shot at Barker and Stamphill when they refused to surrender, and Barker eventually died from his injuries.[3]
McCain and Young were sentenced to almost 22 months each in the solitary confinement cells of D-Block. McCain and Young were locked in D-Block for nearly 23 hours a day, had limited human contact, and were only let out only for occasional showers and solitary exercise.[4]
After their time in solitary confinement, Young and McCain returned to the normal prison population. The Warden of the prison during this time, Warden James Johnston, was an extremely strict disciplinarian who considered work to be a privilege. Like all other prisoners, McCain and Young had to apply to the Warden for a work assignment.[5] McCain was assigned to the tailoring shop and Young to the furniture shop located directly upstairs.
On December 3, 1940, Young waited until just after the 10 a.m. count to run downstairs and stab McCain with a sharpened wooden spoon. McCain fell quickly into shock and died five hours later. Young refused to disclose his motive for the murder.
However, one potential factor could be the mental consequences Young and McCain faced after their time in D-Block. Solitary confinement, especially for extended periods of time with harsh conditions, is extremely harmful to the incarcerates' mental well-being. Few if any other forms of punishment produce as much psychological trauma and symptoms.[6]
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