September 2013 Auction Ends Thursday, September 26th, 5pm Pacific
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 9/26/2013
Canary breeder and violent criminal, the ''Bird Man of Alcatraz'' Robert Stroud typed letter signed. The 18 March 1942 dateline bears a Leavenworth prison address. Stroud's letter to his sister Mamie Stroud in Illinois reads in full, ''Dear Mame: I hope that you have not been worried because this letter is a couple of xays [sic] late. Your letter came Monday, as usual, but I picked up another pneumonia bug at the show Saterday, [sic] and have been a little under the weather since. I did have sense enough to go to bed this time, as soon as it hit me, and I think that I have it beat. I was not feeling too bad, but I did not want to take any chances on having another attack like the one last year. Since writing to you, I have had a nice letter from Marcus. He has the ms of the book and thinks its swell. He says: 'You certainly did a job on that ms. I am very enthusiastic about it as is every one to whom I have shown it.' He says that he has contacted a doctor up there who is well off and whom he thinks he can talk into financing it. He was supposed to have an interview with this fellow last Thursday, and I am anxious to hear the results. He has really taken hold of things, once he got started, and I don't think that it will be long until we have it out. Say, Sis, you mentioned some time ago about fruit and stuff you had canned going bad. Here is a little trick concerning that that you can use next time. Can your stuff in the usual manner, but the next day after it is canned, reheat it to 158 degrees -- that is so hot that you can just put your finger in the water for a second -- and do the same thing again on the third day. Anything so treated will never spoil. The reason the canned goods sometimes spoils is that some of the germ spores are not killed by the initial boiling. Some spores can stand a lot of heat. But, if after canning, the jars stand in a warm place for 24 hours, the spores will hatch out, and the vegetative forms of the germs are easily killed. This is called fractional sterilization and is always used in the preparation of cultural media because a lot of the things used in media canot [sic] be heated to the boiling point without ruining the media. The heating should continue long enough for the heat to reach the center of the jar or can. You mentioned that we had always been poor but always willing to help each or [sic] or others. You know, Sis, I never thought of myself as being poor. Lots of time I have not had the money to do the things I wanted to do, but I have always had faith in my ability to get by. When I can't buy the things I want, I can usually make them. I do not think that I will be poor long, once the book is out. Mark is going right after it now, and he is a long ways from being stupid, once he puts his mind to a thing. Most people tell us that we will be lucky to sell 1,500 copies, but, if we have just a little luck, well will come a lot closer to selling half a million. I am not feeling too robusk [sic] tonight, so I am going to make this short. I hope that it finds you well and all things going well with you. A world of love, Bob [signed] Robert Stroud''. Single page letter on a single sheet of ruled stationery measures approximately 8.5'' x 11''. Light toning and creasing, else near fine.
Robert Stroud Typed Letter Signed From Prison -- ''...You know, Sis, I never thought of myself as being poor...I do not think that I will be poor long, once the book is out...''
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