Prisons: The Tablespoon Trio

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One Lesson. Prison authorities theorized that the three had died in the water while trying to reach uninhabited Angel Island, 11 miles from The Rock. From a fourth prisoner, who had also dug himself a hole in his wall but had backed out, officials learned that the escapees had planned to use inflated prison raincoats as flotation equipment. The convicts had hoped to make it to Angel Island, and from there in the same fashion to Marin County on the mainland, where they planned to burgle a clothing store. But after experimenting with this equipment, prison authorities found that the rain coats could give little or no support in the water. They discovered a crudely fashioned paddle floating 200 yds. from Angel Island. And no Marin County clothing store reported any thefts.

Still, unless and until the bodies bob up in the water, there would remain the possibility of a successful escape. One woman, for example, reported seeing three men on a raft; police gave it a good try, but found neither men nor raft. And, as for the chagrined officials of Alcatraz, they had learned at least one lesson from the tablespoon trio: start counting the silver before, not after, the guests leave.