Bio 

James Crittenton Lucas was born on June 11, 1912, in Midland County, Texas. Before his Alcatraz murder conviction, he had already built a serious criminal record. He was sentenced to prison for bank robbery and violating the Dyer Act, which involved transporting stolen vehicles across state lines.

Lucas was transferred to Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary in January 1935 from the Texas prison system. At Alcatraz, he was known as James “Texas Bank Robber” Lucas and became inmate 224-AZ.

Before the 1938 escape attempt, Lucas became known inside Alcatraz for attacking Al Capone. On June 23, 1936, Lucas stabbed Capone in the back with a pair of barber shears while they were in the prison work area. Capone survived the attack, and Lucas was punished with solitary confinement.

By 1938, Lucas joined inmates Thomas R. Limerick and Rufus “Whitey” Franklin in planning an escape from Alcatraz. Their plan was to overpower an unarmed prison worker, reach the roof, attack the armed guard tower, seize weapons, and escape from the island using a prison boat.

Murder Story

The escape attempt took place on May 23, 1938, inside the prison industries area at Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary. James Lucas, Thomas Limerick, and Rufus Franklin were working in the industrial building when they attacked Senior Custodial Officer Royal C. Cline.

Cline was unarmed and supervising the work area. The inmates struck him repeatedly in the head with a hammer and pieces of metal, then dragged him aside. After leaving Cline severely injured, the three men moved toward the roof of the old industries building.

Their plan was to overpower the armed tower guard and take control of weapons. Once on the roof, they threw scrap metal at the guard tower. Officer Harold P. Stites returned fire with tower weapons and shot Limerick and Franklin. Lucas was not shot and surrendered when other officers arrived.

Thomas Limerick died from his gunshot wound. Royal C. Cline died the next day at Marine Hospital from massive head injuries caused during the attack. Lucas and Rufus Franklin were tried for Cline’s murder. Both avoided execution and were sentenced to life imprisonment. Lucas spent several years in isolation after the escape attempt.

Lucas was later transferred out of Alcatraz. He was paroled in 1958, later returned to custody for a parole violation, and eventually released after a presidential commutation by President Richard Nixon in 1970. After his release, he reportedly worked in the oil business. James Crittenton Lucas died on November 28, 1998, in Sacramento, California.