Alcatraz Ghost Story: Roy Gardner’s Amazing Train Robberies, Escapes, and Lifelong Love by Brian Stannard
From Skyhorse Publishing, produced by John Marshall Media
Another fascinating and—at times—unbelievable story of one man’s journey in the 20th century that has been all but lost to history. If this piques your interest, check out another narration, Lost at Sea.
Listen to a sample:
The Incredible True Story of the Most Hunted Man in Pacific Coast History—and the Woman He Loved
Before the 1920s found their roar, a charismatic gambling addict named Roy Gardner dominated news headlines with daring train robberies and escapes from incarceration. Nicknamed “the Smiling Bandit,” Gardner spilled no blood—except his own—as he cut a felonious path across the western United States, as the country hobbled through a recession in the aftermath of the First World War.
Once imprisoned for the long term in federal prisons, including Alcatraz, the most notorious prison’s second-most-notorious inmate won over some unlikely champions. Both Gardner’s wife, Dollie, and a police officer who once arrested him launched extensive campaigns for Gardner’s release on the vaudeville circuit, claiming a brain operation would cure his lawless ways. Was Gardner a good man who made bad decisions as the victim of injury and circumstance? Or was his charming personality merely the poker face of a scoundrel?
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