phil on mon 8 mar 10
one of two to keep things short
Hi Randall,=3D20
> Original Message -----=3D20
> From: Randall Moody=3D20
> Isn't he the guy that fell in love with a prostitute and murdered one =3D
of her john's that beat her then later while in prison=3D20
> assaulted an orderly, stabbed a fellow inmate and "shanked" a guard? =3D
You know you may be >on to something about public school and prison.... =3D
:)
> Randall in Atlanta
Lol...
I dunno...
I spoke a little carelessly, having meant only that I admired very much =3D
the Work Robert Stroud did, and, that I wish I could have met him, and =3D
to have been able to form first hand, an opinion of his character.
I have been a week and a half with a 'flu...I think it's the H5N1, but, =3D
who knows...
My mind and emotions ( not my Stomach ) feel very like a little Boat =3D
hitting major Ground Swells at Sea...orientation good, but being moved a =
=3D
lot from the great Below where, leaning on the Rudder...I am managing my =
=3D
heading alright...if between amusement, tears, and wellings of =3D
profundities which tear my Heart.
I have been working with Bird Rescue/Rehab occupation for quite a while =3D
now...I dunno, decades if in a light way usually...a heavy way, off and =3D
on for a decade, when that is how it is.
I knew nothing about Robert Stroud till just a few years ago, where, I =3D
tried sifting through the conflicting mess of not much and worse, to try =
=3D
and see if I could find out anything...then, I did not give it any =3D
further thought...but, for now and then to be reminded he had lived.
I gather he was of a Spirited sort, and, I have seen it often enough =3D
myself even in mundane Life, that if one seems proud or spirited, or =3D
does not bend to other's commands, this is enough to make enemies, have =3D
lies told to degrade you, and, to draw people who wish to break you.
Canaries, connoted his rememberence, and, I felt a wave of sadness to =3D
think of how his life went...and a wave of admiration for the Work that =3D
he did.
We will never know the truth or the real settings of the unpleasant =3D
events attributed to him, in order to be able to judge anything about =3D
it.
Few people can work with the very small Birds, such as Canaries...they =3D
are so delicate, so small, and, by the time you even have any reason to =3D
suspect something is wrong, you may well only have hours left to hope =3D
you may remedy it.
I work with larger ones, if only a little larger...Morning Doves, =3D
Pigeons, others now and then, also, with many quite tiny Neonates or =3D
older Babys, sick or injured or not, whom I have raised, socialized to =3D
their kind when possible, and, released..
Few of these Birds have any chance here otherwise...especially if they =3D
require time and care and attention...espeicllay the medium to 'far =3D
gone' ones who would be perfunctorily euthenized without question by =3D
Vets or other Wildlife facilities or government licenced contract Vets =3D
for protected species and the like.
Anyway...
I edged on faith and maybe some intuition, and maybe wishful thinking, =3D
to find in his favor...against the hear-says which variously do not.
It is very complicated to undo the tangles of History...to see what lay =3D
where, of the knot...where usually, everyone is satisfied with credulity =
=3D
and superficiality.
I dunno, I feel exhausted now.
Below...amid...s'more...the original reply...
> Original Message -----=3D20
> From: Randall Moody=3D20
> Isn't he the guy that fell in love with a prostitute and murdered one =3D
of her john's that beat her then later while in prison=3D20
> assaulted an orderly, stabbed a fellow inmate and "shanked" a guard? =3D
You know you may be >on to something about public school and prison.... =3D
:)
> Randall in Atlanta
No...not like that...or, at least, far as I understand, or accept...not =3D
as you inflect, either.
If I recall...
1909...Alaska, Rob't Stroud, 19 years old, from Washington State, left =3D
Home, on his own, no criminal history nor even any hint any was =3D
possible for his character.
Green, inexperienced, not worldly, frank and forthright by =3D
nature...emotionally open, guileless, gets Pnuemonia, it gets worse, =3D
and, he is seriously ill...
A Dance Hall Girl who he knew, with whom an acquaintance was on-going ( =
=3D
who maybe yes, maybe no, was a sometimes 'prostitute' ) whether or not =3D
the acquaintance was romantic or otherwise, takes him in to her little =3D
home where she lives alone...mops his brown, changes sweat soaked =3D
sheets, makes Soups, Teas, keeps the Wood Stove running day and night, =3D
Spoon feeds him while he is too sick to sit or eat...she rents a small =3D
Popcorn Machine, and sells Popcorn, to make additional money for careing =
=3D
for him...she takes care of him, where, otherwise, he would have died.
Over however many weeks, he recovers, and, survived.
Robert is grateful for her kindness.
The girl gets beaten and raped and possibly robbed by a well known =3D
around town older man, a mature, street wise, criminal type, known for =3D
his viscousness, violence and violent temper...it is possible he was =3D
punishing her for refusing to let him be her Pimp, for her reusing to be =
=3D
a prostitute other than as an occasional matter and by her own leave and =
=3D
lights.
She almost dies and is badly injured...now the income from her selling =3D
Popcorn and Dancing in the Chorus Line and so on, and paying for her own =
=3D
existance, is compromised as well.
Robert is now poised to spend time taking care of her...and, finding =3D
means of income.
19 year old Mr. Stroud, confronts the man, ( in what way, we do not =3D
know...it may have been as simple as just asking "What happened??" ) , =3D
and, about all we seem to know, is a physical scuffle or fight ensued, =3D
and, the man was shot.
Probably, the man was shot by his own gun, in the course of a struggle, =3D
in which he was trying to draw on, and shoot Stroud.
The Gun was never attributed to Shroud, anyway, far as I could find out.
Stroud prompltly goes to the Police, presents himself and the Gun, and, =3D
relays his story of what happenned...presenting to the Police, the Man's =
=3D
wallet also, containing the Money ( which according to some sources, ) =3D
he had stolen from the Girl.
We will never know what his story was, nor how inflected in the =3D
telling, nor, in the transcription to tell what actually =3D
happenned...only, what was either made of it, or, made from it to suit =3D
others.
Shot-man may well have been in good criminal stead with local crooked =3D
Police, and or a procurer of Girls and Drugs for them, and or their =3D
being used to a cut of his own profits for them and his symbiosis, and =3D
or other services he would render, or he may have been related to the =3D
Judge or DA or Police Cheif as well, or or who knows...but, something =3D
hypes up the charges...and, probably, if an honest Legal conditions, no =3D
charges need have been filed against young Mr. stroud in the first =3D
place.
phil on mon 8 mar 10
two of two to keep things short
Stroud is tried, and, sentenced to 13 years in the Territorial Prison =3D
for manslaughter.
There, managing elusion enough, or, if failing to, fending off rapes, =3D
beatings, being robbed of whatever little personal items he has by =3D
tougher older bullies, being bullied, people trying to knife him, =3D
corrupt 'guards' and their betting pools on pitting prisoner against =3D
prisoner in Knife fights or rape dramas, and so on, at some point, in =3D
rebuke, or retailation more likely, Stroud knifes a Guard, and, the =3D
Guard dies.
Stroud is convicted of Murder, and, sentenced to Death.
His sentence is commuted to Life in Prison.
Deemed 'dangerous' by Prison Authorities, he spends almost his entire =3D
life from then on, in one or another version of isolation...where no =3D
'dangerous' intimations are ever seen again by anyone.
Probably this is more agreeable to him, than, prior conditions and their =
=3D
difficulties.
Finds a sick Sparrow, begins studying Avian Medicine in the era before =3D
any Antibiotics...is allowed to keep small Birds in his Cell...is =3D
allowed a Microscope and other items.
Publishes the reults of his experiments to find cures and remedies for =3D
various erstwhile hopeless Avian Illnesses, etc.
Starts a tiny Mail Order Business, selling packets of Medicines he =3D
invented and assmbles....uses proceeds to purchase supplies for same.
Gains recognition for this...
Work ceases when transfered to another Prison...where the Warden forbids =
=3D
such involvements.
Dies an old man, after transefer to a Prison Hospital, in the early =3D
1960s.
I think he was essentially an innocent man...thrust into trying =3D
circumstances of Prison by trumped up charges of a very murky =3D
'manslaughter' indicent he had not tried to evade, but presented himself =
=3D
forthrightly to the Authorites about ( when he likely could have said =3D
nothing and never been in any trouble ), where, in the ongoing =3D
corruption, violence and politics of the prison 'life', he indeed did =3D
become capable of offering effective violence to his abusers, once =3D
cornered and abused enough.
Possibly I misjudge him...possibly there were things about Robert Stroud =
=3D
I would not like, and possibly I would not have liked him, or his Bird =3D
Work...
As it is, in my imagination, I believe I would have liked and understood =
=3D
Robert Stroud, and, I imagine we would have got along fine, with never a =
=3D
terse or unkind word or regret...though I expect he would have been =3D
deeply unhappy to have been spending his Life behind Bars, because of =3D
how one thing led to another, in Alaska, in 1909.
He did so much, with so little, in such trying conditions, in working =3D
out cures for illnesses of small Birds, which at that time, had no =3D
cures.
It is all long ago now, and, difficult to find information, little =3D
information ever existed in the first place...difficult also, to decide =3D
how to read between the lines of what scant information and =3D
mis-information there is.
Have you ever been interviewed by the 'press'? Or by someone who is a =3D
bad listener and who jumps to conclusions or interpolates?
I have...
Even in upbeat and innocent matters, they tend to get everything fouled =3D
up right from the get-go.
This is important to bear in mind when regarding anything we think we =3D
know about 'History', or, anyone who was living in times past...and or =3D
any situation where we have hear-say to rely on.
There exists no published version of Stroud telling his own Story, about =
=3D
what happened in either of the unpleasantnesses, so, having seen for =3D
myself how easily and often, the truth is lost, in other's tellings, =3D
when they seek for their own reasons to distort things, or distort =3D
things merely in being poor or biased listeners...so...I give him the =3D
benifit of the doubt...and discount what rumor or other hearsay as would =
=3D
seek to take anything from him.
Shall I believe you or I would have done better, Randall? If in the same =
=3D
circumstances?
I would be proud of either of us, were we to have done as well.
As far as 'creativity' goes...that we may justify this digression...
Robert Stroud, in conditions few of us could oblige, contributed =3D
valuable and original research, analysis, and conclusions, in Avian =3D
Medicine, and evolved practical regmens to ameliorate what had been =3D
untreatable fatal Illnesses in small Birds.
We have no way of knowing how many Canaries and other Birds, lived, for =3D
Veterinarians and or their caretakers appealing to the fruits of Robert =3D
Stroud's work.
Late in life, at a paroll hearing, in a court filled to overflowing with =
=3D
people who admired him, and who wanted him Parolled for his Work, when =3D
asked about his Work and it's continueing importance and legacy, Mr. =3D
Stroud stood, and simply said, "With the advent of the Antibiotics, =3D
everything I did became instantly irrelevent." And, sat down.
No one, even his worst enemies, has ever suggested, that he was ever =3D
less than forthright, brief, candid and honest, no matter the subject or =
=3D
situation.
Anyway...
For what it's worth...
Phil
Lv
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