# FBI report on the 23 June 1936 assault on Capone at Alcatraz (serial 62-39128-45)

Canonical: https://mobfiles.org/items/fbi-vault-capone-p17-lucas-stabbing-report-1936/

A San Francisco FBI report states that inmate James C. Lucas stabbed Capone in the back with a blade of barber shears at Alcatraz on 23 June 1936, that the wound was superficial, and that the U.S. Attorney declined prosecution as a prison administrative matter.

Part 17 of the FBI Vault's Capone file, scans 7 to 13. The Bureau's cover sheet for the part reads "Alphonse Capone, Part 5 of 11, Bufile 62-39128". The report proper (scans 10 to 13) is a Form No. 1 report made at San Francisco on 7/1/36 by Special Agent W. R. Ramsey, for the period 6/24/36, approved by W. L. Listerman, Special Agent in Charge. It is titled "James C. Lucas", the character of the case is "Assault on Government Reservation", the San Francisco file number is 70-144, and the Bureau serial is 62-39128-45. Scan 7 is the San Francisco office's covering letter of June 30, 1936 enclosing a San Francisco Call-Bulletin clipping of June 25, 1936 (scan 8, serial 62-39128-44), which is described here and not reproduced.

The synopsis, read from the page image stored here with its redactions, states: "James C. Lucas assaulted Alphonse Capone, Alcatraz Island Federal Penitentiary, 6/23/36; no official notification this Office but inquiry Warden J. A. Johnston, following press report of assault, developed [redacted] stabbed Capone in back at about 9:45 AM, 6/23/36, with single blade of barber shears obtained by [redacted] while having hair cut, and allegedly due to belief on part of [redacted] that Capone had 'informed on him' ... Capone struck [redacted] with fist and both immediately separated by prison guard; Capone's injuries superficial flesh wound and early release from Prison Hospital expected." It ends: "U.S. Attorney, San Francisco, declines prosecution on ground the affair a prison administrative matter."

The details on scans 11 to 13, read by the research from the page images, place the attack in the basement bath house, where Capone had been assigned for several months to clean up. Warden Johnston told the agent the wound was superficial and was closed with one stitch; the prison physicians named are Dr. Jacob Greenberg and Dr. George Hess. The OCR of these pages is too garbled to quote. The report does not give Capone's cell.

## Sources

- FBI Records: The Vault: https://vault.fbi.gov/Al%20Capone/Al%20Capone%20Part%2017/view
- FBI Vault: Al Capone (file index): https://vault.fbi.gov/Al%20Capone