# Alcatraz warden's notebook page for Volney Davis, No. 271

Canonical: https://mobfiles.org/items/nara-236735104-volney-davis-alcatraz-1935/

Bureau of Prisons notebook page with the identification photograph of Volney Davis, No. 271, received at Alcatraz from Leavenworth on 26 October 1935 under a life sentence for conspiracy to transport a kidnapped person (Minnesota, St. Paul); stamped transferred to Leavenworth on 30 March 1947. A copy is stored here.

The National Archives catalog titles this page "DAVIS, VOLNEY EVERETT - Alcatraz Number 271 - Warden's Notebook." It is a Bureau of Prisons notebook form with an identification photograph at the upper right; the placard in the photograph reads "U.S. Penitentiary Alcatraz 271". It belongs to the series Warden's Notebook Pages (NAID 296686).

The typed entries, as printed: name "Davis, Volney," No. 271, received 10-26-35 from Leavenworth, age 33, date of birth 1-29-02. Offense "Consp. to transport Kidnap.Person," dated 6-7-35; sentence "Life"; district sentenced "Minn. St. Paul." A stamp at the top reads "TRANSFERRED MAR 30 1947" with a handwritten "Leav." A detainer is listed from the warden of the Oklahoma State Penitentiary at McAlester. A staff note records the prisoner's own account of earlier events; it is not repeated. The "Reason for Transfer" box is staff opinion and is not repeated.

Catalog data, labelled as such: offense "CONSPIRACY TO TRANSPORT KIDNAPPED PERSON INTERSTAT" (truncated in the catalog); received at Alcatraz 10/26/1935 from US Penitentiary, Leavenworth; transferred 03/30/1947 to US Penitentiary, Leavenworth; remark "BARKER-KARPIS GANG; CA DEATH INDEX"; birth date 01/29/1902; death date 07/20/1979, place blank. The National Park Service says Davis pitched for amateur and league softball teams on Alcatraz in 1938; see [its page on inmate recreation](/items/nps-baseball-on-the-rock/).

## Sources

- National Archives Catalog: https://catalog.archives.gov/id/236735104
- National Archives series: Warden's Notebook Pages (NAID 296686): https://catalog.archives.gov/id/296686