A. I can name him all right. Well, I am not—
Q. What?
A. I don’t want... He offered money to get me.
Q. He offered money to get you?
A. But I refuse to name who at the present time for several reasons, and he threatened my life up there. You might have heard that (turning to Junior Custodial Officer Sanders) when I was going up there to the hospital
Q. That was after the facts.
A. That was Tuesday, but before this
Q. Afterwards many things might be said after you had executed this unprovoked attack upon him.
A. He offered money to get me done for or he would do it and the other fellow would take the rap.
Q. Who did he offer that?
A. I would rather not say now, at the present time.
Q. That is insufficient evidence. Mr. Sanders what do you know about this case, what did you see on your end of it?
A. (By Junior Custodial Officer Thomas J. Sanders)
Why, the first I knew is that I saw this man attacking Capone and they were tangled up and fighting and I jumped over and told this man to surrender the weapon, which he did without any resistance to me. I turned the weapon over to you.
Q. What was it?
A. (J.C.O. Sanders) One piece of scissors.
Q. One half of a scissors?
A. (J.C.O. Sanders) One half of scissors.
Q. Did you find the other half of the scissors?
A. (J.C.O. Sanders) No... Oh, yes, the other half, I found it.
Q. Where did you find it?
A. (J.C.O. Sanders) In the Barber Shop on the stand.
Q. Did you find the screw?
A. (J.C.O. Sanders) Yes, sir.
Q. Where was it?
A. (J.C.O. Sanders) It was laying with the other part of the scissors.
Q. Where was it?
A. (J.C.O. Sanders) In the Barber Shop.
Q. This inmate has 3600 days good time, earned or to be earned under a sentence of thirty-years. I recommend that he forfeit the entire 3600 days. What is your recommendation (to Doctor Hess)?
Q. (By Dr. Hess) If you don’t mind, I would like to ask him some questions. Where are you working, Lucas?
A. In the Laundry.
Q. (Dr. Hess) What were you doing down there?
A. Supposed to get a haircut.
Q. Down to get a haircut?
A. Yes, to get a haircut.
Q. (Dr. Hess) Are you sure that you did this because of some threat that Capone made to you or in conjunction with some grievances of others?
A. Well, he knows (indicating Deputy) what Capone said about me to him and not only to...
Q. Where there any words passed before you struck him?
A. No.
Q. None whatever? How long after you went down stairs to get a hair cut before you struck him?
A. Oh, I would say twenty minutes, I don’t know just the exact time.
Q. What did you use to loosen the scissors with?
A. They were loose, just a set screw.
Q. I see. Suppose there is any change of anyone unloosening those scissors purposely.
A. Nobody knew anything about it.
Q. What barber’s scissors did you take, do you know?
A. I looked them both over. I don’t know what one.
Q. Why did you look them both over?
A. Just looking them over to see which one was the best.
Q. (By Deputy Shuttleworth to Lieutenant Miller). Anything to ask him?
A. Lieutenant Miller). No.
Q. (By Deputy Shuttleworth to Dr. Hess). What is your recommendation?
A. (By Dr. Hess) I would rather defer my opinion until I can talk to Capone.
Q. (By Deputy Shuttleworth to Lieutenant Miller). Your recommendation?
A. I recommend he lose all his good time.
Q. (By Deputy Shuttleworth to J.C.O. Sanders). That is all, put him away.
A. Dr. Hess requested that #85 be brought before the Board for the purpose of asking him some questions which might aid in finding the cause of the attack. Capone was brought before the board and asked a few questions, which satisfied the Doctor and he “recommended the loss of all his good time.”
* * *
By late 1937, Capone started to withdraw further and further from prison society, spending the majority of his time withdrawn and secluded in his cell. As his health deteriorated, he would pass on visits to the recreation yard and instead spend time with close associates in the basement shower and band room areas where he worked providing janitorial services. He was witnessed on occasion talking to himself and acting bizarre, and on February 5, 1938 it became apparent that Al was seriously ill.
Documents relating to Capone’s treatment for syphilis while he was an inmate at Alcatraz.
During Capone’s tenure at Alcatraz, his family visited as often as permissible by prison regulations. His inmate case file shows his family’s commitment to travel across the country year round.