Roy G. Gardner (January 5, 1884 - January 10, 1940) was once America's most infamous prison escapee and the most celebrated outlaw and escaped convict during the Roaring Twenties.
During his criminal career, he stole over $350,000 in cash and securities. He also had a $5,000 reward for his head three times in less than a year during his sensational career. He was the most dangerous inmate in the history of Atlanta Prison and he was dubbed by the newspapers across the West Coast.He was one of the most notorious offenders of the Federal Bureau of Prisons, one of the most notorious inmates at Alcatraz and one of the most ruthless criminals in American history. Gardner is said to be the most hunted man in Pacific Coast history. While legend has it that he was the first to escape the McNeil Island Federal Penitentiary, this has been confirmed to be not true. The first escapes occurred before Gardner was even born, and, by the time of his imprisonment, several dozen inmates had made their escapes. McNeil Island, in fact, was the only Federal Penitentiary never to have a wall and was never considered a maximum security facility. Gardner was the "Most Wanted" gangster of 1921. He is now largely forgotten for his daring acts. He was a lone bandit and his reputation and notoriety made him a touchstone of his time. |