James A. Johnston: The Warden Who Had No Time For Jokes
On August 11, 1934, the Alcatraz Penitentiary officially had its first set of inmates. You can consider them as special because the authorities hand-picked all of them. They had many issues in the former prison they were in, so they had to get transferred.
James A. Johnston was the warden during that time, and he had no time for games. He was as strict as it gets, and many considered him the perfect candidate for the position. His job wasn’t easy, so we bet he got an impressive salary. Johnston wasn’t a lone wolf, for he had about 155 guards that were part of his crew.
