Royal C. Cline

United States Department of Justice - Federal Bureau of Prisons — Washington, DC

Felonious

End of Watch May 23, 1938

The Vigil Panel 74 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Department 33

Incident

Correctional Officer Royal Cline was beaten to death with a hammer by three inmates who were attempting to escape from Alcatraz Prison. Following Officer Cline's murder the inmates attempted to take over a guard tower. The guard inside shot and killed one subject, seriously wounded another, and the third surrendered. The other two, 22 and 25, were sentenced to life for Officer Cline's murder. One inmate started his sentence in Alcatraz in 1935. He had been serving a 30 year sentence in Texas for bank robbery. He escaped, was soon captured, and sent to Alcatraz. In 1936 he seriously injured fellow inmate Al Capone by stabbing him in the back. He was paroled on January 30, 1958. The other 22-year-old inmate was sent to Alabama's state prison for life for murder, bank robbery, and several other crimes in 1933. In 1934 he was sent to the Atlanta Federal Penitentiary where within days he almost escaped. He was transferred to Alcatraz a week later. After he killed Officer Kline he was moved to solitary confinement. He had been there eight years when the May 1946 riot broke out. The rioters tried there best to get him out, but because he was considered Alcatraz's most dangerous inmate the bars had been electrified and they had to back off. Even though he was in solitary he had managed to plan the riot but had to just watch it from a small window. He was eventually released from solitary and in 1963, was transferred to Leavenworth, and then back to Atlanta. In 1974 because his health was so bad he was released. He died a few weeks later in Dayton, Ohio. The guard in the watch tower, Officer Harold Stites, was shot and killed during that May 1946 riot.

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Added to badge.nw: April 2, 2026
Last updated: July 23, 2026

Honored here by 1 sentinel - 1 tribute.

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Tributes

I never knew you. I am standing here anyway.
Correctional Officer Cline served with the United States Department of Justice.
Thank you for your service. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Correctional Officer Cline.

— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993

Agency

Department United States Department of Justice - Federal Bureau of Prisons

Location Washington, DC

Platform Identity usdjfbpfed.fed.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch May 23, 1938

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Weapon Blunt object; Hammer

Offender One shot and killed

Correctional Officer Royal C. Cline is one of 17,623 officers killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty across the full record of this memorial — 54.2% of all 32,508 officers honored here.

In DC, 754 of 1,419 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 53.1% of this state's fallen. That is 1.1 percentage points below the national rate of 54.2%.

At United States Department of Justice - Federal Bureau of Prisons, 26 of 34 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 76.5% of this agency's fallen.

United States Department of Justice - Federal Bureau of Prisons

of 34 officers

76.5% Felonious

DC — Statewide

754

of 1,419 officers

53.1% Felonious

Nationwide

17,623

of 32,508 officers

54.2% Felonious