S88E3 - Daring Prison Escapes | Escape from Leavenworth

In 1909, a young convicted train robber named Frank Grigware began a life sentence at the United States Penitentiary in Leavenworth, Kansas. Leavenworth was the nation’s first federal penitentiary, touted as a state-of-the-art facility. But in the early 20th century, its prisoners endured bleak conditions, rigid routines, and harsh punishments.

In the spring of 1910, Grigware and five fellow inmates hijacked a supply train and rammed it through the prison’s heavy iron gates. The audacious breakout set off one of the longest-running manhunts in American history.

Be the first to know about Wondery’s newest podcas...