The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1921-10-20
TOPEKA STATE JOURNAL
Information Bureau
FREDERIC j. HASKIN, Director.
Washington, D. G.
THE WALL STREET MYSTERY.

THE WALL STREET MYSTERY.
New York City, Oct. 16.-Altho per-
sistently baffled in their efforts to
solve the mystery of the Wall street
explosion, which last year killed thir-
ty-nine persons, injured 200 and
caused nearly $1,0O0,000 property
damage, the New York police and de-
tectives of the United States depart
ment of justice have never for mo
ment abandoned it. Investigation of
this so-called master crime is still pro-
ceeding quietly but determinedly,
every detective cherishing the dream
that some day he will triumphantly
march the guilty criminal into an
amazed and envious headquarters.
Upon the anniversary of the dis
aster, a couple of weeks ago, the
financial district of the city was placed
nut shone brilliantly with brass but
tons. while downtown, detectives from
the bomb and homicide squads of the
police department covered the sub
treasury and the assay office an6 the
large banking houses of the neighbor-
hood, eagerly waiting for some indi-
cation of proposed violence.
In these propitious circumstances
of course, nothing happened. After
long day of hopeful suspense, the
guards went safely home to bed, ana
the mystery of the bomb outrage
certainly one of the most curious that
has ever puzzled the police-was ad-
mitted to be no nearer solution A
few officials went even further ana
admitted that it had been Impossible
even to establish the fact that po1np
was planted by any one.
That the crime was planned ana
perpetrated by an anarchist or a
group of anarchists is the theory
which the police have been WORKING
on all 6long-a theory presumably
,Jr diGRnUnV-nA
the scene of the crime. Accordingly,
the search for criminals has been con-
fined chiefly to radical groups thru
out the country, In the past year sew
eraI suspects were arrested by the
agents of the department of justice,
hut ali were later released for lack Of
sufficient evidence. Occasionally, one
hears the theory advanced that the
whole catastrophe was an accident,
but YOU cannot make the police be-
lieve that. Where" they ask you
ouicIx1y do the sash weights fit into
the accident theory? Why would an
innocent wagon of T. N. T. be laden
with sash weights which, in the ex-
p4osion, scattered like pieces of shrap-
mel among the crowd, causing much
injury?"
ONLY one item in the list of strange
evidence which seems to sustain the
theory that the explosion was planned
The Known Facts.
The police know that on the NORM
ing Of September 16, 1920, wagon
filled with high explosives and drawn
by an underfed horse, was driven to
Wall and Broad streets-the heart of
New York's great financial district
and parked in front Of the United
| States assay office directly across the
street from the J. P Morgan hank
building, a location not more than lGO
| feet from the New York Stock Ex-
change. The monday crowds were
filling the narrow streets when the
| blast came.
The shock was so great that people
| in distant Brooklyn were frightened
and ran screaming into the streets.
You can imagine, therefore, what
| havoc it wrought among the crowds
in Wall street. In a brief interval =
seemingly only a few seconds i, 700
policemen were on the scene fighting
back the thousands of persons who
rushed forward, in order that the
wounded might not be trampled upon
and that the ambulances and dead
wagons might have free way. They
arrived upon a CHASTITY scene. Vic
tins were streWn ABOUT in all direc-
lions, some dead, some dying, and
] many suffering from painful minor in
| juries. The dilapidated vehicle which
| had hauled the explosives was shat
| tered into atoms, while the head OF its
equally dilapidated horse was-picked
up on the steps of the United States
assay office.
The police soon had the streets
/ roped off and the scene of the crime
| cleared in order that all existing clues
might be preserved for investigation.
detectives from police headquarters
and agents from the nearby depart
ment of justice offices including some
| of the most expert criminologists in
.%1Ix-
on hand, checking up bits of evidence,
questioning, alleged witnesses and
| tracing various reports.
Fairly intelligent descriptions of the
| horse and wagon were obtained from
| three persons who claimed to have
| street. Hoof pads Of the horse. bear
| ing the inscription Bison Hoof Pad
| company, Buffalo, New York" were
| picked up, and from the size of these
pads the investigators were able to
| judge the exact weight of the horse.
| They were also able to judge from the
size and extent of the disaster that ii
had been caused byiapproximately 200
pounds of T. n. T. The presence OF
| small bits of metal, scattered over a
vast area (the deadly pieces of sash
weights, already referred to) convinced
the police that they had to deal with
a deliberately planned crime. This
assumption was strengthened by the
statements Of several witnesses who
claimed to have seen three Italians
standing near the fateful wagon five
minutes or so before the explosion
Then came the seeming confirmation
of this theory in the news that warn
ings of the impending catastrophe had
been mailed to various persons on the
1 day before it occurred.
The last clue was investigated first
In short time, agents of the depart
ment of justice had uncovered the
surprising information that the warn
ings had been mailed by Edwin P
Fischer, former tennis champion OF
New York City. keep out of tht
financial district on the afternoon OF
September 16," was the message he
had sent to several friends, as well al
to the French high commission.