Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1940-08-21
Bomb Explosion
Injuries Postal
Employees Here
Men Were Unloading
Mail at u Street
Branch Office
pictures on Page BID

A bomb exploded at the branch
post Office at 1888 U street NV.
shortly before 6 am today, injuring
two postal employees.
The bomb, small and poorly con-
structed, was in a mail bag which
was being removed from a postal
truck to the loading platform at the
rear of the post Office. 1t was ad-
dressed to woman. Her name and
exact address are withheld by The
Star at the request of postal au-
thorIties.
Those injured were:
Harry B. Hess, SO. of 10 West
Broad street, Falls Church. Va, who
received decorations to his left shoul-
der and leg
LYMAN Ritzenberg, 80, Of 223 o
street S.W., a well-known District
tennis player, who received cuts on
his left shoulder and right leg.
Believed Mailed Here.
The sound of the explosion was
heard for blocks, and pieces of the
package in which the internal ma
chine was wrapped were scattered
as far as so feet from the scene.
The bomb was wrapped in brown
paper and had been built into a
cardboard box which had once con-
tanned camera. 1t was believed
to have been mailed in the city.
Mr.. Hess, a postal driver, picked
up the sack which contained the
bomb at the main post Office this
morning. With number Of other
sacks, he took the package to the
U street branch There, with Nj.
Ritzenberg's assistance, he began un-
loading the mail from the truck.
Truck Nearly Emptied
I'VE had almost emptied the
truck" Mr.. Ritzenberg said II had
my hand on the string of this sack
when I heard a report. 1t sounded
like two giant firecrackers going of
at the same time.
81 looked down at my leg and il
was bleeding and then I looked at
nv shoulder and there was blood
on it.
Il turned to Hess and said: What
was that? What could that have
been He said Tt was bomb
Workers in the building rushed
to the platform and found the two
injured men. Francis Kidwen, 2436
Tunlaw road NV. rushed the two
to Emergency Hospital, where they
we're given treatment. Neither was
injured seriously and both were sent
home after being treated.
The package containing the bomb
had been dropped in the mail yes
terday. Police and postal inspectors
gathered up the pieces OF the wrap
ping and were able to make out the
address.
Bomb Was 2 inches Long.
The bomb was constructed with
a piece of inch-and-one-half lead
pipe. about two inches long and cap
ped at either end. The pipe was
filled with explosive and two dry
cell batteries were hooked up so that
it would explode when the box was
opened.
Apparently, the bomb was set on
when it hit the floor as it was being
moved.
Other mail in the sack, which con-
tanned the bomb. was damaged by
the explosion, but authorities SAID
they would be able to deliver It all.
Fragments from the pipe were scat
tered over the platform, one large
piece knocking a chunk Of plaster
out of the ceiling.
L. G.. Carrico, assistant superin-
tendent, who was in charge Of the
station, summoned police after see
ing that the injured men were ;e-
moved to the hospital.
Postmaster Vincent C. Burke VS.
tied the scene of the bombing to
consult with postal inspectors in
charge of the investigation.
Mr.. Ritzenberg and his younger
brother, Allie, have been we'll known
in public parks tennis here for sew
eral years. The postal clerk shared
the District public parks doubles
championship in 1887, and has been
runnerup for the title twice since.