Wall Street Bombed 100 Years Ago Today

One hundred years ago today, at one minute past noon, a bomb exploded in Wall Street which killed 38 people and seriously wounded 143. Windows were shattered up to a half-mile away.

A horse-drawn wagon loaded with dynamite had been parked in front of the headquarters of J.P. Morgan. The dynamite was packed with 500 pounds of cast-iron slugs.

For the first time ever, trading was halted on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange because of violence. The previous day, anarchists Sacco and Vanzetti had been indicted for bank robbery and murder. At the time, it was the deadliest terrorist attack on U.S. soil.

No one knows who carried out the attack, but it was assumed to have been orchestrated by an Italian anarchist group. They had carried out a series of bombings in June 1919.

Damage from the blast is still visible on 23 Wall Street. J.P. Morgan refused to have it repaired.

The perpetrators were never caught.

Posted by Eddy Elfenbein on September 16th, 2020 at 8:14 am

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