Journal of Criminal Law and Criminology Volume 31 Article 12 Issue 1 May-June

Summer 1940 The aH ndling of Explosives and Suspected Bombs C. W. Muehlberger

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Recommended Citation C. W. Muehlberger, The aH ndling of Explosives and Suspected Bombs, 31 Am. Inst. Crim. L. & Criminology 100 (1940-1941)

This Criminology is brought to you for free and open access by Northwestern University School of Law Scholarly Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in Journal of Criminal Law and Criminology by an authorized editor of Northwestern University School of Law Scholarly Commons. THE HANDLING OF EXPLOSIVES AND SUSPECTED BOMBS C. W. Muehlberger*

Although there is no absolutely safe If an officer comes upon a bomb with method which may be recommended to a sputtering fuse, he may, in his discre- investigators and police officers for tion consider it safe either to pull out handling bombs and other explosives- the burning fuse or to cut it off at the since any procedure will of necessity point of entry into the explosive con- carry with it some danger of an explo- tainer, thereby inactivating the bomb. sion-the hazard may be reduced to a Safety fuse such as is ordinarily used minimum by following certain simple in the construction of bombs, burns at precautionary measures: the rate of 30-40 seconds per foot and one can sometimes estimate the posi- 1. Warn People to Remain at a Safe Distance tion of the burning fuse powder by the external appearance of the fuse. How- The safety of the public should be the ever, with some types of heavily coated primary consideration of the officer. Until persons specially qualified to fuse, it is almost impossible to judge handle explosives can be called to as- how much unburned fuse remains. Ex- sist, the public should be kept at a rea- cept where a crowd of people is in the sonable distance from the suspected vicinity and great injury or damage bomb so as to avoid danger from flying might be expected from an explosion, fragments or debris in the event of an the personal hazard involved in cutting explosion. Where the suspected bomb or pulling out a burning fuse seems un- is in a building, all persons should be justified. However, no set rule may be warned to go to remote parts of the laid down to cover all cases. The building or to get outside of the build- proper handling of any situation re- ing if this does not require passing close quires quick thinking and sound judg- to the suspected bomb. By so doing, ment. they. lessen the risk of injury from collapsing structures. (If the bomb is 2. Properly qualified Persons Should be in an open area, a person standing up- Called upon to Carefully Remove right is more likely to be struck by fly- the Explosive or Suspected Bomb to ing fragments than a person lying a Safe Place down.) It is hardly necessary to point Every police force should have at out that the officer, after looking after least one officer (in larger cities an en- the safety of the public, should use due tire squad) who has made a special care in avoiding unnecessary personal study of explosives and bombs and who risks. understands their construction and * Chief Chemist, Cook County Coroner's Lab- oratory, Chicago, Illinois. hazards. Upon discovery of a suspected [ 100 ] EXPLOSIVES AND SUSPECTED BOMBS bomb, the investigating officer should Oftentimes ignition mechanisms are call in the assistance of such specially constructed so that any turning of the trained officer or officers in the subse- bomb will cause a container of chemi- quent handling of the situation. If no cal to spill and ignite the contents or explosion has occurred by the time the will cause a mercury switch to close special officer has arrived, the bomb an electrical circuit and set off an elec- may, in his discretion, be removed to a tric blasting cap. In other bombs, the safer place for further observation and trigger mechanism is so arranged that investigation. by opening the package in the obvious way (as, for example,'by releasing the 3. If Specialist Is Unavailable and It latch of a traveling bag or suitcase) Becomes Necessary for Investigator the explosive is set off. to Handle and Transport the Bomb, the Following Precautions Should be (c) In Transporting Bomb, Avoid Observed Densely Populated Areas of City or (a) Do Not Submerge Suspected Heavy Street Traffic. In transporting Bomb in Water. There is a popular the suspected explosive, due care misconception that soaking a bomb in should be taken to keep the hazard to water renders it non-explosive. Except the general public at a minimum. Thus in the instance of bombs composed of in choosing the route of travel in re- gunpowder encased in containers which moving the bomb to another place for are permeable to water, this is incor- subsequent examination, densely pop- rect. Nitroglycerin, TNT, blasting gela- ulated areas and busy or congested tin, gelatin dynamites, or even paraf- streets should be avoided. Several fined sticks of ordinary dynamite are years ago, two federal investigators not rendered safe by soaking in water. carried 2 gallons of nitroglycerin ex- Likewise, blasting caps, especially those plosive across the most densely popu- intended for electrical ignition, are lated business district of Chicago. If still dangerous after water soaking. this quantity of nitroglycerin had ex- Such explosives are actually used for ploded en route (e.g., as a result of a under-water blasting. Moreover, a collision of the automobile in which it bomb may contain substances such as was carried, or of too much jarring on metallic potassium, metallic sodium or the floor of the car) the damage and calcium phosphide which form explo- loss of life would have been terrific. sive or spontaneously inflammable (d) Do Not Add or Destroy Finger- gases when brought into contact with prints. After all due safety precautions water. In such instances, water may are taken, and if circumstances and actually set off the bomb. conditions permit, reasonable care (b) Do Not Turn, Upset, Jar, or At- should be exercised by the investigator tempt to Open Bomb. No attempt not to unnecessarily add his own fin- should be made to open the bomb; gerprints to the material or explosive neither should it be tipped or turned. container, nor to destroy or remove C. W. MUEHLBERGER other prints which may be present discussion here of the technique of in- thereon. This can be done by handling vestigating and opening a suspected the package as little as possible with bomb. The procedure has been pre- gloved hands or by supporting the sented in greater detail in another bomb in an empty cardboard carton.1 paper,2 to which the interested reader is referred. Such an examination con- 4. The Investigation of the Inside of a sists of! -- (a) Turning of bomb (from Bomb Should be Made Only by outside the "bombproof") to make Trained Persons and in a Safe Place certain that no ignition mechanisms ex- Every police department should have ist which will be set off by tipping the some special building located in a bomb; (b) Photographing bomb (ana sparsely populated area where sus- especially any handwriting, printing or pected bombs may be examined with a distinctive markings on it or its con- minimum of hazard to citizens and to tainer or wrapper); (c) Development investigators. This may be a small one- of latent fingerprints on outside sur- room building constructed of heavy face; (d) X-ray examination of bomb brick or of reinforced concrete and to locate electrical circuits and contacts, fitted with a light sheet-metal roof. An switches, trigger mechanisms, clock- explosion in 'such a building would work ignition devices, batteries and, have its chief force directed upward above all, blasting caps; (e) Cautious- and would cause a minimum of damage ly opening container and analyzing its" to surroundings. In such a building contents. suspected bombs should be "aged" for Obviously such examinations should at least forty-eight hours before further be made by specially skilled persons study. and not undertaken by untrained offi- Space does not permit an extensive cers.

,In handling nitroglycerin explosives (includ- are not dangerous but are exceedingly un- ing dynamites), care should be taken to avoid comfortable. contact with the skin. Nitroglycerin is rapid- 2 Muehlberger, C. W.. "The Investigation of ly absorbed through the skin and results in a marked fall in blood pressure and a violent Bombs and Explosions." Jour. of Criminal L. throbbing headache. These effects ordinarily and Crim. 28:406 and 581 (1937).