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Primary Source: Anarchist Bomb Wall Street Primary Source: Anarchist Bomb Wall Street Editor's Note: Until the Oklahoma City federal building bombing in 1995, the Wall Street bombing of 1920 was the worst act of terror on American soil. At 12:01 p.m. on September 16, 1920, a red horse-drawn wagon pulled up close to the Wall Street offices of J.P. Morgan. Morgan was the richest and most powerful banker of his time and was widely hated. The driver of the wagon quickly fled and minutes later there was a terrible explosion. The blast itself was enormous, but it was made worse by the cast-iron bolts that sprayed in every direction like bullets. Thirty-eight people were killed and hundreds were wounded. The bombing mostly killed low-level office workers, however. Morgan was not even in town that day. The attack caused $2 million in damage or about $24 million in today's money. No group ever claimed responsibility for the attack, and the crime was never solved. However, authorities immediately suspected the bombing was the work of either communists or anarchists. Communists had just taken control of Russia in 1919 and renamed it the Soviet Union in 1922. Many Americans were worried that communists were working to undermine the United States as well. This led to a "Red Scare" that saw American communists, particularly immigrants, targeted by law enforcement. Anarchists were viewed as being similar to communists, but even more likely to commit acts of violence. They were believed to want to overthrow all forms of government. Both communists and anarchists were often referred to as Reds. The name comes from the fact that the international communist flag, and other communist symbols, were red. The communists and anarchists both considered bankers and stock traders to be enemies of the people. Since Wall Street is the center of stock trading and banking, it seemed natural to many people that both communists and anarchists would want to attack it. Here is an article on the Wall Street attack that was published in The New York Times on September 17, 1920. Explosion On Wall Street An explosion killed 30 people and injured probably 300 others at Broad and Wall streets yesterday at noon. A time bomb is believed to have caused the blast. Its explosion shattered windows for blocks around and created great panic throughout the Wall Street area. The street where the explosion occurred was filled with the bodies of dead and injured victims. Police say the disaster was caused by a bomb that was left in an uncovered one-horse wagon. The wagon was parked directly across the street from the J.P. Morgan building. It is suspected that Morgan was the intended target, and for that reason, 30 detectives were placed around his home last night. No arrest has been made as of yet, but authorities are convinced the terrible blast was the work of Reds. Middle-Class Workers Were Victims The attack was carefully plotted and executed, but it does not seem to have hit its intended target. Men of wealth and power escaped any harm, and the great force of the blow fell on middle-class workers . T he plotters evidently timed the bombing for an hour when the streets would be crowded, but t hey chose a time when only clerks and messengers were on the street. The big bankers were all safely indoors, or away from Wall Street, and Morgan himself was in Europe. Money And Gold Were Safe Though the explosion occurred within yards of fabulous riches, the amount missing last night was only around $80,000. Some of that was dropped by messengers and might be recovered, while some of it might have been destroyed. Around $900 million worth of gold was stored in vaults on the street where the explosion occurred, but none of it was lost. In addition, Morgan's vaults and those of other famous banks in the area contained many millions of dollars. However, not a dollar was lost except that little bit that was being carried by messengers when the blast occurred. "We Had Better Stop Trading" Within minutes of the explosion, trading was halted. The focus of Wall Street quickly shifted to protecting the billions of dollars that were suddenly endangered. Around Broad Street, the Stock Exchange was running at full steam when the blast occurred. After William H. Remick, president of the stock exchange, heard the terrific roar, followed by terrified cries and running footsteps, he quietly said: "I think we had better stop trading for the day." A second later Remick rang the gong that closed all the trading houses for the day. The wires flashed the news of their closing and a few moments later trading houses in other big cities shut down as well. All will reopen today. Quiz 1. William H. Remick would be MOST likely to agree with which of the following statements? (A) It was a silly idea for trading houses in other cities far away to also shut down for the day. (B) It was inappropriate to continue trading after so many people had been killed and injured nearby. (C) It was dangerous for employees to remain near the Stock Exchange any longer. 2. What was the MOST important reason the police assumed big bankers were the target of the explosion? (A) The authorities suspected the Reds. (B) The big bankers all went to Europe. (C) The explosion was carefully timed. (D) The bomb was placed near the banks. 3. Which two sentences from the paragraph below express central ideas? An explosion killed 30 people and injured probably 300 others at Broad and Wall streets yesterday at noon. 2. No arrest has been made as of yet, but authorities are convinced the terrible blast was the work of Reds. 3. Men of wealth and power escaped any harm, and the great force of the blow fell on middle class workers. 4. Around $900 million worth of gold was stored in vaults on the street where the explosion occurred, but none of it was lost. (A) 1 and 3 (B) 1 and 4 (C) 2 and 3 (D) 2 and 4 4. How does the section "Money And Gold Were Safe" support investigators' MAIN theory of the bombing? (A) It shows that the banks were upset about theft. (B) It shows that robbing the banks was not the motive.. (C) It describes the fear of the messengers nearby. .
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