Podcast Appearances
Now, inside the pipe, technicians found a large amount of gunpowder and several typical bomb components, including a flashlight bulb, a battery, and a steel spring, as well as a cough drop. What? Which no one could explain why that cough drop was there. Used? Or unwrapped? I don't know if that was... Wrapped or unwrapped? I don't know if they could tell if that was a used cough drop or not.
Now, inside the pipe, technicians found a large amount of gunpowder and several typical bomb components, including a flashlight bulb, a battery, and a steel spring, as well as a cough drop. What? Which no one could explain why that cough drop was there. Used? Or unwrapped? I don't know if that was... Wrapped or unwrapped? I don't know if they could tell if that was a used cough drop or not.
But yeah. What? A cough drop. Why? No one knows to this day. That's bizarre. Despite having all the right parts and a cough drop to boot... It was clear it was a little bit of something extra. Just a little razzle-dazzle.
But yeah. What? A cough drop. Why? No one knows to this day. That's bizarre. Despite having all the right parts and a cough drop to boot... It was clear it was a little bit of something extra. Just a little razzle-dazzle.
But despite having all the right parts, it was clear to experts that the bomb had been incorrectly assembled by a very amateur person and was never in danger of exploding at all. Well, that's good news. Yeah. But while there may have not been any imminent danger, the threat was very real and investigators needed to identify the maker of the device before he improved on his technique.
But despite having all the right parts, it was clear to experts that the bomb had been incorrectly assembled by a very amateur person and was never in danger of exploding at all. Well, that's good news. Yeah. But while there may have not been any imminent danger, the threat was very real and investigators needed to identify the maker of the device before he improved on his technique.
I was just going to say before he got better. Yeah, and struck again. Yeah. Because if they do it once, of course they can do it again.
I was just going to say before he got better. Yeah, and struck again. Yeah. Because if they do it once, of course they can do it again.
Yeah, now he's going to be pissed. Now, in 1940, Consolidated Edison was one of the largest employers in Manhattan with thousands of employees, many of whom worked in the building where the bomb was found. Also, as the primary supplier of electricity for the whole region, the company served millions of customers.
Yeah, now he's going to be pissed. Now, in 1940, Consolidated Edison was one of the largest employers in Manhattan with thousands of employees, many of whom worked in the building where the bomb was found. Also, as the primary supplier of electricity for the whole region, the company served millions of customers.
That's basically, it was clear that whoever left the bomb had clearly a grudge with this company. But that fact alone didn't narrow the pool of suspects down at all. Because remember, we got thousands of employees and millions of customers. Yeah.
That's basically, it was clear that whoever left the bomb had clearly a grudge with this company. But that fact alone didn't narrow the pool of suspects down at all. Because remember, we got thousands of employees and millions of customers. Yeah.
Now further complicating the whole thing was the fact that Con Ed was a conglomerate of several smaller companies operating under like one umbrella, all operating in different parts of the city. Okay. That means that even if police did want to take the time to comb through all their administrative records, it could have been literally years before they found anything that could help them. Yeah.
Now further complicating the whole thing was the fact that Con Ed was a conglomerate of several smaller companies operating under like one umbrella, all operating in different parts of the city. Okay. That means that even if police did want to take the time to comb through all their administrative records, it could have been literally years before they found anything that could help them. Yeah.
If they found anything at all. Right. So because of that, the incident report was written up and filed, and no one really gave it a thought. The bomb incident report? Yeah, they were just like, well, that happened.
If they found anything at all. Right. So because of that, the incident report was written up and filed, and no one really gave it a thought. The bomb incident report? Yeah, they were just like, well, that happened.
Now, in late September 1941, nearly a year after this first bomb was discovered at the Con Ed building, passerbys noticed something strange lying in the road a few blocks away from the Con Ed building at 4 Irving Place. It was stuffed inside a red wool sock with a four-inch length of pipe with both ends capped. Okay.
Now, in late September 1941, nearly a year after this first bomb was discovered at the Con Ed building, passerbys noticed something strange lying in the road a few blocks away from the Con Ed building at 4 Irving Place. It was stuffed inside a red wool sock with a four-inch length of pipe with both ends capped. Okay.