Lexington Avenue bombing
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The Lexington Avenue bombing was the July 4, 1914 explosion of a bomb in an apartment at 1626 Lexington Avenue New York City, killing four people and injuring dozens.[1] The Anarchist Red Cross had planned to use the bomb as retaliation to John D. Rockefeller for the Ludlow massacre. However, it exploded before the attack could occur. The dead were anarchists Arthur Caron, Charles Berg, Carl Hanson, and their roommate Marie Chavez, who apparently was not aware of the plot. Louise Berger, who was involved, was not in the building at the time. She denied any involvement, and police were not able to implicate her.
Will Durant later created a fictionalized version of this bombing and placed himself in the story as the innocent fourth roommate. This version appeared in Durant's 1927 autobiography, Transitions. In Durant's version, the innocent roommate survived. The parallels between the true story and Durant's version are unmistakable, as Durant claims to have associated with anarchists loosely affiliated with the Modern School at which Durant taught. Durant further describes the bombing as intended retaliation against a wealthy industrialist whose company had caused a massacre of employees in Colorado. Durant never acknowledged that the account (including his own participation) was fictionalized. The account of this bombing was included with many true stories from Durant's life.
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- Margaret Marsh. Anarchist Women 1870-1920. Temple University Press; ISBN 0-87722-202-9
- ^ "Exploded in Apartment Occupied by Tarrytown Disturbers.; ONLY ONE ESCAPED ALIVE", The New York Times, 1914-07-05. Retrieved on 2007-12-30. "A large quantity of dynamite, which the police and certain friends of the leaders of the I. W. W. believe was being made into a bomb to be used in blowing up John D. Rockefeller's Tarrytown home, exploded prematurely at 9:16 o'clock in the upper story or on the roof of the new seven-story model tenement house at 1,626 Lexington Avenue"
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