Transcriber’s Note
Cover created by Transcriber, using images fromoriginal book, and placed in the Public Domain.
THROTTLED!
THROTTLED!
THE DETECTION OF THE GERMAN
AND ANARCHIST BOMB PLOTTERS
BY
INSPECTOR THOMAS J. TUNNEY
Head of the Bomb Squad of the New York
Police Department
AS TOLD TO
PAUL MERRICK HOLLISTER
Author, with John Price Jones, of “The German
Secret Service in America”
ILLUSTRATED
FROM PHOTOGRAPHS
BOSTON
SMALL, MAYNARD & COMPANY
PUBLISHERS
Copyright, 1919
By SMALL, MAYNARD & COMPANY
(INCORPORATED)
TO
ARTHUR WOODS
Formerly Police Commissioner of theCity of New York, now colonel in theUnited States Army, whose vision andcoöperation made the work of theBomb Squad possible, this volume isrespectfully dedicated
vii
INTRODUCTION
Inspector Tunney’s Squad was formed early inAugust, 1914, to specialize in organized crimes ofviolence. It did some radically effective workagainst Black Handers, and handled several casesagainst domestic enemies of law and order, but astime wore on and war developed, the Squad’senergies became directed solely against the nefariousactivities of Germans among us.
Inspector Tunney is a most skilful detective, resourceful,persistent, understanding human nature,a good leader. He picked a squad of fearless,tireless men, who not only worked long and hard,but showed marked skill and tact. They provedthemselves to be Americans all the way through,aggressive, loyal, bound to put the job through, nomatter what the difficulties might be. They wereoccupied in hunting out Germans who were outragingour neutrality; and then—after we finallystarted to make war against those who had so longbeen warring against us, on the high seas and inour very midst—they set to work to thwart andcapture active German enemies. The results theyviiigot went far toward making it possible to maintainorder in New York during those months and yearswhich were full of such menace to the safety ofthe city, when the national danger seemed so plain—soincreasingly plain—and the national militarystrength was so woefully weak. In manycases the Inspector worked in coöperation with oneor more of the Federal Secret Service forces. TheFederal work was seriously hampered, however,at first by hopelessly inadequate organization, and,later, by the existence of several entirely distinctforces, instead of one powerful, unified body.
Inspector Tunney has written a most interestingbook. Much of what he tells I knew about at thetime, from conference with him, or with MajorScull, Colonel Biddle, or Major