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Erich Muenter (born Erich Heinrich Eugen Münter; March 25, 1871 – July 6, 1915), also known as Eric Muenter, Erich Holt or Frank Holt, was a German-American political terrorist, activist, spy, professor and would-be
assassin Assassination is the willful killing, by a sudden, secret, or planned attack, of a personespecially if prominent or important. It may be prompted by political, ideological, religious, financial, or military motives. Assassinations are orde ...
. Employed as a German professor at elite American universities, he was also a spy and a "fanatic in the clandestine service of the Imperial German government." While an instructor at Harvard University, he poisoned and killed his pregnant wife. He appeared as Cornell University professor Frank Holt who contacted the German spy network which undertook to sabotage US aid to the war in Europe against Germany. In 1915, he planted a bomb that exploded in the US Capitol, shot Jack Morgan, son of financier J. P. Morgan in his home, and predicted the bombing of a steamship bound for England before committing suicide while in police custody. His activities, and those of other Germans, were played up by the press as "Hun barbarity";
anti-German sentiment Anti-German sentiment (also known as anti-Germanism, Germanophobia or Teutophobia) is fear or dislike of Germany, its Germans, people, and its Culture of Germany, culture. Its opposite is Germanophile, Germanophilia. Anti-German sentiment main ...
rose in the years as America eventually entered the war with Germany.


Biography

Eric Muenter was born in Uelzen,
Province of Hanover The Province of Hanover () was a Provinces of Prussia, province of the Kingdom of Prussia and the Free State of Prussia from 1866 to 1946. During the Austro-Prussian War, the Kingdom of Hanover had attempted to maintain a neutral position, alo ...
(now
Lower Saxony Lower Saxony is a States of Germany, German state (') in Northern Germany, northwestern Germany. It is the second-largest state by land area, with , and fourth-largest in population (8 million in 2021) among the 16 ' of the Germany, Federal Re ...
),
Prussia Prussia (; ; Old Prussian: ''Prūsija'') was a Germans, German state centred on the North European Plain that originated from the 1525 secularization of the Prussia (region), Prussian part of the State of the Teutonic Order. For centuries, ...
. Muenter's baptismal record at list his parents as Ernst Heinrich Victor Münter (1832-1892) from Nindorf and Charlotte Lisette Julietta "Julia" Clacius (1833-1916) from Bremke. After graduating , he immigrated with his parents and three sisters to
Chicago Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...
at the age of 18. While still a student, Muenter worked as a German and French instructor at Racine College and Kenwood Preparatory School between 1895 and 1896, then graduated with his A.B. from the
University of Chicago The University of Chicago (UChicago, Chicago, or UChi) is a Private university, private research university in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Its main campus is in the Hyde Park, Chicago, Hyde Park neighborhood on Chicago's South Side, Chic ...
in 1899. From 1897 to 1900, Muenter taught at South Side Academy in Chicago for a few months before studying and working 14 months abroad, including at K.k. Akademie für Orientalische Sprachen in
Vienna Vienna ( ; ; ) is the capital city, capital, List of largest cities in Austria, most populous city, and one of Federal states of Austria, nine federal states of Austria. It is Austria's primate city, with just over two million inhabitants. ...
as an English teacher in 1901. In 1902, he taught Germanic language and literature courses at the
University of Kansas The University of Kansas (KU) is a public research university with its main campus in Lawrence, Kansas, United States. Two branch campuses are in the Kansas City metropolitan area on the Kansas side: the university's medical school and hospital ...
for a one-year tenure and then began teaching as an instructor at Harvard University, where he was also a doctoral studen


Murder of wife

While teaching German at
Harvard University Harvard University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. Founded in 1636 and named for its first benefactor, the History of the Puritans in North America, Puritan clergyma ...
in 1906 he poisoned his pregnant wife. Leone Muenter ( Krembs) died on April 16, of arsenic poisoning. On April 27,
Cambridge, Massachusetts Cambridge ( ) is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. It is a suburb in the Greater Boston metropolitan area, located directly across the Charles River from Boston. The city's population as of the 2020 United States census, ...
police issued a warrant for the arrest of Erich Muenter. On June 5, 1906, Muenter mailed a pamphlet entitled "Protest" to his wife's family from
New Orleans New Orleans (commonly known as NOLA or The Big Easy among other nicknames) is a Consolidated city-county, consolidated city-parish located along the Mississippi River in the U.S. state of Louisiana. With a population of 383,997 at the 2020 ...
. He vowed that he would "annihilate" Chicago and Cambridge in one blow if he could for accusing him of poisoning his wife, and claimed that he actually feared the punishment inflicted on
Christian Scientists A Christian () is a person who follows or adheres to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. Christians form the largest religious community in the world. The words ''Christ'' and ''Chr ...
who refused medical treatment. He fled before this was discovered, and spent the next decade in various places in the United States under assumed identities. He was a committed German nationalist and opposed the US policy of selling arms to
Great Britain Great Britain is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean off the north-west coast of continental Europe, consisting of the countries England, Scotland, and Wales. With an area of , it is the largest of the British Isles, the List of European ...
and
France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...
,
Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...
's enemies in
World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
.


German saboteur and life as "Frank Holt"

Muenter went underground and assumed the name "Frank Holt", working at a gold mining company in El Oro, Mexico. He then moved to Texas where he graduated from
Texas A&M University Texas A&M University (Texas A&M, A&M, TA&M, or TAMU) is a public university, public, Land-grant university, land-grant, research university in College Station, Texas, United States. It was founded in 1876 and became the flagship institution of ...
in 1909 and married a new wife, Leona Sensabaugh, on May 27, 1910 in Amarillo. He got teaching posts at a variety of colleges, including at the
University of Oklahoma The University of Oklahoma (OU) is a Public university, public research university in Norman, Oklahoma, United States. Founded in 1890, it had existed in Oklahoma Territory near Indian Territory for 17 years before the two territories became the ...
from 1909 to 1910,
Vanderbilt University Vanderbilt University (informally Vandy or VU) is a private university, private research university in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. Founded in 1873, it was named in honor of shipping and railroad magnate Cornelius Vanderbilt, who provide ...
from 1910 to 1911, and
Emory and Henry College Emory & Henry University (E&H or Emory) is a private university in Emory, Virginia, United States. The campus comprises of Washington County, which is part of the Appalachian highlands of Southwest Virginia. Founded in 1836, Emory & Henry U ...
in Virginia from 1911 to 1913. He almost always taught German, although at Vanderbilt he taught French. He began teaching as an instructor of German at
Cornell University Cornell University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university based in Ithaca, New York, United States. The university was co-founded by American philanthropist Ezra Cornell and historian and educator Andrew Dickson W ...
i
1913
and earned a PhD there in September 1914. That same year, Muenter was inspired by the book ''The War and America'' by
Hugo Münsterberg Hugo Münsterberg (; ; June 1, 1863 – December 16, 1916) was a German-American psychologist. He was one of the pioneers in applied psychology, extending his research and theories to Industrial organization, industrial/organizational (I/O), legal ...
, another German sympathizer, who had been on the faculty at Harvard along with Muenter. He became involved with the German spy group Abteilung IIIb, which planted time bombs on vessels carrying arms for the Allies from US ports. German intelligence was later alleged to have supported his attacks, but Muenter maintained he was just an angry peace activist acting on his own. Muenter clearly had connections to the German network and taunted authorities with veiled statements about Abteilung IIIB's ship sabotage efforts.


1915 United States Capitol bomb attack

Muenter began a campaign against the United States and finance capital on July 2, 1915, by hiding a package containing three sticks of
dynamite Dynamite is an explosive made of nitroglycerin, sorbents (such as powdered shells or clay), and Stabilizer (chemistry), stabilizers. It was invented by the Swedish people, Swedish chemist and engineer Alfred Nobel in Geesthacht, Northern German ...
with a timing mechanism set for nearly midnight under a telephone switchboard in the
Senate A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior (Latin: ''senex'' meaning "the el ...
reception room in the
United States Capitol The United States Capitol, often called the Capitol or the Capitol Building, is the Seat of government, seat of the United States Congress, the United States Congress, legislative branch of the Federal government of the United States, federal g ...
,
Washington, D.C. Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from Virginia, and shares land borders with ...
His original target had been the Senate chamber, which he found locked. The bomb exploded at approximately 11:40 pm, resulting in no casualties. Muenter wrote a letter to ''
The Washington Star ''The Washington Star'', previously known as the ''Washington Star-News'' and the ''Washington'' ''Evening Star'', was a daily afternoon newspaper published in Washington, D.C., between 1852 and 1981. The Sunday edition was known as the ''Sunday ...
'' under a
pseudonym A pseudonym (; ) or alias () is a fictitious name that a person assumes for a particular purpose, which differs from their original or true meaning ( orthonym). This also differs from a new name that entirely or legally replaces an individual's o ...
R. Pearce, explaining his actions, which were published after the bombing. He said he hoped the explosion would "make enough noise to be heard above the voices that clamor for war. This explosion is an exclamation point in my appeal for peace."


SS ''Minnehaha'' steamship bomb attack

After setting off the bomb in the Capitol, he fled to New York City. Here, he placed a pencil bomb timed explosive aboard the SS ''Minnehaha'', a ship loaded with munitions bound for Britain. Muenter's bomb exploded, setting off a fire, though the explosion did not reach the munitions and caused minimal damage to the ship itself.


Shooting of J. P. Morgan Jr.

Under the alias of Frank Holt, Muenter took a train and a cab to the East Island,
Glen Cove, New York Glen Cove is a Political subdivisions of New York State#City, city in Nassau County, New York, Nassau County, on the North Shore (Long Island), North Shore of Long Island, New York (state), New York, United States. The city's population was 28,3 ...
, estate of J. P. Morgan Jr., known as Matinecock Point, on July 3, 1915. J.P. Morgan & Co. was acting as the American purchasing agent for the British and French governments, as well as arranging large loans to both governments. Muenter carried a small suitcase with newspaper clippings against arms shipments, and a few sticks of dynamite, while in his coat he carried two revolvers and another stick of dynamite. Muenter rang the front doorbell. When the butler opened the door, Muenter presented a business card and demanded to see Mr. Morgan. When the butler balked after he would not state his business, Muenter pulled out both revolvers and ran into the house looking for Morgan. When he encountered two of Morgan's children, he pointed a pistol at them and had them follow. On the staircase, he shouted "Now, Mr. Morgan, I have you!" as Mrs. Morgan tried to block the path to her husband, but Morgan lunged at his attacker and tackled Muenter to the ground as he fired two rounds into Morgan's groin and thigh. Having pinned Muenter to the ground, Morgan twisted one revolver out of Muenter's hand as his wife and others grabbed the other. Muenter was heard to cry "Kill me! Kill me now! I don't want to live anymore. I have been in a perfect hell for the last six months on account of the European war." Morgan's butler finished subduing Muenter, beating him senseless with a lump of coal. Morgan recovered quickly, returning to work on August 14. Muenter refused to identify himself to police, saying only that he was a Christian gentleman who wanted to persuade Morgan to end the war.Harrisburg telegraph., July 03, 1915
/ref> However, a tip was soon received pointing out a resemblance between "Holt" and Muenter, who was still wanted in Cambridge for the poisoning of his wife. Harvard official Charles Apted, who had lived near Muenter in Cambridge, was dispatched to New York, where he identified Muenter. In his jacket he had written down the names of Morgan's four children, and a clipped cartoon of Lady Liberty pointing to a crate of fireworks, representing the European war, telling Uncle Sam that they are "dangerous fireworks". He also circled some sailings on a schedule for merchant vessels leaving New York. He told police that his original intention was to take Morgan's wife and children hostage to force Morgan to help stop munitions shipments to Europe, though on at least one occasion he admitted he also intended to assassinate Morgan. Authorities quickly connected him to the Capitol bombings and the wife poisoning case. A search of the suitcase found a handwritten letter addressed to "His Majesty the German Kaiser" similar to letters he mailed out at the time of the bombing of the Capitol signed "R. Pearce". The Morgan shooting made world headlines the next Sunday morning, 4 July.


Bomb-making materials

Captain Thomas J. Tunney, head of New York City Police Department's Bomb Squad, tricked Muenter into confessing details how he had made the timer for the Capitol bomb, but he would not tell all until July 7. Police tracked down a trunk Muenter had placed in storage in New York City. Inspector of Combustibles Owen Egan declared it "the greatest equipment for bomb making ever brought to New York" with 134 sticks of dynamite, blasting caps, coils of fuse, batteries, nitric acid, windproof matches, mercury fulminate, smokeless explosive powder. Three explosive tin can bombs had been recently completed.


Death

There is some dispute on how Muenter died on July 6, 1915. Muenter tried to kill himself on the night of July 5 by slashing his wrist but this failed to kill him. An investigation ruled the death a suicide. In Howard Blum's ''In Dark Invasion'' he writes that New York's counterterrorism police at first believed that he was killed by an assassin sent to silence him with two bullets in the head. But the version they decided on was that Muenter ran out of a briefly opened door and jumped head-first onto the concrete floor of the jail corridor (this source says he fell to his death from ). The sound of his head hitting the concrete was so loud that it was initially thought he had smuggled a dynamite cap into the prison and set it off with his teeth.


Bombing after his death

Muenter's second wife received a note from her husband warning that a ship bound for England would sink on 7 July. On that day, just two days after his suicide, the crew was warned but they could not find the bomb on the '' SS Minnehaha''. It exploded, but had been placed far away from the munitions and caused minor damage.


See also

* List of incidents of political violence in Washington, D.C.


References

* * * - Total pages: 336 * *


Further reading

* Dark Invasion: 1915: Germany's Secret War and the Hunt for the First Terrorist Cell in America by Howard Blum *
Ron Chernow Ronald Chernow (; born March 3, 1949) is an American writer, journalist, and biographer. He has written bestselling historical non-fiction biographies. Chernow won the 2011 Pulitzer Prize, 2011 Pulitzer Prize for Biography and the 2011 American ...
: ''The House of Morgan. An American Banking Dynasty and the Rise of Modern Finance''. Grove Press, 2001, * Thomas Joseph Tunney and Paul Merrick Hollister: '' Throttled! The Detection of the German and Anarchist Bomb Plotters''. Small, Maynard & Company, 1919 * Morris Bishop: ''A History of Cornell''. Cornell University Press, 1962, * ''The Harvard Graduates' Magazine''. Harvard Graduates' Magazine Association, 1934 * ''The New York Times Current History. The European War, Volume IV''. The New York Times Co., 1915


External links


United States Senate: Bomb Rocks Capitol

Newsday.com: His Calling Cards Were Guns
{{DEFAULTSORT:Muenter, Eric 1871 births 1915 suicides 1915 deaths Attacks on the United States Congress American spies for Imperial Germany American failed assassins Bombers (people) Cornell University faculty 20th-century American murderers American people who died in prison custody 20th-century German murderers German nationalists German people who died in prison custody Emigrants from the German Empire to the United States Harvard University Department of German faculty German Germanists People from Uelzen Suicides in New York (state) Terrorist incidents in the United States in the 1910s Suicides by jumping in New York City Murderers who died by suicide in prison custody Prisoners who died in New York (state) detention University of Oklahoma faculty Texas A&M University faculty Vanderbilt University faculty