| “ | When a motorist injures a dog – he must report it – not so with an injured workman – he rates less than a dog – I tried to get my story to the press – I tried hundreds of others – I typed tens of thousands of words (about 800,000) – nobody cared – [...] – I determined to make these dastardly acts known – I have had plenty of time to think – I decided on bombs. | „ |
| ~ A letter written by Metesky to the police |
George Peter Metesky, dubbed The Mad Bomber by the press, was a Slavic American who planted bombs around New York City.
Accident
After leaving his job as a specialist electrician in the US Marines following World War I, Metesky became a mechanic. In 1931, he was disabled in a workplace accident while working for Consolidated Edison. This led to him losing his job and he filed a claim for worker's compensation, which was denied on a technicality.
The Mad Bomber
On December 16 1940 Metesky began a campaign of bombings against Consolidated Edison by leaving a bomb on the windowsill of one of their buildings. When the bomb was discovered, it was accompanied by a note reading
| “ | Con Edison crooks, this is for you | „ |
leading some to believe the bomb was a dud, as the note would have been blown up had the bomb gone off. In September 1941, another dud was discovered near a Con Edison building, this time with no note. When the US entered World War II, Metesky wrote a letter saying that he would not make any bombs during the war. It was signed "F.P.". Metesky later said it stood for "Fair Play".
After the war, Metesky bombed the Grand Central Terminal, and this time the bomb went off. He later targeted three telephone booths, one near to a Consolidated Edison building, Times Square, a train station and many other locations. No one was killed in any of these attacks.
Profile and Identification
In time, Dr. James A. Brussel was called to create an offender's profile on Metesky, the first time this was used. Brussel correctly surmised that the bomber was psychotic and suffered from paranoia. He also correctly guessed that Metesky was a Slav. The New York Times ran this description:
| “ | Single man, between 40 and 50 years old, introvert. Unsocial but not anti-social. Skilled mechanic. Cunning. Neat with tools. Egotistical of mechanical skill. Contemptuous of other people. Resentful of criticism of his work but probably conceals resentment. Moral. Honest. Not interested in women. High school graduate. Expert in civil or military ordnance. Religious. Might flare up violently at work when criticized. Possible motive: discharge or reprimand. Feels superior to critics. Resentment keeps growing. Present or former Consolidated Edison worker. Probably case of progressive paranoia. | „ |
When Consolidated Edison clerk Alice Kelly looked through compensation case files in a routine check, she discovered a file on George Metesky marked in red, containing phrases similar to those used by Metesky when he wrote letters to the police. After an investigation into him, Metesky was identified and on January the 21st, 1957. His garage was discovered to be full of equipment he used to make the bombs planted. On further searching, police found parts for a bomb bigger than the others. Metesky said it was for the New York Coliseum.
Trial
Metesky pleaded guilty to 32 counts of planting bombs before a grand jury. He was found guilty of 47 counts of attempted murder, damaging a building by explosion and endangering life. He was found to be insane, suffering from paranoid schizophrenia, and placed in a mental asylum. He was described as a model prisoner and on December 13, 1973 he was released. Metesky died at the age of ninety.