WILKES-BARRE RECORD ALMANAC The following information is posted for the sole purpose of family research within the Yahoo Group, The Court House Gang. It is not to be published to any other web site, mailing list, group, etc. without prior written permission and guidelines from the group owner, to ensure that proper credit is given to the group and all of our volunteers that helped with this project. GOOD FRIDAY BOMBINGS 1937 Three persons were killed and two others were badly maimed in the Good Friday, April 10, bombings, the most atrocious crimes in the history of Luzerne County. Six cigar boxes, filled with dynamite and electrically wired so the contents would explode when lids were pried open, were picked up from three central city mail boxes on the night of April 9. They were wrapped identically and marked with the word “sample”, indicating they were Easter gifts. Thomas Maloney, former president of the defunct United Anthracite Miners of Pennsylvania, and his son, Thomas Jr., 4, were fatally injured by one of the death packages. His daughter, Margaret Maloney, 16, was so badly injured in the explosion she spent several months in a hospital. Michael Gallagher, Hanover Township School Director and sexton of St. Mary’s Cemetery, died in the explosion of a second bomb and his son-in-law, Clinton Lehman, Hanover Township school teacher, was severely injured. Former Sheriff Luther M. Kniffen narrowly escaped death when a third bomb failed to explode. Other bombs, which were intercepted, were addressed to Judge B.R. Jones, James A. Gorman of Hazleton, umpire of Anthracite Conciliation Board, and Harry Goulstone, superintendent of Buttonwood Colliery, Glen Alden Coal Company. Michael Fugmann, 52, Hanover Township miner and former sergeant in the German Imperial artillery who deserted when United States entered the World War, was arrested for the crimes on July 1. On August 25, he was indicted on 10 counts and with Judge Samuel E. Shull of Monroe County especially presiding, he went on trial on September 21 charged with the slaying of Thomas Maloney, Sr. Fugmann, calm, cool, and collected denied knowledge of the bombs as the nation, State, and County presented the greatest array of circumstantial evidence ever introduced in Pennsylvania. Handwriting, wood, nail, glue, wrapping paper and powder experts connected Fugmann with the death packages. Several of the experts, including Dr. Arthur Koehler, government wood authority of Madison, Wis., helped send Bruno Richard Hauptmann to the electric chair for the kidnap murder of the Lindbergh infant. On October 7, Fugmann was found guilty of first degree murder and the penalty was fixed at death in the electric chair. His counsel asked for a new trial and appeals were pending when the Almanac went to press. Typed by Erin Proctor, May 2004