To spot the site of the Milwaukee Police Department bombing, look for a spot where historic Milwaukee architecture meets a somber air-a place that was once bustling with the commotion of officers but today stands as a quiet testament to a tragic day in the city’s past, right near the intersection of North Broadway and East Wells Street.
Alright, hold onto your hat and maybe double-check your shoelaces-because you’re standing right where one of the most explosive moments (literally!) in Milwaukee’s history occurred. Picture it: It’s a cold November morning in 1917, the city is buzzing with World War I nerves, jazz just starting to pop up in ballrooms, and everyone’s got their eyes peeled for trouble. But no one guessed the trouble would come wrapped as a mysterious package, left next to an evangelical church in the Third Ward. Along comes Maude L. Richter, a social worker with nerves of steel, who thinks, “This box shouldn’t be here!” She drags it inside, and soon it’s in the hands of Sam Mazzone, the church janitor.
Instead of ignoring it-which, let’s face it, would have been safer-Sam decides to take it down to the police station, right here at Oneida and Broadway. He thinks the officers will know what to do. The timing, though, couldn’t have been more unlucky. Just as Lieutenant Robert Flood is about to lead a room full of officers through a routine inspection, they gather curiously around the strange package. In one world-shattering instant, it explodes. The blast is so powerful it rocks the building and echoes through much of Milwaukee, drawing crowds of thousands to the devastated station. When the dust settles, nine officers and a civilian-Catherine Walker, who was simply there to report a robbery-have lost their lives.
The shocking part? The people responsible for this attack were never caught. Back then, fingers pointed toward the Galleanist anarchists-radicals already in trouble after a chaotic rally in Bay View just months before. Some say Mario Buda, a notorious bombmaker, and his friend Carlo Valdinoci, were behind it. The trial of eleven Italian anarchists for the earlier Bay View clash was forever haunted by the mystery and grief of the bombing. Even the famous lawyer Clarence Darrow ended up defending some of them!
For over 80 years, this very spot marked the deadliest day for law enforcement in American history-until September 11. It’s a reminder of the unpredictable times, the dangers of the era, and, perhaps, that it’s always best to call the bomb squad.
