Time Travels with Truffle: Dateline September 16th, 1920 – Wall Street – New York, NY

 

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Time Travels with Truffle: Dateline September 16th, 1920 – Wall Street – New York, NY

The following News Article appeared in the Extra Edition of the New York Mirror on September 17th, 1920.

MYSTERY DOG SAVES WALL STREET CROWD FROM DOOM!

“Truffle” Warns of Blast — Hundreds Escape Death in Fiery Explosion!

By Clara Mayfield, Staff Reporter

New York, Sept. 16 — In a scene of chaos and heroism that will be talked about for generations, a mysterious little dog — described as a reddish orange Pomeranian with bright eyes and a bark “like a trumpet” — is being hailed as the savior of Wall Street.

Witnesses say the animal appeared moments before the terrible explosion that rocked the financial district yesterday at noon, when a horse drawn wagon loaded with dynamite detonated outside the offices of J.P. Morgan & Co., killing thirty eight and injuring hundreds.

But thanks to the dog’s uncanny warning, many more lives were spared.

Clerks, brokers, and messengers alike recall seeing the small creature darting through the crowd, barking furiously and tugging at trouser legs. “It was like she knew something was coming,” said Mr. Harold Benton, a telegraph operator. “She kept running toward the wagon, then back toward us, yipping like mad. Folks started stepping away just to get clear of her — and that’s when the blast hit!”

The explosion shattered windows for blocks, overturned automobiles, and sent a cloud of smoke and debris billowing up the canyon of Wall Street. Yet those who had moved back at the dog’s insistence escaped the worst of the carnage.

When the dust settled, the little dog was found sitting calmly on the steps of the Sub Treasury Building, her fur singed but her spirit unbroken. A policeman attempted to catch her, but the animal slipped away into the crowd.

“She looked right at me,” said Officer James O’Malley, “like she was making sure we were all right — then she vanished.”

No one knows where the dog came from, nor to whom she belonged. Some swear they saw her earlier that morning near Trinity Church; others claim she leapt from the wagon itself before the explosion.

By evening, word of the “Wall Street Wonder Dog” had spread across Manhattan. Florists sent wreaths to the site, and children left scraps of meat and biscuits on the steps where she was last seen.

The New York Humane Society has offered a reward for information leading to the identification of the animal, now affectionately dubbed “Truffle.”

In a day darkened by tragedy, the story of Truffle has given the city something to hold onto — a reminder that courage and instinct can shine even in the shadow of terror.

As one shaken banker told the Mirror:

“Men may build fortunes, but yesterday it was a dog who saved lives.”

And once again, History is gently guided by a tiny paw.