On July 4, 1915, headlines across the United States reported a story that stunned the nation: J.P. Morgan Jr., son of the country’s most powerful banker, had been shot in his own home. The assailant had planted a bomb at the U.S. Capitol the day before and then traveled to Morgan’s Long Island estate. What followed exposed deep national tensions as the U.S. tried to stay out of the war tearing Europe apart.
Breakfast Interrupted
On the morning of July 3, 1915, Morgan and his wife were having breakfast with the British ambassador when a man calling himself Frank Holt forced his way into their mansion with two pistols. Holt fired twice, wounding Morgan, before being overpowered by the Morgans and their butler.
Capitol Bombing the Night Before
It was soon discovered that Holt had set off a bomb in the U.S. Capitol the night before, damaging reception rooms near the vice president’s office. In letters sent ahead of the blast, he said he wanted to draw attention to arms shipments to Europe.
The Shocking Truth About “Frank Holt”
Authorities identified Holt as Erich Muenter, a former Harvard professor who had vanished in 1906 after being suspected of killing his wife. He had since remarried, had a child, and moved to Texas.
A Nation on Edge
The shooting intensified scrutiny of German-Americans following the Lusitania sinking. While Morgan recovered, Muenter died by suicide two days later. The U.S. wouldn’t enter the war for nearly two more years.
On July 4, 1915, Americans woke up to headlines that stunned the nation: J.P. Morgan Jr. had been shot in his Long Island home.
The attacker had bombed the U.S. Capitol the night before.
What unfolded revealed a hidden threat and shook a country clinging to neutrality…🧵👇 pic.twitter.com/xSmAhL2kRu
— Detective Tiger's Stories (@TigerDetective) May 8, 2025