SOME UNTOLD STORIES FROM AMERICA'S PAST.
THIS WEEK...
Man over radio: Oh, the humanity!
WAS THIS DEVICE SNATCHED
FROM THE BURNING WRECKAGE OF THE HINDENBURG?
Wes: IS THIS STAMP CONNECTED TO A MOMENT
WHEN THE U.S. ARMY ADVANCED WITH FIXED BAYONETS
AGAINST FELLOW SOLDIERS IN THE NATION'S CAPITAL?
Tukufu: AND, IN AN ENCORE PRESENTATION,
DID THIS BELL RING IN A GOLDEN AGE OF SPORTS
DURING JACK DEMPSEY'S LEGENDARY WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP FIGHT?
Elvis Costello: ♫WATCHIN' THE DETECTIVES♫
♫I GET SO ANGRY WHEN THE TEARDROPS START♫
♫BUT HE CAN'T BE WOUNDED 'CAUSE HE'S GOT NO HEART♫
♫WATCHIN' THE DETECTIVES♫
♫IT'S JUST LIKE WATCHIN' THE DETECTIVES♫
Gwendolyn: THIS PROGRAM WAS MADE POSSIBLE Elyse: OUR FIRST STORY INVESTIGATES A PALM-SIZED DEVICE
THAT MAY BE LINKED TO ONE OF THE MOST FAMOUS TRAGEDIES
IN AVIATION HISTORY.
Man over radio: And last-minute preparations are being completed...
MAY 6, 1937.
SPECTATORS AND NEWSMEN GATHER AT AN AMERICAN NAVY STATION
IN LAKEHURST, NEW JERSEY.
THE LARGEST AIRCRAFT EVER TO FLY
HAS JUST CROSSED THE ATLANTIC FROM FRANKFURT, GERMANY,
AND IS ABOUT TO LAND.
The rain has slacked up a little bit.
The back motors of the ship are just holding it,
just enough to keep it from -- it burst into flames!
WITHOUT WARNING, THE ICON OF NAZI MIGHT
BECOMES A FATAL INFERNO.
Oh, the humanity...
THIRTY-SIX PASSENGERS AND CREWMEN DIE,
ONLY MOMENTS FROM THE END OF THEIR THREE-DAY JOURNEY.
I -- I can't talk, ladies and gentlemen.
THE MYSTERIOUS CRASH SPARKS A FLURRY OF SABOTAGE THEORIES
AND MULTIPLE INQUIRIES.
Man over radio: They have 42 Navy men frantically searching
among the debris down there, which is smoldering now...
BUT INVESTIGATORS FAIL TO PINPOINT
THE CAUSE OF THE DISASTER,
AND WHAT SPARKED THE FATAL BLAZE
REMAINS UNKNOWN TO THIS DAY.
SEVENTY YEARS LATER,
TIM FUGMANN OF HOBOKEN, NEW JERSEY,
HAS A METAL BOX THAT FAMILY FOLKLORE SAYS
WAS PULLED FROM THE CRASH SITE.
IT WAS IN MY FATHER'S COLLECTION
IN A LARGE CHINA CABINET THAT HE HAD IN HIS STUDY.
AND I KIND OF LOOKED AT IT THROUGH THE GLASS
WHEN I WAS A KID, KIND OF LOOKING UP AT IT.
AND I'D LIKE TO KNOW WHETHER THE STORY I WAS TOLD IS TRUE.
I'M ELYSE LURAY,
AND I'VE COME TO SEE TIM'S ARTIFACT FOR MYSELF.
HI, HOW ARE YOU?
HI.
ELYSE.
HOW ARE YOU DOING?
NICE TO MEET YOU.
SO, WHAT DO WE HAVE HERE?
ALLEGEDLY, IT'S A PIECE FROM THE HINDENBURG.
THE HINDENBURG, WHAT MAKES YOU THINK THAT?
WELL, IT WAS LEFT TO ME IN MY STEPDAD'S WILL,
WHOSE FAMILY LIVED DOWN IN LAKEHURST
ON THE SITE AT THE TIME.
AS THE STORY GOES, THEY WENT AND PICKED IT UP AFTER THE ACCIDENT
BEFORE ANY GOVERNMENT HAD SEALED IT OFF.
DID YOU GET THEIR NAMES?
NO.
YOU DON'T HAVE THEIR NAMES?
I DO NOT.
SO IT'S JUST FAMILY FOLKLORE AT THE PRESENT MOMENT?
IT IS STRICTLY FAMILY FOLKLORE.
AND WHAT DO YOU KNOW ABOUT THE PIECE?
I DID TAKE IT TO A FRIEND OF MINE, HE'S OF GERMAN DESCENT,
AND I HAD HIM TRANSLATE THIS LINE RIGHT UP HERE.
HE SAID THAT THAT PRETTY MUCH TRANSLATED TO
"HEIGHT SPEED CALCULATOR."
HAS THE PLASTIC ALWAYS BEEN MISSING?
YES.
WHAT ABOUT THE KNOBS?
HAVE YOU MOVED THEM?
WHEN I WAS A KID, I TURNED THEM A FEW TIMES.
ALL RIGHT, YOU PLAYED WITH IT, HUH?
A LITTLE BIT.
AND WHAT EXACTLY DO YOU WANT ME TO FIND OUT?
I'D LIKE TO FIND OUT WHAT IT IS
AND IF IT IS FROM THE AIRSHIP HINDENBURG.
OKAY, WELL, I HAVE TO TELL YOU
THAT FAMILY FOLKLORE IS OFTEN PRETTY HARD TO PROVE.
BUT YOU'VE INTRIGUED ME, SO I'LL SEE WHAT I CAN DO.
TERRIFIC.
IT'S PRETTY HEAVY.
IT HAS A LOT OF CONDITION ISSUES, WHICH IS GOOD.
IF IT WAS COMING FROM THE HINDENBURG,
WE WOULD EXPECT THAT.
I DON'T SEE A LOT OF BURN MARKS.
THE PLASTIC OR WHATEVER THE CASING WAS OVER THIS
IS COMPLETELY DESTROYED.
I SEE A MARK HERE, AND IT SAYS, "GOERZ, BERLIN."
IS THIS A MANUFACTURER'S LOGO?
MY OFFICE HAS SENT ME SOME RESEARCH.
IT SEEMS THAT THE GOERZ MANUFACTURING COMPANY
DID MAKE BINOCULARS FOR ZEPPELIN CREWS.
BUT THERE'S A POTENTIAL PROBLEM.
ACCORDING TO MY OFFICE'S RESEARCH,
MOST OF THE RECORDS FOR THE TWO MAIN COMPANIES
WHO MADE THE AIRSHIP ITSELF, ZEPPELIN AND LUFTHANSA,
WERE DESTROYED DURING ALLIED BOMBINGS
IN WORLD WAR II.
I THINK THIS IS GOING TO BE ONE TOUGH INVESTIGATION.
MY OFFICE ALSO TRANSLATED THE GERMAN WRITING,
AND THEY'VE CONFIRMED WHAT TIM WAS TOLD.
THESE MARKINGS TRANSLATE ROUGHLY TO
"AIRSPEED INDICATOR ADJUSTED FOR ALTITUDE."
IT DOES SAY KILOMETERS, AND IT GOES UP TO 160.
SCANNING THE HINDENBURG'S FLIGHT STATISTICS,
I DISCOVER ITS MAXIMUM CRUISING SPEED
WAS 135 KILOMETERS PER HOUR.
THAT'S CLOSE TO THE UPPER END
OF THE SPEED INDICATED ON OUR SCALE.
IT'S A PITY THE DIALS HAVE BEEN TURNED.
IF THIS WAS FROM THE HINDENBURG,
PERHAPS IT CONTAINED SOME USEFUL DATA
ABOUT THE FINAL FLIGHT.
THEORIES ABOUT THE CRASH INCLUDED MECHANICAL FAILURE,
JEWISH SABOTEURS,
GUNFIRE FROM THE GROUND,
AND LIGHTNING STRIKES.
INTERNATIONAL TENSIONS WERE ALREADY HIGH,
AND AMERICAN AND GERMANY TROD CAREFULLY TO AVOID A CRISIS.
INVESTIGATORS' FINDINGS WERE ULTIMATELY INCONCLUSIVE.
WITH SUCH A HIGH-PROFILE DISASTER,
WOULD IT HAVE REALLY BEEN POSSIBLE
TO TAKE A COCKPIT FLIGHT INSTRUMENT FROM A CRASH SITE?
HEY, AARON.
HI.
NICE TO MEET YOU.
I'M MEETING SPECIAL AGENT AARON FORD
AT THE NEWARK FBI HEADQUARTERS.
HE'S AGREED TO SHOW ME THE ONCE-SECRET HINDENBURG FILE.
SHOULD BE DOWN THIS ROW.
LOOKS AS THOUGH THE CASE WAS DECLASSIFIED IN 1989.
THE FILE WAS CLOSED,
AND THE CASE IS NOW AVAILABLE FOR PUBLIC VIEWING.
AARON TELLS ME THAT ALTHOUGH THE NAVY
AND THE DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
HAD JURISDICTION OVER THE HINDENBURG CASE,
THE FBI WAS BROUGHT IN TO INVESTIGATE
THE POSSIBILITY OF SABOTAGE.
HERE IS MY ARTIFACT.
AND I'M HOPING THAT MAYBE YOUR FILES HAVE A LIST OF INVENTORY
OR SOME TYPE OF INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSTRUMENTS ON BOARD.
SURE, LET'S TAKE A LOOK.
OKAY.
IT'S COMPELLING READING.
THE FILE IS FILLED WITH TIPS FROM EYEWITNESSES,
ANONYMOUS SABOTAGE THEORIES,
AND DOCUMENTS REDACTED TO PROTECT PEOPLE'S IDENTITIES.
SIFTING THROUGH IT, WE FIND SOMETHING
THAT SPEAKS DIRECTLY TO MY INVESTIGATION.
OH, THIS IS INTERESTING.
"AFTER THE CRASH, THE GENERAL PUBLIC SWARMED OVER THE FIELD
"FROM ALL DIRECTIONS, AND IT WAS SOME THREE TO FOUR HOURS
"BEFORE A MILITARY PATROL WAS ESTABLISHED
AND THE PUBLIC WAS EXCLUDED."
NOW, WAS THAT COMMON DURING THAT TIME PERIOD?
I WOULD THINK THEY WOULD SECURE IT RIGHT AWAY.
DURING THIS TIME, IT'S NOT UNCOMMON TO HAVE HAD
THREE TO FOUR HOURS LAG TIME BETWEEN THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT
AND THE TIME THE POLICE RESPONDED.
IT SAYS HERE, "I SAW A MEMBER OF THE GROUND SQUAD
"CARRYING AWAY A LENGTH OF A GIRDER SIX FEET,
AND WHEN HE LOOKED AT ME, HE LOOKED A LITTLE ASHAMED."
THERE'S EVIDENCE THAT PIECES WERE TAKEN, RIGHT?
SURE, IT CERTAINLY COULD HAVE HAPPENED.
THERE WERE PEOPLE ALL OVER THE FIELD,
THERE WERE PEOPLE CLIMBING FENCES TO GET IN,
SO ANYTHING COULD HAVE HAPPENED, LITERALLY, DURING THAT TIME.
WRECKAGE TAKEN FROM THE DISASTER SITE
COULD POSSIBLY HAVE PROVIDED CLUES
TO THE CAUSE OF THE CRASH.
AARON SAYS THE FAILURE TO EXPLAIN
THE CRASH OF THE AIRSHIP AND PROBLEMS QUICKLY SECURING
OTHER DISASTER AND CRIME SCENES DURING THE SAME PERIOD
ULTIMATELY TAUGHT INVESTIGATIVE AGENCIES A LESSON.
NOW THERE'S A MORE STRICT PROTOCOL REGARDING CRIME SCENES.
I THINK EVERYONE'S SEEN YELLOW POLICE TAPE
AROUND CRIME SCENES TODAY,
SO THE POLICE IMMEDIATELY RESPOND AND FORM A PERIMETER.
BUT THE OLD FILES CONTAIN NO LIST OF WRECKAGE RECOVERED
NOR ANYTHING ELSE THAT MIGHT HELP US
IDENTIFY OUR INSTRUMENT.
AARON SUGGESTS MY BEST BET MIGHT BE
AT THE LAKEHURST NAVAL AIR STATION,
WHERE THE FORMER AIRSHIP HANGAR HOUSES A MUSEUM.
BUT BEFORE I CHECK THEIR COLLECTION,
I'M MEETING CRASH EYEWITNESS ROBERT BUCHANAN.
ON THAT MAY EVENING IN 1937, ROBERT WAS A TEENAGE CREWMAN
WAITING ON THE GROUND TO DOCK THE AIRSHIP.
SO THIS IS WHERE IT ALL HAPPENED.
THIS IS WHERE IT ALL HAPPENED.
AS THE NAZI LEVIATHAN APPROACHED
THE METAL DOCKING PYLON, MANY STRONG ARMS WERE NEEDED
TO THE STOP THE SHIP FROM DRIFTING IN THE WIND.
AND IT WAS FULL OF PEOPLE, FULL OF REPORTERS,
BECAUSE THEY HAD A FULL COMPLEMENT OF PASSENGERS
GOING BACK TO GERMANY THAT NIGHT.
HE TELLS ME HE WAS POSITIONED DIRECTLY BELOW THE AFT SECTION
WHEN DISASTER STRUCK.
AND POOF!
Man over radio: It burst into flames!
It burst into flame, and it's falling...
IT WASN'T A LOUD EXPLOSION.
AND IT IMMEDIATELY BURST INTO AN ENORMOUS BALL OF FIRE.
AS MILLIONS OF CUBIC FEET OF HYDROGEN GAS
SUDDENLY CAUGHT FIRE,
ROBERT FOUND HIMSELF IN THE MIDDLE OF AN INFERNO.
It's a terrific crash, ladies and gentlemen.
There's smoke and there's flames now.
MY HAIR WAS SINGED QUITE BAD.
I THOUGHT THAT WAS THE END OF MY LIFE.
IT WAS THE HOTTEST THING I EVER FELT IN MY LIFE.
IT WAS JUST SUFFOCATING HEAT.
AND IT WAS SHOOTING OUT AHEAD OF ME,
WHICH GAVE ME THE IDEA THAT I WOULDN'T MAKE IT.
I HAVE NO IDEA HOW FAR I RAN, BUT IT WAS QUITE A DISTANCE.
Oh, I -- I can't talk, ladies and gentlemen.
Honest, it's just laying there, a mass of smoking wreckage.
IT RAINED TWICE, AND THAT'S WHAT SAVED US, I'M SURE.
ALL BUT ONE GROUND CREWMAN SURVIVED,
LARGELY THANKS TO THEIR RAIN-SOAKED CLOTHES.
I'M INVESTIGATING THIS PIECE
THAT I THINK MIGHT HAVE COME FROM THE HINDENBURG.
I TELL ROBERT ABOUT OUR INVESTIGATION.
HE SAYS THAT NIGHT HE WAS TOO BUSY SEARCHING FOR HIS COUSIN,
WHO WAS ALSO PART OF THE GROUND CREW,
TO NOTICE ANYONE TAKING SOUVENIRS.
HAVE YOU EVER HEARD OF PEOPLE OWNING PIECES
FROM THE HINDENBURG?
OH, THERE WERE A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT HAD PARTS OF IT.
IN FACT, I HAD A PIECE MYSELF.
ROBERT SAYS THAT IN THE DAYS AND WEEKS
FOLLOWING THE DISASTER,
THERE WAS A HEALTHY LOCAL TRADE IN HINDENBURG ARTIFACTS.
SO IT'S NOT UNCOMMON FOR PEOPLE
TO OWN THINGS FROM THE HINDENBURG.
THERE ARE STILL MANY, MANY PIECES AROUND.
MANY HINDENBURG ARTIFACTS AND ARCHIVES ARE NOW STORED
AT THE NAVY LAKEHURST HISTORICAL SOCIETY.
RICK ZITAROSA IS CURATOR.
WELCOME TO LAKEHURST.
THANK YOU.
WOW, LOOK AT THIS.
THIS IS HANGAR NUMBER ONE.
IT'S A NATIONAL HISTORIC LANDMARK,
THE HOME OF NAVY LIGHTER-THAN-AIR,
AND IT'S THE PLACE WHERE THE HINDENBURG WAS ACTUALLY HOUSED
DURING TWO OF ITS 1936 VISITS HERE TO LAKEHURST.
THE MUSEUM HOLDS A GREAT MANY FRAGMENTS
THAT TESTIFY TO THE FIRST-CLASS FARE THE HINDENBURG OFFERED
AND TO THE INTENSITY OF THE TERRIBLE FIRE THAT NIGHT.
HERE IS A KNIFE, AND VERY EASILY IDENTIFIABLE.
OF COURSE, IT HAS THE ZEPPELIN COMPANY --
DEUTSCHE ZEPPELIN-REEDEREI CREST ON IT.
IT WAS SEPARATED.
THE SOLDER IN IT MELTED FROM THE HEAT.
BUT IT'S PRETTY WELL IDENTIFIABLE.
A PIECE SUCH AS THIS ONE OBVIOUSLY --
HAS BURN MARKS ON IT.
GOT A LITTLE MORE HEAT.
I TELL RICK THAT I'M BOTHERED BY NOT SEEING
ANY BURN MARKS OR OTHER INDICATIONS
THAT TIM'S DEVICE HAD BEEN CAUGHT IN A BLAZE.
HE SAYS I SHOULDN'T BE CONCERNED.
YOU HAVE TO REMEMBER, IN THE FIRE OF THE AIRSHIP,
MOST OF THE HYDROGEN FIRE WAS DIRECTED UPWARD AND OUTWARD.
IN THE CASE OF THE CONTROL CAR,
WHERE AN ITEM LIKE THIS WOULD HAVE COME FROM,
THE FLAME WAS AWAY FROM THAT.
THE CONTROL CAR WAS ACTUALLY
ONE OF THE LAST PARTS OF THE SHIP TO HIT THE GROUND.
AND IT WOULD HAVE BEEN EXPOSED TO A SEARING BLAST OF HEAT
BUT NOT ANY ACTUAL CRASH IMPACT PER SE.
RICK WARNS THAT THERE'S A BETTER REASON TO BE SUSPICIOUS
OF ALLEGED HINDENBURG ARTIFACTS.
THE DISASTER PRODUCED A ROBUST MARKET FOR PHONY ITEMS.
AS THE AUTHENTIC ARTIFACTS BEGAN TO RUN SCARCE
OR DISAPPEAR ALTOGETHER,
PEOPLE WERE NOT ABOVE TAKING OLD MODEL T's,
MATTRESSES, BOX SPRINGS,
ANYTHING THEY COULD GET THEIR HANDS ON,
AND THEN TAKING THEM OUT TO ROADSIDE STANDS
AND SELLING THEM TO UNSUSPECTING TOURISTS.
BUT RICK HAS MADE WHAT MAY BE A SIGNIFICANT DISCOVERY.
IN HIS FILES, HE'S UNCOVERED A PHOTO
OF THE CONTROL CABINET OF THE HINDENBURG'S SISTER SHIP,
THE GRAF ZEPPELIN.
WHAT YOU BASICALLY HAVE HERE IS THE ALTIMETER
AND AN ITEM THAT LOOKS VERY, VERY SIMILAR
TO WHAT WE HAVE HERE.
IT'S NOT AN EXACT MATCH,
BUT HE SAYS THE TWO AIRSHIPS CARRIED SIMILAR COMPONENTS.
DON'T FORGET THAT THE HINDENBURG WAS LARGELY EXPERIMENTAL,
EVEN THOUGH IT WAS AN IN-SERVICE PASSENGER AIRSHIP,
AND THE INSTRUMENTATION WAS OFTEN MODIFIED AND RETROFITTED
TO SUIT THE NEEDS AND DEMANDS OF THE OPERATORS.
RICK SAYS THAT OUR PIECE OF MACHINERY
AND THE ONE IN THE PHOTOGRAPH WERE USED TO MAKE SURE
THE OTHER INSTRUMENTS ON THE AIRSHIP WERE WORKING PROPERLY.
THIS DEVICE IN MANY WAYS REMINDS ME
OF A SLIGHTLY SOPHISTICATED ABACUS
THAT YOU WOULD JUST USE TO TABULATE YOUR TRUE MEASUREMENTS
VERSUS WHAT YOUR INSTRUMENTS WERE SHOWING.
HE DOUBTS ANY DATA IT MAY HAVE ONCE RECORDED
WOULD HAVE GIVEN INVESTIGATORS USEFUL INFORMATION
ABOUT THE SHIP'S FINAL MINUTES,
BUT HE SAYS IT DOES RECALL AN APPROACH TO FLYING
THAT LONG PREDATES ONBOARD COMPUTERS AND GPS NAVIGATION.
OVER WATER, THEY WOULD USE A SODA WATER BOTTLE,
DROP IT OUT THE WINDOW,
AND TIME THE DESCENT WITH A STOPWATCH.
THE INFORMATION WOULD THEN BE RECORDED ON A DEVICE LIKE THIS.
AND THAT GAVE YOU A WAY TO CHECK THE ACCURACY OF YOUR ALTIMETER.
THIS INSTRUMENT WOULD BE USED TO CALIBRATE
THEIR MAIN INSTRUMENTS IN THE CONTROL CAR.
AND BASED ON ITS MARKINGS, RICK IS CONFIDENT
THAT SUCH A DEVICE WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN FOUND
ON AN AIRPLANE, OCEAN LINER, OR OTHER TYPE OF VESSEL.
SPEED IS A FACTOR HERE.
160 KILOMETERS PER HOUR, WAY TOO SLOW
FOR AIRPLANES OF THE DAY, FOR THE MOST PART.
THE ALTITUDE MEASUREMENT, GENERALLY 600 METERS OR LESS,
WAY TOO LOW FOR AN AIRPLANE
AND IRRELEVANT WITH A STEAMSHIP.
RICK SAYS OUR INSTRUMENT
WAS CERTAINLY USED ON BOARD A GERMAN AIRSHIP.
BUT HE CAN'T BE CERTAIN IT WAS ON THE HINDENBURG ITSELF,
SO I'VE ARRANGED TO RUN SOME SCIENTIFIC TESTS
AT A FORENSIC LAB IN ATLANTA
WITH DR. MICHELLE CAVALIERE.
MICHELLE.
YES.
HI.
ELYSE.
NICE TO MEET YOU.
LET'S TAKE IT TO THE LAB AND TAKE A LOOK AT IT.
OKAY.
LOOKS LIKE WE HAVE BOTH SOME GREEN PAINT AND SOME PLASTIC
THAT WE COULD ANALYZE.
SO FIRST WE SAMPLE A LITTLE BIT OF PAINT
AND PICK IT UP, PUT IT ON A SLIDE.
MICHELLE PUTS HER SAMPLE UNDER AN INFRARED MICROSCOPE
TO REVEAL ITS UNIQUE CHEMICAL COMPOSITION.
WELL, THE BINDER APPEARS TO BE A NATURAL PLANT OIL,
AND THOSE WERE CERTAINLY USED IN THE '20s AND '30s.
AND TODAY WE MIGHT SEE SOMETHING MORE LIKE A SYNTHETIC,
AN ACRYLIC OR SOMETHING ALONG THOSE LINES, AS A BINDER.
ALL RIGHT, SO NOW LET'S LOOK AT THE PLASTIC.
OKAY.
THE PLASTIC IS ALSO COMPOSED OF CELLULOSE NITRATE.
IT'S AN ORGANIC INGREDIENT IN HARD CLEAR PLASTICS
BUT HASN'T BEEN USED MUCH SINCE THE 1930s.
MICHELLE'S POWERFUL MICROSCOPE REVEALS TELLTALE SIGNS
OF ACUTE AND SUDDEN DISTRESS.
YOU CAN SEE THAT IT'S VERY BUBBLED
AND KIND OF CRYSTALLINE LOOKING.
MICHELLE TELLS ME THAT COULD HAVE BEEN CAUSED
BY EXPOSURE TO HEAT.
HER TRAINED EYE SPOTS SOMETHING I OVERLOOKED,
A FAINT STAIN ON A CORNER OF THE DEVICE.
THERE'S THIS DARKENED, DISCOLORED AREA,
AND I'M WONDERING IF THAT'S SOME CHARRED MATERIAL,
POSSIBLY FROM HEAT EXPOSURE.
WHAT MICHELLE TELLS ME NEXT TIES THE WHOLE CASE TOGETHER.
IT'S TIME TO TAKE THE RESULTS BACK TO TIM.
WHAT YOU HAVE IS SOMETHING REALLY UNIQUE.
WHAT DO I HAVE?
I TELL TIM THAT THE FBI'S DECLASSIFIED HINDENBURG FILE,
THE GERMAN TRANSLATION, AND THE EYEWITNESS ACCOUNTS
ALL SEEM TO SUPPORT HIS FAMILY'S FOLKLORE.
REALLY?
BUT IT WASN'T UNTIL I TURNED TO CHEMICAL ANALYSIS
THAT I FOUND AN ANSWER.
TIM'S AIRSPEED INDICATOR BORE THE FAINTEST SIGN
OF A SUDDEN BLAST OF EXTREME HEAT
WHICH HAD ALMOST CERTAINLY COME
ON THAT TERRIBLE NIGHT IN 1937.
WELL, THOSE TWO PEAKS ARE IN THE POSITION THAT'S CONSISTENT
WITH CARBON-CONTAINING BURNED OR CHARRED MATERIAL.
IN MY OPINION, THIS COULD HAVE COME
FROM THE WRECKAGE OF THE HINDENBURG.
HOLY CHRISTMAS, THAT'S SOMETHING.
I JUST THINK THAT IT'S REALLY NICE THAT IT'S ACTUALLY VALID.
MY STEPDAD WOULD BE ABSOLUTELY THRILLED.
AND WHAT'S ALSO AMAZING IS THAT THIS PIECE
HAS BEEN IN YOUR HANDS FOR ALL THESE YEARS.
SINCE THE TIME OF THE HINDENBURG CRASH,
DISASTER SCENES HAVE BECOME VERY SOPHISTICATED,
AND IT'S ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE
TO GET RELICS OR OBJECTS FROM THEM.
THIS ARTIFACT REALLY ILLUSTRATES
HOW INVESTIGATORS HAVE LEARNED LESSONS FROM THE PAST.
WOW, I'M STILL KIND OF SPEECHLESS.
Man over radio: A twisted, tangled mass of seared girders...
THE CAPTAIN OF THE HINDENBURG
AND SEVERAL OTHER CREWMEN WHO SURVIVED
WERE CONVINCED THEIR SHIP HAD BEEN DELIBERATELY DESTROYED
BY A BOMB.
BUT NEITHER THE AMERICAN NOR GERMAN INVESTIGATIONS
FOUND EVIDENCE OF A CRIME
NOR OF FAULTY VALVES OR IMPACT FROM A BROKEN PROPELLER.
OFFICIAL REPORTS OF BOTH COUNTRIES CONCLUDED
THAT A LEAK OCCURRED IN HYDROGEN CELL FOUR OR FIVE,
ALLOWING A COMBUSTIBLE MIXTURE OF INFLAMMABLE GAS TO BUILD UP.
HOWEVER, THE SPECIFIC CAUSE OF THAT LEAK
AND OF THE SPARK THAT IGNITED IT
WAS NEVER DETERMINED.
WANT TO DO SOME DETECTIVE WORK YOURSELF?
GO TO HISTORY DETECTIVES ON THE WEBERIES
THAT LET YOU TAKE THE LEAD
AND TACKLE HISTORICAL INVESTIGATIONS
FROM AROUND THE COUNTRY.
DISCOVER HOW TO GET ACCESS TO MILITARY ARCHIVES
OR FILL IN YOUR FAMILY TREE
WITH DO-IT-YOURSELF GUIDES AND CHECKLISTS.
LEARN HOW TO COLLECT AND PRESERVE EVIDENCE
WITH TESTED ARCHIVAL TECHNIQUES.
YOU CAN ALSO FOLLOW UP ON YOUR FAVORITE STORIES
FROM THE TV BROADCAST WITH RELATED FEATURES,
VIDEO ARCHIVES, AND TRANSCRIPTS.
AND WHILE YOU'RE HERE, LET US KNOW HOW WE'RE DOING
OR SUBMIT YOUR OWN MYSTERY
AND GET THE HISTORY DETECTIVES ON THE CASE.
IT'S ALL AT HISTORY DETECTIVES ON THE WEB AT pbs.org.
Wes: OUR NEXT STORY REVISITS THE DAY
AMERICAN SOLDIERS WERE ORDERED TO EXPEL THEIR BROTHERS IN ARMS
FROM THE NATION'S CAPITAL.
WORLD WAR I, THE WAR TO END ALL WARS.
WHEN IT'S OVER, THE EUROPEAN CONTINENT IS DEVASTATED
AND MORE THAN 320,000 AMERICANS
HAVE BEEN KILLED, WOUNDED, OR GASSED.
TO FURTHER COMPENSATE U.S. VETERANS,
CONGRESS PASSES A BILL GIVING THEM BONUS PAY
FOR EVERY DAY THEY SERVED.
BUT THERE'S A CATCH, A BIG CATCH:
THEY HAVE TO WAIT 21 YEARS TO COLLECT.
WHEN THE DEPRESSION HITS, TENS OF THOUSANDS
OF IMPOVERISHED VETERANS AND THEIR FAMILIES --
THE SO-CALLED BONUS ARMY -- MARCH ON WASHINGTON.
THEY WANT THEIR BONUS IMMEDIATELY.
INSTEAD, THEY'RE MET WITH TANKS AND TEAR GAS.
NOW, MARTIN LEDUC OF HAWAII
HAS AN ARTIFACT THAT MAY SHED NEW LIGHT
ON THESE MEN AND THEIR FATE.
I SAW THIS STAMP, AND IT REMINDED ME OF MY GRANDFATHER,
WHO WAS A WORLD WAR I VETERAN.
I'M WES COWAN, AND I'M MEETING MARTIN
TO SEE WHAT HE'S FOUND.
COME IN AND SIT DOWN, PLEASE.
THANKS.
AH, THERE'S THE STAMP YOU WROTE ABOUT.
GREAT STAMP.
WHERE'D YOU GET IT?
I PURCHASED IT AT A STAMP SHOW IN DETROIT.
THE DOUGHBOY THERE BROUGHT MY GRANDFATHER,
CHARLES MEADE RUNYON, TO MIND.
LOOKS LIKE HE WAS A MARINE IN WORLD WAR I.
YES, SIR, HE WAS IN THE TRENCHES AND OVER THE TOP.
HE PASSED AWAY BEFORE I WAS BORN.
I REALLY KNOW VERY LITTLE ABOUT THE MAN.
AND THE STAMP SAYS "PAY THE BONUS."
MARTIN THINKS "PAY THE BONUS"
REFERS TO THE BONUS MARCH ON WASHINGTON
THAT ENDED IN U.S.
SOLDIERS ATTACKING U.S. VETERANS.
WHAT IS IT THAT YOU WANT ME TO FIND OUT ABOUT THIS STAMP?
WHAT IS IT AND WHAT IS THE CONNECTION TO THE BONUS ARMY,
WHERE DID IT COME FROM?
REALLY, ANYTHING YOU CAN.
MARTIN'S ALSO CURIOUS
ABOUT WHETHER HIS OWN GRANDFATHER RECEIVED A BONUS.
I REALLY DON'T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT THAT.
I'M GOING TO HAVE TO TAKE IT WITH ME,
BUT I'M ANXIOUS TO GET STARTED.
ALL RIGHT, I WANT TO TAKE A LOOK AT THIS
A LITTLE MORE CLOSELY.
IT'S GOT THIS PICTURE OF A SOLDIER,
HE'S GOT TO BE A WORLD WAR I DOUGHBOY.
AND IT SAYS "PAY THE BONUS."
IT LOOKS LIKE A POSTAGE STAMP:
RIGHT SIZE, GLUE ON THE BACK, AND PERFORATED EDGES.
IT'S GOT THIS CANCELLATION ON TOP OF IT
WHERE IT'S BEEN STAMPED,
WHICH IS WHAT YOU'D EXPECT TO SEE
FOR SOMETHING THAT WENT THROUGH THE MAIL.
BUT WOULD THE POST OFFICE MAKE A STAMP
FOR A GROUP THAT WAS ACTIVELY PROTESTING THE GOVERNMENT?
THERE'S NO INDICATION OF HOW MUCH THE STAMP COST,
AND I'M NOT SURE ABOUT THIS FRANKING, OR CANCELLATION MARK.
SO I'M TAKING IT TO STAMP EXPERT ART GROTEN.
PLEASURE TO MEET YOU.
COME ON IN, IT'S FREEZING OUT HERE.
ART, HERE'S THE STAMP THAT I WANTED YOU TO TAKE A LOOK AT.
HAVE YOU EVER SEEN ANYTHING LIKE THAT BEFORE?
IT'S WHAT WE CALL A "CINDERELLA."
A CINDERELLA, MEANING...
A CINDERELLA IS A SUBSET OF WHAT WE CALL "EPHEMERA."
ART EXPLAINS THAT MANY STAMPS
ARE NEVER MEANT TO CARRY THE MAIL.
THEY CAN BE MADE BY ANYONE FOR A VARIETY OF PURPOSES,
SUCH AS PROMOTING CAUSES OR ADVERTISING PRODUCTS.
THOSE STAMPS WITHOUT POSTAGE ARE CALLED CINDERELLAS.
THE SORT OF THING THAT YOU GET AND THROW OUT,
NOT MEANT TO BE SAVED.
SO BY CINDERELLA, I GUESS YOU MEAN
IT WASN'T INVITED TO THE DANCE OR THE BALL OR WHATEVER.
THAT'S RIGHT!
OKAY.
SO THIS IS THE KIND OF STAMP
THAT THE GOVERNMENT DIDN'T ISSUE, CORRECT?
NO, NO, THIS IS PRIVATE.
THERE'S NO DENOMINATION, THERE'S NO VALUE ON IT.
IT HAS PERFORATIONS, IT'S THE SAME SIZE ROUGHLY,
BUT IT WAS USED TO PROMOTE CAUSES.
IF THE POST OFFICE DIDN'T ISSUE THIS STAMP,
THEN WHERE DID IT COME FROM?
AND WHY IS IT CANCELED?
CAN WE SEE IF WE CAN FIGURE OUT WHAT THE CANCEL SAYS?
SURE.
BY SCANNING AND ENLARGING THE STAMP,
ART MIGHT BE ABLE TO PULL OUT SOME CRUCIAL DETAILS.
OKAY, LET'S SEE WHAT WE'VE GOT.
OH, LOOK AT THAT, THAT'S GREAT.
THERE HE IS.
I CAN MAKE OUT SOME LETTERS HERE...
IS THERE ANY WAY WE CAN MANIPULATE THAT
SO THAT THOSE SHOW UP BETTER?
SURE, LET'S SEE IF WE CAN
GET RID OF SOME OF THAT BACKGROUND COLOR.
THERE YOU ARE.
OH, YEAH, THERE WE GO.
THAT REALLY MAKES A DIFFERENCE.
NOW, I CAN MAKE OUT W-A-R-S, "WARS."
AND YOU GOT A-N-S O-F.
SO SOMETHING "OF WARS."
SO "VETERANS OF FOREIGN WARS"?
THERE YOU GO.
I MEAN, THAT WOULD MAKE SENSE.
IT'S A VETS ORGANIZATION.
WORLD WAR I, YEAH.
V.F.W.
THAT MAKES PERFECT SENSE.
VETERANS ORGANIZED THE BONUS ARMY,
AND THE V.F.W.
HAS HELPED VETERANS OF FOREIGN WARS
OBTAIN BENEFITS LIKE MEDICAL CARE AND PENSIONS
EVER SINCE THE PHILIPPINES WAR IN 1899.
THIS STAMP WAS PROBABLY ON A DOCUMENT OF SOME SORT
ON THE OUTSIDE OF AN ENVELOPE
TO BRING ATTENTION TO THE MESSAGE.
THAT MESSAGE IS SO IMMEDIATE: PAY THE BONUS.
WHAT DROVE THESE VETERANS TO MARCH ON WASHINGTON
IN SUCH MASSIVE NUMBERS?
PAUL DIXON, AN EXPERT ON THE BONUS ARMY,
HAS ASKED ME TO MEET HIM
AT THE WASHINGTON, D.C., HISTORICAL SOCIETY.
HEY, YOU MUST BE PAUL.
YES, SIR.
WES COWAN.
HEY, NICE TO MEET YOU.
LET'S GO INSIDE.
OKAY.
PAUL TAKES ME THROUGH AN EXHIBIT
DEVOTED TO THE BONUS ARMY AND ITS MARCH ON WASHINGTON.
IT GIVES YOU A WHOLE IDEA OF HOW BIG THIS THING REALLY WAS.
IT ALL BEGAN WITH A PIECE OF LEGISLATION
CALLED THE BONUS ACT,
PASSED ON BEHALF OF VETERANS BY CONGRESS IN 1924.
THERE WERE 4.5 MILLION OF THEM,
AND THEY HAD TO PAY FOR THEIR OWN UNIFORMS
AND THEY WERE EXPECTED TO CONTRIBUTE TO THE WAR EFFORT
BY BUYING BONDS,
SO THEY CAME OUT OF THE WAR DESTITUTE, THEY HAD NO MONEY.
THE BONUS ACT WAS AN ATTEMPT TO COMPENSATE THE PEOPLE
WHO FOUGHT IN WORLD WAR I FOR THEIR SERVICE.
THEY WERE GIVEN AN EXTRA DOLLAR A DAY
FOR SERVICE IN THE COUNTRY,
A DOLLAR AND A QUARTER A DAY FOR OVERSEAS.
BUT VETS WOULDN'T EVEN SEE THE MONEY UNTIL 1945
UNLESS THEY DIED FIRST, IN WHICH CASE
THE BONUS WAS PAID TO THEIR FAMILIES OR BENEFICIARIES.
SOME DOWN-AND-OUT VETS EVEN COMMITTED SUICIDE
TO HELP THEIR FAMILIES.
THEY IMMEDIATELY NICKNAME IT "THE TOMBSTONE BONUS."
PAUL EXPLAINS THAT IN 1932,
AS THE VETS BECAME MORE DISHEARTENED,
A BILL WAS PRESENTED IN CONGRESS
THAT WOULD'VE PAID THE BONUS IMMEDIATELY.
BUT AS THE DEPRESSION DEEPENED,
THE BILL WAS TABLED AND PASSED OVER.
ACROSS THE COUNTRY, IN PORTLAND, OREGON,
THAT NEWS INSPIRED AN EX-SERVICEMAN
NAMED WALTER WATERS.
HE'S A VET, WAS A SERGEANT,
AND HE SAYS, "I'VE GOT TO PASS THIS."
BUT THE BRILLIANT THING FOR HISTORY IS,
THE ONE THING THAT REALLY HELPS EVERYBODY,
IS THAT HE'S NOT A VIOLENT MAN.
HE BELIEVES IN GANDHI'S CONCEPTS OF PASSIVE RESISTANCE.
HE ALSO IS WELL ENOUGH READ TO KNOW
THAT THE WAY TO GET THINGS DONE IN WASHINGTON IS TO LOBBY.
THE CHARISMATIC WATERS CONVINCED ROUGHLY 300 VETERANS
TO JOURNEY WITH HIM TO WASHINGTON, D.C.,
TO MAKE THEIR CASE FOR THE PASSAGE OF THE BONUS.
THEIR MODEST LOBBYING EFFORT
SOON SEIZED THE PUBLIC'S IMAGINATION.
JUST JUMPS ON A FREIGHT CAR WITH THESE GUYS,
AND WHAT HAPPENS IS THE COUNTRY IS MESMERIZED.
THEY'RE LOOKING FOR HEROES.
THIS IS THE DEPTHS -- THE WORST YEAR OF THE DEPRESSION.
AND THE RADIO AND THE NEWSREEL CAMERAS
ARE FOLLOWING THESE GUYS,
AND FROM EVERY CORNER OF THE COUNTRY,
THESE GUYS ARE MOBILIZING.
AND WITH SUPPORTERS ACROSS THE COUNTRY CHEERING THEM ON,
MORE AND MORE VETS BEGAN STREAMING INTO WASHINGTON.
BY THE SUMMER OF 1932,
TENS OF THOUSANDS OF VETERANS AND THEIR FAMILIES
DESCENDED ON WASHINGTON TO LOBBY FOR THE BONUS,
HOPING THE SENATE WOULD PASS THE BILL.
OH, MY GOD, THAT'S AN ENORMOUS CAMP!
AS WE TOUR THE EXHIBIT, I SEE AN INCREDIBLE PHOTO
WITH PLACARDS ABOUT THE BONUS,
BUT NONE THAT MATCHES OUR STAMP.
I'M LOOKING AT THESE PICTURES,
AND HERE THEY ARE IN THE SHADOW OF THE WHITE HOUSE,
YOU'VE GOT THESE SHANTYTOWNS,
WHAT'S HOOVER THINKING?
HOOVER DOESN'T WANT TO GET INVOLVED.
HE NEVER GOES DOWN, NEVER ADDRESSES THEM.
HERBERT HOOVER BECAME PRESIDENT
JUST MONTHS BEFORE THE NATION TUMBLED
INTO THE DEPRESSION.
NOW, FOUR YEARS LATER, HE WAS FACING THE BONUS ARMY.
BUT HE'S NOT ALONE.
BY HIS SIDE IS GENERAL DOUGLAS MacARTHUR,
HIS ARMY CHIEF OF STAFF.
FROM THE DAY THEY CAME TO TOWN,
MacARTHUR WAS STATIONING TROOPS
ALL OVER THE CITY, OUTSIDE, DOWN THE RIVER,
SO WHEN HE WAS READY TO EXPEL THEM,
HE WOULD HAVE TANKS, HE WOULD HAVE MEN WITH BAYONETS,
HE WOULD HAVE COMBAT-READY TROOPS.
IN JUNE 1932, AS THE VETS WORRIED, LOBBIED, AND WAITED,
THE SENATE VOTED NOT TO PAY THE VETERANS AN IMMEDIATE BONUS.
DEJECTED AND DEMORALIZED, MOST OF THEM LEFT,
BUT MORE THAN 11,000 DIE-HARDS AND THEIR FAMILIES REMAINED.
A MONTH LATER, D.C. POLICE ATTEMPTED
TO RELOCATE THE SQUATTERS.
BUT A RIOT BROKE OUT AND A POLICE OFFICER OPENED FIRE,
KILLING TWO VETERANS.
AT SOME POINT, THE MILITARY, YOU KNOW, HOOVER, SOMEBODY SAYS,
"OKAY, ENOUGH IS ENOUGH."
SO WHAT HAPPENS THEN?
PAUL TELLS ME PRESIDENT HOOVER FINALLY APPROVED AN ORDER
FOR MacARTHUR'S ARMY TO MARCH ON THE CITY
AND REMOVE THE VETERANS.
AND THE TANKS ARE COMING UP RIGHT ALONG THE MALL.
THE BAYONETS, THE TEAR GAS.
MacARTHUR PUSHED THE VETS OUT AND SET FIRE TO THEIR CAMP.
WHAT WAS PROBABLY INTENDED
TO PUT AN END TO THE BONUS MOVEMENT ONCE AND FOR ALL
HAD INSTEAD JUST BROUGHT THE VETERANS AND THEIR CRUSADE
TO THE ATTENTION OF THE ENTIRE NATION.
THE VETERANS LEFT WASHINGTON,
BUT THE BONUS MOVEMENT CONTINUED.
HERE'S THE STAMP THAT I WAS TELLING YOU ABOUT.
IT SAYS "PAY THE BONUS,"
AND I ASSUME THAT THAT REFERS
TO THE BONUS MARCH AND THE BONUS ARMY.
THIS IS BEAUTIFUL.
I'VE NEVER SEEN ANYTHING LIKE THIS BEFORE.
AND THAT'S A V.F.W.
STAMP ON TOP OF THE STAMP.
DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA WHEN MY STAMP MIGHT HAVE BEEN MADE?
IF I HAD TO MAKE AN EDUCATED GUESS,
I'D PROBABLY GUESS ABOUT 1935.
PAUL EXPLAINS THAT CONGRESS FINALLY PASSED A BILL
TO PAY THE BONUS IN 1935,
BUT FDR VETOED IT.
AS 1936 APPROACHED AND CONGRESS GOT SET
TO VOTE ON THE BONUS YET AGAIN,
THE MOVEMENT HAD REACHED ITS PEAK.
THERE WERE MILLIONS OF GUYS WHO WERE INVOLVED IN THIS THING
AND THEIR FAMILIES, AND THEY WERE USING EVERYTHING THEY COULD
TO SORT OF GET THEIR MESSAGE ACROSS:
PASS THE BONUS, PAY THE BONUS.
IF PAUL IS RIGHT, IT MEANS OUR STAMP WASN'T PRODUCED
FOR THE BONUS MARCH IN 1932,
BUT A FEW YEARS LATER TO LOBBY CONGRESS
AND PRESIDENT ROOSEVELT TO FINALLY PAY THE BONUS.
SO I CALLED THE VETERANS OF FOREIGN WARS,
AND THEY TOLD ME THAT THE RECORDS
FOR THIS PARTICULAR PERIOD ARE VIRTUALLY NONEXISTENT,
SO WHAT I'M DOING IS COMING HERE
TO THE FRANKLIN D. ROOSEVELT PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM,
AND I'M MEETING PROFESSOR STEPHEN ORTIZ.
HE'S AN EXPERT ON THIS PARTICULAR PERIOD.
I'VE GOT THE STAMP THAT I SENT YOU A PICTURE OF,
AND WHEN I ENLARGE THE STAMP,
I CAN MAKE OUT IN THIS RED PART
ENOUGH TO SORT OF LEAD ME TO BELIEVE THAT
THAT HAS SOMETHING TO DO WITH THE VETERANS OF FOREIGN WARS.
DOES THAT MAKE SENSE TO YOU?
THAT MAKES PERFECT SENSE TO ME.
THE V.F.W.
IN THIS EARLY 1930s
WERE REALLY A GROWING ORGANIZATION,
AND IT WAS ALL ABOUT THE BONUS.
AS THE BONUS BILL WAITED FOR FDR'S SIGNATURE IN 1935,
THE V.F.W.
JOINED FORCES WITH THE AMERICAN LEGION.
TOGETHER, THEY LAUNCHED
AN UNPRECEDENTED LETTER-WRITING CAMPAIGN:
TENS OF THOUSANDS FLOODED THE WHITE HOUSE MAILBOX.
THIS REPRESENTS A HUGE CORRESPONDENCE
BY EVERYDAY CITIZENS AND VETERANS
REALLY JUST PLEADING IN MANY CASES --
AND THREATENING IN OTHER CASES --
ROOSEVELT TO NOT VETO THIS BONUS.
THIS ONE HERE, "THE GREATER PORTION OF 4 MILLION MEN
"MAY BE MISTAKEN IN THEIR STAND,
"BUT IT'LL TAKE MORE THAN YOUR VETO
"TO CONVINCE THEM OF THEIR ERROR
AND MAKE THEM FEEL THAT YOU HAVE KEPT THE FAITH."
I MEAN, THIS IS A DIRECT RAW THREAT.
YOU KNOW, "IF YOU DON'T GIVE US THIS,
YOU'RE GOING TO LOSE 4 MILLION VOTES."
SO, I MEAN, DID THESE ACTUALLY MOVE ROOSEVELT AT ALL?
IT'S ACTUALLY ONE OF THE MORE DRAMATIC EPISODES
IN ROOSEVELT'S EARLY PRESIDENCY.
HE DELIVERS THIS VETO MESSAGE ON THE BONUS IN 1935
TO A JOINT SESSION OF CONGRESS ON NATIONAL RADIO BROADCAST.
IN A 40-MINUTE ADDRESS,
THE PRESIDENT STEADFASTLY DEFENDED HIS VETO.
Roosevelt: This bill before me provides
a direct payment to the veterans of a much larger sum
than was contemplated in the 1924 settlement.
It is nothing less than a complete abandonment
of that settlement.
HE WAS A FISCAL CONSERVATIVE,
SOMEONE WHO BELIEVED IN BALANCED BUDGETS.
EVEN THOUGH ALL THE NEW DEAL PROGRAMS
SPENT BILLIONS OF DOLLARS,
HE STILL FELT THE GOAL WAS BALANCED BUDGETS,
AND THIS PLAYED OUT OFTEN IN VETERANS ISSUES LIKE THE BONUS.
THE VETERANS DIDN'T BACK DOWN.
THE LETTERS CONTINUED.
AND WHAT WE FIND AMONG THEM
PUTS THE MYSTERY OF THE STAMP TO REST.
LOOK FAMILIAR?
OH, MY GOSH!
YOU KNOW, IT WAS A GREAT STORY, AND IT PROVIDED --
THE LITTLE STAMP PROVIDED ME THIS WINDOW
TO UNDERSTAND THE BONUS ARMY AND THE BONUS ACT.
I TELL MARTIN ABOUT THE JOURNEY HIS STAMP HAS TAKEN ME ON
AND ABOUT WHAT I FOUND AT THE FDR LIBRARY AND MUSEUM.
OH, MY GOSH, THERE'S OUR STAMPS.
AND LOOK AT THAT, IT'S FROM SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA, 1935.
"WE CITIZENS AND VETERANS OF U.S.A.
"WHO HAVE SIGNED THIS PETITION
ARE IN FAVOR OF THE CASH BONUS 100%."
SO YOU THINK OUR STAMP WAS MADE
BY THIS VETERANS POST IN SAN FRANCISCO?
I THINK SO.
IF NOT MADE BY THEM, USED BY THEM.
THEY STAMPED THEIR INSIGNIA
ON TOP OF THE STAMP TO PAY THE BONUS
AS A WAY TO KIND OF PUT THEIR MARKER ON THESE PETITIONS,
THAT IT CAME FROM A V.F.W.
POST, FROM REAL VETERANS.
OUR TINY STAMP WENT TO WAR
ON THE TOPS OF PETITIONS AND BACKS OF ENVELOPES,
BATTLING AGAINST A POPULAR PRESIDENT
IN THE DEPTHS OF THE GREAT DEPRESSION.
AND WHAT'S ON EACH ONE OF THESE PETITIONS?
THAT'S MY STAMP RIGHT THERE.
IN JANUARY 1936,
CONGRESS FINALLY OVERTURNED FDR'S SECOND VETO.
THE VETERANS WERE AT LONG LAST PAID THEIR BONUS,
$1.9 BILLION.
AND I HAVE ANOTHER SURPRISE FOR MARTIN.
THESE ARE THE MILITARY SERVICE RECORDS
FOR YOUR GRANDFATHER, CHARLES MEADE RUNYON.
ON HIS DEATH IN 1934, HE WAS PAID THE BONUS.
HE WAS A TOMBSTONE BONUS VET.
THAT IS AMAZING.
AND HIS COMBINED TOTAL WAS $625,
WHICH WAS A LOT OF MONEY IN 1934,
AND IT PROBABLY HELPED YOUR FAMILY
GET THROUGH THE DEPRESSION.
IT'LL GIVE ME AN INSIGHT INTO WHO HE WAS.
WELL, THANK YOU, WES.
ON BEHALF OF MY GRANDFATHER AND EVERYONE,
I THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
MY PLEASURE.
THE LEGACY OF THE BONUS MOVEMENT CONTINUED
INTO THE SECOND WORLD WAR.
BUT IN 1944, PRESIDENT ROOSEVELT,
REMEMBERING THE BONUS MARCHERS OF 1932,
SIGNED ONE OF THE GREATEST PIECES OF AMERICAN LEGISLATION,
THE G.I.
BILL OF RIGHTS.
IT GUARANTEED WORLD WAR II VETERANS
LOANS, HOUSING, AND EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES.
IT REMAINS IN EFFECT TO THIS DAY,
BENEFITING VETERANS OF ALL FOREIGN WARS,
INCLUDING THOSE WHO HAVE SERVED IN AFGHANISTAN AND IRAQ.
TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE VETERANS OF FOREIGN WARS,
VISIT HISTORY DETECTIVES ON THE WEB AT pbs.org.
INTERESTED IN STARTING YOUR OWN STAMP COLLECTION?
HERE ARE SOME TIPS.
POSTAGE STAMPS ARE MADE TO BE USED.
YOUR MAILBOX AND OLD LETTERS YOU'VE SAVED
ARE A GOOD PLACE TO START.
YOU'LL BE SURPRISED AT THE VARIETY YOU'LL FIND IN NO TIME.
SOME CANCELED STAMPS CAN BE JUST AS SIGNIFICANT
AS THOSE IN MINT CONDITION.
AN OLDER STAMP WON'T NECESSARILY BE MORE VALUABLE THAN A NEW ONE.
THREE BASIC FACTORS DETERMINE THE FINANCIAL VALUE OF A STAMP:
ITS CONDITION, ITS RARITY, AND THE DEMAND.
THE INVERTED JENNY, A FAMOUS AND RARE MISTAKE,
WAS THE RESULT OF THE U.S.
POSTAL SERVICE'S RUSH
TO PRODUCE THE FIRST AIRMAIL STAMP IN 1918.
A SINGLE INVERTED JENNY RECENTLY SOLD AT AUCTION
FOR ALMOST $1 MILLION.
THE HISTORY BEHIND A STAMP IS JUST AS IMPORTANT.
THE PENNY BLACK,
THE WORLD'S FIRST OFFICIAL ADHESIVE POSTAGE STAMP,
WAS MADE IN ENGLAND IN 1840.
THE FIRST U.S. POSTAGE STAMPS WEREN'T ISSUED UNTIL 1847,
A 5-CENT BEN FRANKLIN AND A 10-CENT GEORGE WASHINGTON.
HAVE YOU FOUND A STAMP
WITH A CURIOUS CONNECTION TO AMERICAN HISTORY?
SEND YOUR STORY TO HISTORY DETECTIVES
ON THE WEB AT pbs.org.
Tukufu: IN AN ENCORE PRESENTATION,
THE BELL THAT MAY HAVE RUNG IN
A GOLDEN ERA IN AMERICAN SPORTS.
IT'S THE ROARING '20s,
AND AMERICA IS INCREASINGLY INFATUATED
WITH MOVIE STARS AND CELEBRITIES.
ONE SPORTING STAR SOARS ONTO THE CELEBRITY STAGE:
JACK DEMPSEY, HEAVYWEIGHT BOXING CHAMPION OF THE WORLD.
IT IS DEMPSEY WHO HELPS LAUNCH OUR NATIONAL OBSESSION
WITH PROFESSIONAL SPORTS.
AND IT ALL BEGAN WITH THE CLANG OF A BELL.
[ rings ]
NOW GUY CLIFTON OF RENO, NEVADA,
BELIEVES HE'S COME ACROSS THE VERY BELL THAT HELPED
RING IN THE GOLDEN AGE OF SPORTS IN AMERICA.
A FRIEND OF MINE SAID THAT "WELL, HAVE YOU SEEN
THE DEMPSEY-WILLARD BELL HANGING DOWN IN JAKE'S PLACE?"
WHEN I FIRST SAW IT, I THOUGHT, "HOLY COW!
COULD THIS REALLY BE REAL?"
I'M TUKUFU ZUBERI.
I'M MEETING UP WITH GUY TO SEE WHAT HE'S GOT.
WELL, HERE IT IS.
ALL RIGHT.
"JULY 4, 1919, TOLEDO, OHIO.
JACK DEMPSEY, JESS WILLARD."
WHAT DO YOU KNOW ABOUT THAT FIGHT?
WELL, THIS IS THE FIGHT WHEN JACK DEMPSEY WON
THE HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP OF THE WORLD.
ALL RIGHT, SO THAT WOULD MAKE THIS BELL A PRETTY BIG DEAL.
IT SURE WOULD.
DOES THE BELL WORK?
IT DOES.
[ rings ]
NOW, THAT SOUNDS JUST LIKE THE BELL
WHEN YOU'RE SITTING AT RINGSIDE, RIGHT?
IT SURE DOES.
[ chuckles ]
NOW, WHAT IS YOUR QUESTION FOR ME?
I WANT TO KNOW IF IT'S REALLY THE BELL
FROM THE DEMPSEY-WILLARD FIGHT.
GUY'S GOT A LEAD FOR ME.
SEEMS THE BAR IS JUST USING THE BELL TO PULL IN CUSTOMERS.
WELL, THE FAMILY THAT OWNS THE BELL LOANED IT TO THIS BAR
TO PUT ON DISPLAY.
LET ME WRITE THEIR NAME DOWN FOR YOU.
NOW, DO YOU MIND IF I TAKE THIS WITH ME?
I THINK THAT'LL BE OKAY.
ALL RIGHT.
I'M A BIG FAN OF BOXING,
AND THIS FIGHT IS LEGENDARY.
IF THIS IS THE ORIGINAL BELL FROM THE DEMPSEY-WILLARD FIGHT,
IT'S A VALUABLE PIECE OF HISTORY.
[ compressed air blows ]
I DON'T SEE ANYTHING IN HERE:
NO BRAND NAME, NO I.D.
NUMBER,
NO SERIAL NUMBER, NO PATENT NUMBER.
NO INFORMATION AT ALL.
AND AGAIN, NOTHING.
SO WHAT I WANT TO DO NOW IS TAKE SOME PHOTOGRAPHS
AND SEND THEM TO A PROFESSIONAL SPORTS AUCTION HOUSE
TO SEE WHAT THEY CAN TELL ME ABOUT WHEN THIS BELL WAS MADE.
WHILE THE AUCTION HOUSE LOOKS OVER MY PHOTOS,
I'M MEETING WITH ANOTHER RENO RESIDENT, EVELYN PACE.
SHE'S THE WOMAN WHOSE NAME GUY GAVE ME BACK AT THE BAR.
HOW ARE YOU?
I'M FINE.
HAVE YOU EVER SEEN THIS BELL BEFORE?
YES, I HAVE.
IT'S BEEN IN MY FAMILY FOR MANY YEARS.
IT HUNG IN MY DAD'S BAR.
IT'S PART OF THE FAMILY.
EVELYN TELLS ME THAT BEFORE HER FATHER OWNED A BAR,
HE WAS A MIDDLEWEIGHT CHAMPION BACK IN THE 1920s AND '30s.
LOOK AT THIS.
"DICK 'ACTION' EVANS: 19 K.O.s IN 43 FIGHTS."
RIGHT.
EVELYN SAYS THAT HER DAD WAS ONE OF NEARLY 10,000 GUYS
ACROSS THE COUNTRY MAKING THEIR LIVING AS BOXERS.
THE SPORT WAS HUGELY POPULAR,
SECOND ONLY TO BASEBALL.
BUT THE DEMPSEY-WILLARD FIGHT
GAVE THE SPORT EVEN GREATER PROMINENCE,
AND BOXERS LIKE HER FATHER
DRANK IN THE NEWFOUND ATTENTION.
AND WHEN HE QUIT FIGHTING, HE BOUGHT A NEIGHBORHOOD BAR,
AND LOCAL FIGHTERS HUNG OUT THERE.
THE BELL WAS A BIG DRAW FOR THOSE BOXERS.
DEMPSEY WAS THEIR PATRON SAINT.
EVELYN SAYS DEMPSEY LIVED IN RENO FOR SEVERAL YEARS
AND WAS ONE OF THE FIGHTERS
WHO USED TO SPEND TIME IN HER DAD'S BAR,
AND THAT'S HOW HER DAD GOT THE BELL.
OH, HERE'S A POSTCARD.
LOOK AT THAT.
LOOK ON THE BACK.
IT'S AUTOGRAPHED BY JACK DEMPSEY.
WHOA, YES, IT IS.
OH, THERE'S ONE OF JACK DEMPSEY AND MY DAD.
SO THIS IS THEM TOGETHER?
AT THE BAR, MM-HMM.
EVELYN'S DAD CERTAINLY KNEW DEMPSEY,
BUT DID HE REALLY GIVE HIM THE BELL?
THE DEMPSEY-WILLARD CLASH IS ON JULY 4, 1919.
THAT'S JUST EIGHT MONTHS AFTER THE END OF WORLD WAR I,
AND AMERICANS ARE READY TO CELEBRATE.
THE TIME IS RIPE FOR A MAJOR NATIONAL EVENT.
JESS WILLARD IS A HOUSEHOLD NAME.
"THE GREAT WHITE HOPE" HAD DEFEATED
AFRICAN-AMERICAN BOXER JACK JOHNSON FOR HIS TITLE,
BUT HE HASN'T DEFENDED IT IN FOUR YEARS.
THE UPSTART CHALLENGER, JACK DEMPSEY,
IS MAKING A NAME FOR HIMSELF
AS THE KING OF FIRST-ROUND KNOCKOUTS.
THE PUBLIC DEMANDS A SHOWDOWN.
IT'S A FASCINATING STORY,
BUT I HAVEN'T FOUND ANY EVIDENCE
THAT CONNECTS OUR BELL TO THE FIGHT.
I NEED TO GO TO SOME PHOTOS
THAT WERE TAKEN ON THE DAY OF THE FIGHT.
I'M IN NEW YORK,
WHERE I'VE SCORED A MEETING WITH BERT SUGAR.
BERT'S LIVED A LIFE OF BOXING,
COVERING ALL OF THE GREATS.
HE'S THE FORMER EDITOR OF BOXING ILLUSTRATED
AND AUTHOR OF OVER 80 BOOKS ON BOXING HISTORY.
WHAT DO YOU GOT THERE?
SO THIS IS SUPPOSEDLY THE BELL
FROM THE DEMPSEY-WILLARD CHAMPIONSHIP FIGHT, 1919.
WHAT DO YOU THINK?
IS THAT IT?
[ ringing ]
IT'S A BELL, ALL RIGHT.
I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S THE BELL.
DO YOU HAVE ANY PICTURES OF THE FIGHT?
I HAVE PICTURES OF THE FIGHT,
MAYBE A PICTURE OF THE BELL.
I'M NOT SURE.
OKAY.
WHY DON'T WE TAKE A LOOK?
GREAT IDEA.
FOLLOW ME.
ALL RIGHT.
AS WE START OUR SEARCH, BERT EXPLAINS
WHAT MADE THE DEMPSEY-WILLARD FIGHT SO POPULAR.
BEHIND THE SCENES, A P.R.
WIZARD
WAS PULLING THE STRINGS.
THIS IS TEX RICKARD.
NOW, TEX RICKARD WAS A PROMOTER.
AND IN MANY WAYS, HE WAS THE P.T.
BARNUM
OF HIS DAY AND AGE.
AND HE BASICALLY MADE THIS FIGHT
A GRAND EVENT.
SO HERE IS A STADIUM
THAT TEX RICKARD DECIDES TO BUILD...
YES.
ON THE BANKS OF THE MAUMEE BAY OUTSIDE TOLEDO.
80,000-SEAT STADIUM BUILT OUT OF WOOD.
THIS STADIUM WAS AT THE TIME
THE LARGEST IN AMERICAN HISTORY.
IT WAS CREATED FOR THIS EVENT,
THEN DISMANTLED AND SOLD FOR SCRAP.
BUT FOR THAT ONE DAY IN 1919,
IT WAS THE STAGE FOR A BOXING SHOWDOWN.
NOW, JESS WILLARD --
AND HE WAS 6'6", 245 POUNDS --
WOW!
WHO OUTWEIGHS DEMPSEY BY 58 POUNDS.
AND HE CAN HIT.
HE HAS ALREADY KILLED A MAN WITH ONE PUNCH.
ALTHOUGH JACK DEMPSEY IS A FULL FIVE INCHES SHORTER,
HE'S WILLARD'S EQUAL AS A SAVAGE PUNCHER.
SEVERAL YEARS EARLIER HE'D BEEN MAKING HIS LIVING
BATTLING DRUNKS IN BARROOM BRAWLS.
HE COULD TAKE YOU OUT WITH ONE PUNCH.
MORE ONE-ROUND KNOCKOUTS THAN ANY FIGHTER IN HISTORY:
TWENTY-SIX.
THIS FIGHT REALLY GAVE US A PREVIEW
OF WHAT DEMPSEY'S STYLE COULD DO.
HIS STYLE OF FIGHTING WAS JUST THIS AGGRESSIVE.
WELL, HE, ACCORDING TO ONE WRITER AT THE TIME,
TURNED "THE MANLY ART OF SELF-DEFENSE"
INTO "THE MANLY ART OF MODIFIED MURDER."
YOU HAVE SOME PICTURES OF THE RING
SO THAT WE CAN SEE IF THE BELL IS THERE?
YEAH, SEE, THIS IS THE FIRST KNOCKDOWN.
WHERE WOULD I FIND THE BELL?
WELL, THEORETICALLY, IT'S IN THIS AREA, MID-RING.
WE SEARCH HIS COLLECTION OF FIGHT PHOTOS,
BUT I CAN'T FIND ANY SIGN OF THE BELL.
IT LOOKS LIKE I'VE HIT A DEAD END.
I DON'T SEE A BELL.
BUT BERT HAS A LEAD FOR ME.
I WOULD SUGGEST -- BECAUSE WE'VE LOOKED AT STILLS --
THAT MAYBE IF YOU LOOKED AT THE FILMS OF THE FIGHT.
IT SEEMS THAT BECAUSE THE DEMPSEY-WILLARD MATCH
WAS SUCH A HUGE EVENT,
A NEWSREEL FILM CREW DOCUMENTED THE FIGHT.
AND BERT KNOWS SOMEONE WHO HAS A RARE COPY OF THE FILM.
STEVE LOTT IS A BOXING HISTORIAN
AND THE PRESIDENT OF THE BOXING HALL OF CHAMPIONS.
THEY OWN RIGHTS TO THE WORLD'S LARGEST LIBRARY
OF BOXING FILMS.
STEVE DOESN'T RECOGNIZE OUR BELL,
BUT HE SET UP A SCREENING OF THE FIGHT.
AS WE SEARCH THROUGH THE FILM,
STEVE DESCRIBES THE FIRST ROUND.
FOR THE FIRST 30 SECONDS,
DEMPSEY KEEPS HIS DISTANCE FROM THE MASSIVE WILLARD,
BUT THEN HE GOES ON THE ATTACK.
WATCH DEMPSEY NOW IN ABOUT FIVE SECONDS
COME IN WITH A ONE, TWO, THREE, FOUR!
WHOA!
THAT'S THE PUNCH THAT KNOCKED HIM DOWN.
BACK THEN THERE WAS NO NEUTRAL CORNER RULE.
THE FIGHTER -- THE FIGHTER DOES NOT HAVE TO GO
TO A NEUTRAL CORNER.
DEMPSEY JUST STAYS OVER THE FALLEN FIGHTER.
AS SOON AS WILLARD'S KNEES LEAVE THE CANVAS,
DEMPSEY CAN JUMP ON HIM AGAIN.
OH!
A FIGHT LIKE THAT WOULD BE STOPPED IMMEDIATELY TODAY,
BUT BACK THEN, THAT'S WHAT BOXING WAS ALL ABOUT.
NO MOUTHPIECES.
WILLARD ENDS UP WITH A BROKEN NOSE, FRACTURED JAW,
THREE TEETH KNOCKED OUT, BROKEN RIBS
BASED UPON DEMPSEY'S PUNCHING POWER.
WILLARD STRUGGLES THROUGH TWO MORE ROUNDS.
BY THE FOURTH ROUND, HE CAN'T CONTINUE.
DEMPSEY IS DECLARED THE NEW HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPION
OF THE WORLD.
STEVE SAYS DEMPSEY BECOMES AS FAMOUS AS BABE RUTH
AND MORE POPULAR THAN PRESIDENTS AND GENERALS.
A FEW YEARS LATER IN 1926,
120,000 FANS WATCH DEMPSEY BATTLE GENE TUNNEY
IN THE LARGEST SPORTING EVENT IN AMERICAN HISTORY.
AS WE REACH THE END OF THE ROUND, I CATCH A BREAK.
THE CROWD IS IN A FRENZY, THE BELL RINGS --
WAIT, CAN YOU FREEZE IT AT THE BELL?
SURE, HOLD ON.
STEVE AND I COMPARE GUY'S BELL WITH THE ONE IN THE FILM,
BUT HE IMMEDIATELY SPOTS SOME KEY DIFFERENCES.
THE OTHER SIDE OF THE BELL, THIS ARM HERE RAISES UP AT AN ANGLE,
AND YOURS IS GOING DOWN.
AND THAT ONE HAS TWO HOLES; MINE JUST HAS ONE.
TOO MANY THINGS LOOK DIFFERENT.
IT JUST DOESN'T SEEM LIKE IT COULD BE THE SAME BELL.
BUT STEVE'S NOT SURE THE BELL WE SEE IN THE FILM
REALLY IS THE BELL FROM FIGHT DAY.
IT COULD HAVE BEEN SHOT AT A DIFFERENT FIGHT,
DAY BEFORE, DAY AFTER.
AND HE HAS ONE MORE THING TO SHOW ME.
I'M GOING TO PLAY THIS FOR A SECOND.
WATCH THIS SPECTATOR ON THE RIGHT REFLECTED.
THIS SPECTATOR'S ARM COMES DOWN.
THAT'S THE END OF ROUND ONE.
NOW I JUST WANT TO FAST-FORWARD TO THE BEGINNING OF ROUND TWO.
HOLD IT FOR ONE SECOND.
RIGHT HERE.
NOW HERE'S THE BELL FOR ROUND TWO.
NOW -- HEY, SAME THING!
THE SAME ACTION, THE SAME ARM.
THE SPECTATOR'S ARM MOVES EXACTLY THE SAME WAY,
THE SAME FORMAT,
WHICH TELLS ME THIS SHOT OF THE BELL
WAS USED MORE THAN ONCE
IN THIS EDITED VERSION OF THE FIGHT.
STEVE TELLS ME IT'S POSSIBLE
THAT THE BELL WE SAW IN THE FIGHT FILM
WAS JUST A STOCK SHOT AND THERE'S STILL A CHANCE
THAT OUR BELL IS THE REAL THING.
HE'S GOT A CONTACT WHO'S SURE TO KNOW SOMETHING
ABOUT THIS BELL.
STEVE'S CONTACT IS JACK KEARNS, THE SON OF "DOC" KEARNS,
JACK DEMPSEY'S FIGHT MANAGER.
MY FATHER PUT HIM OUT IN A LOGGING CAMP
AND HAD HIM CHOPPING WOOD ALL DAY, CARRYING PILES,
DRIVING THE SLEDS, AND JACK JUST GOT HARDENED,
AND HE BECAME THE ANIMAL THAT HE WAS FAMOUS FOR
FROM THAT POINT ON.
JACK WOULD LEAP ACROSS THE RING,
ELEVATE HIMSELF OFF THE GROUND,
AND HIT YOU A PUNCH IN MID-AIR.
HE'D REACH OUT AND RIP YOU WITH ONE OF THOSE LEFT HOOKS
AND TEAR YOUR HEAD OFF.
SO I HAVE THIS LITTLE BELL HERE.
YOU EVER SEE A BELL LIKE THIS BEFORE?
OH, YES, I HAVE, MANY OF THEM.
A GENTLEMAN FROM RENO NAMED GUY CLIFTON
BELIEVES THAT THIS IS THE BELL
FROM THE DEMPSEY-WILLARD CHAMPIONSHIP FIGHT.
JACK THROWS A VERBAL PUNCH OF HIS OWN,
AND IT MAY BE A KNOCKOUT FOR MY INVESTIGATION.
MY UNDERSTANDING WAS THAT IT WENT TO SOMEBODY ELSE.
JACK SAYS THAT THE NIGHT BEFORE THE DEMPSEY-WILLARD MATCH,
HIS FATHER ARRANGED FOR THE LOCAL FIRE CHIEF
TO MEET UP WITH TWO YOUNG WOMEN AND A BOTTLE OF BOURBON.
THE FIRE CHIEF AND THE TWO GIRLS GOT IN THE FIRE TRUCK
AND DROVE AROUND JESS WILLARD'S HOUSE ALL NIGHT LONG
BLOWING THE SIREN.
JACK SAYS HIS DAD WANTED TO MAKE SURE JESS WILLARD
DIDN'T SLEEP A WINK THAT NIGHT.
BUT WHAT DOES THAT HAVE TO DO WITH THE FIGHT BELL?
MY FATHER GAVE THE BELL TO THE FIRE CHIEF.
AFTER THE FIGHT?
AFTER THE FIGHT WAS OVER.
YOU'RE TELLING ME THIS ISN'T THE BELL?
I SERIOUSLY DOUBT THAT IT IS.
I FEEL LIKE I'M AGAINST THE ROPES IN THIS MATCH.
NOW I'VE GOT TWO STORIES,
AND BOTH SEEM LIKE THEY COULD RING TRUE.
I NEED A TIEBREAKER.
[ cell phone ringing ]
JUST THEN I GET A CALL FROM THE SPORTS APPRAISER
WHO I'D SENT MY PHOTOS TO.
RIGHT.
SURE, I CAN BRING IT OVER.
NO PROBLEM.
CRAIG HAMILTON RUNS JO SPORTS,
ONE OF THE COUNTRY'S LARGEST SPORTS AUCTION HOUSES.
HE TELLS ME THAT IN HIS WORK AS AN APPRAISER,
HE'S SEEN DOZENS OF PERIOD FIGHT BELLS.
IT COMPARES FAVORABLY TO SOME OTHER BELLS
THAT I'VE LOOKED AT AND APPRAISED
FOR RING MAGAZINE AND PEOPLE LIKE THAT.
THE LEVER ON THE TOP IS SIMILAR TO BELLS THEY HAVE,
AND THOSE PRE-DATE 1919,
SO IT CERTAINLY WAS A BELL
THAT COULD HAVE BEEN WORKING AT THAT TIME.
WELL, YOU KNOW, THAT'S REALLY GOOD NEWS FOR ME.
DO YOU KNOW IF THIS BELL COMES FROM
THE DEMPSEY-WILLARD CHAMPIONSHIP FIGHT?
IT COULD BE, BUT THERE ARE SOME THINGS
YOU DO NEED TO KNOW ABOUT JACK DEMPSEY.
JACK DEMPSEY WAS A VERY WELL-INTENTIONED GUY,
AND HE GAVE AWAY A LOT OF STUFF.
CRAIG SHOWS ME A NEWS STORY ABOUT THE GLOVES USED
IN THE SAME FIGHT.
BUT THEN HE THROWS A JAB THAT CATCHES ME OFF GUARD.
IT'S TIME TO HEAD BACK TO GUY
TO TELL HIM WHAT I'VE DISCOVERED.
GUY, FOR A BOXING FAN LIKE ME,
THIS WAS SIMPLY A FANTASTIC STORY.
LET ME START BY SAYING THE FIRST THING WE KNOW
IS THAT THIS BELL IS A PERIOD BELL.
SO IT COMES FROM THE RIGHT PERIOD.
OKAY.
WE ALSO KNOW THAT DEMPSEY WAS FRIENDS WITH EVANS
AND HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE GIVEN HIM THIS BELL.
I THINK THAT'S GREAT AGAIN.
THAT'S ALL GOOD.
NOW, I HEARD A SECOND STORY.
I TELL GUY JACK'S STORY OF THE TOLEDO FIRE CHIEF
AND HIS LONG, LUSTY NIGHT CIRCLING WILLARD'S MANSION.
WE HAVE TWO PLAUSIBLE STORIES,
BUT THEN I HEARD SOMETHING ELSE.
CRAIG SHOWS ME A PHOTOGRAPH OF THE GLOVES DEMPSEY USED
IN THE WILLARD FIGHT,
BUT HE ALSO SHOWS ME AN ARTICLE IN WHICH DEMPSEY CLAIMED
TWO DIFFERENT PAIRS OF GLOVES WERE FROM THE SAME FIGHT.
SEEMS THE FIGHTER MADE CLAIMS ABOUT ARTIFACTS FROM HIS CAREER
THAT DIDN'T QUITE HOLD UP.
THAT'S KIND OF A CLASSIC DEMPSEY THING.
HE -- I THINK DEMPSEY WAS A VERY GENEROUS MAN.
I THINK PEOPLE THAT WERE CLOSE TO HIM
OR PEOPLE THAT WERE FRIENDS,
HE WANTED TO MAKE THEM FEEL GOOD,
SO HE'D GIVE THEM THINGS AND SAY THEY WERE FROM CERTAIN EVENTS,
AND HE MAY EVEN HAVE BELIEVED THAT.
IT SEEMS VERY LIKELY
THAT DEMPSEY DID GIVE DICK EVANS THE BELL.
I ALSO BELIEVE THAT IT'S POSSIBLE
THAT DEMPSEY TOLD EVANS THAT THIS WAS THE BELL
FROM THE DEMPSEY-WILLARD CHAMPIONSHIP FIGHT IN 1919.
BUT WITH A STAR AS BIG AS DEMPSEY
WITH A LIFE SO FULL OF MYTH AND LEGEND,
SORTING OUT BOXING TRUTH FROM BOXING FICTION
CAN BE NEXT TO IMPOSSIBLE.
THE FACT THAT THIS BELL WITH HIS NAME ON IT
IS STILL HANGING UP IN A RESTAURANT IN A PUBLIC PLACE
IS A PRETTY SPECIAL THING.
I THINK IT KEEPS HIS MEMORY ALIVE.
YOU KNOW, 90 YEARS AFTER HE WON THE CHAMPIONSHIP
AND 25 YEARS AFTER HIS DEATH,
PEOPLE ARE STILL TALKING ABOUT JACK DEMPSEY.
COLLECTING SPORTS MEMORABILIA IS MORE THAN JUST CHILD'S PLAY.
IT'S A BILLION-DOLLAR BUSINESS,
AND A GOOD CATCH COULD PULL IN TENS OF THOUSANDS
IF NOT MILLIONS OF DOLLARS.
IN 1999, MARK McGWIRE'S 70th HOME-RUN BALL
SOLD FOR A RECORD-BREAKING $3 MILLION.
THE NEXT YEAR, A 1909 HONUS WAGNER T206 BASEBALL CARD
SOLD FOR $1.2 MILLION.
AND THAT DECEMBER, A BAT USED BY BABE RUTH
TO HIT THE FIRST HOME RUN OUT OF YANKEE STADIUM
SOLD FOR $1.2 MILLION AS WELL.
BUT THERE'S PLENTY OF FAKES,
AND IF YOU DON'T DO YOUR HOMEWORK,
YOU CAN THROW YOUR MONEY AWAY BEFORE THE GAME BEGINS.
BEFORE YOU BUY THAT BASEBALL
THAT'S SUPPOSEDLY SIGNED BY MICKEY MANTLE,
ASK YOURSELF, "IS IT REAL?"
THESE DAYS MOST ITEMS COME WITH CERTIFICATES OF AUTHENTICITY.
BUT BEWARE: CERTIFICATES OF AUTHENTICITY
CAN BE FORGED JUST AS EASILY AS THE ITEMS FOR SALE.
MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE FROM A REPUTABLE DEALER OR AGENT.
RECENTLY, NEW GUIDELINES HAVE BEEN INTRODUCED
TO AUTHENTICATE ITEMS BEING SOLD.
MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL NOW USES HOLOGRAMS LIKE THIS ONE
TO CONFIRM THE VALIDITY OF A PHOTOGRAPH, SIGNATURE,
OR OTHER SPORTS MEMORABILIA.
AND THE LEAGUE HAS EVEN STARTED USING DNA
TO BACK UP CLAIMS THAT THE ITEM WAS USED BY A SUPERSTAR.
FINALLY, MY ADVICE TO NEW COLLECTORS?
SAVE EVERYTHING:
TICKET STUBS, POSTERS, PROMOTIONAL ITEMS.
YOU NEVER KNOW WHEN THAT SMALL SOUVENIR
IS GOING TO TURN INTO A TROPHY WINNER.
Elvis Costello: ♫WATCHIN' THE DETECTIVES♫
♫IT'S JUST LIKE WATCHIN' THE DETECTIVES♫
♫WATCHIN' THE DETECTIVES♫
♫WATCHIN' THE DETECTIVES♫