Edwin Philip Fischer (October 3, 1872 – November 8, 1947) was an American male tennis player who was active in the late 19th century and notable for his association with the Wall Street bombing of 1920.
 Fischer in 1900 | |
| Full name | Edwin Philip Fischer |
|---|---|
| Country (sports) |  United States |
| Born | October 3, 1872 New York City, U.S. |
| Died | November 8, 1947 (aged 75) New York City, U.S. |
| Turned pro | 1891 (amateur tour) |
| Retired | 1910 |
| Plays | Right-handed (one-handed backhand) |
| Singles | |
| Highest ranking | No. 5 (1896 U.S. ranking) |
| Grand Slam singles results | |
| US Open | SF (1896) |
| Grand Slam mixed doubles results | |
| US Open | W (1894, 1895, 1896, 1898) |
Biography
editEdwin Fischer won the mixed doubles title at the U.S. National Championships four times. In 1894, 1895 and 1896, he won the title with Juliette Atkinson, and in 1898, he won his fourth title partnering Carrie Neely. The mixed doubles championship was played at the Philadelphia Cricket Club.[1][2]
His best result in the men's singles competition came in 1896 when he reached the semifinals in which he was beaten by Bill Larned. In 1897, he again was defeated by Larned, this time in the quarterfinals.
In July 1896, he won the Tuxedo tournament in New York City, defeating 1894 and 1895 champion Malcolm Chace.[3] Fischer was a three-times finalist at the Canadian Championships in 1896, 1897 and 1906. He was a runner-up at the 1906 indoor national tennis championship in New York.
His highest ranking in U.S. singles was no. 5 in 1896, and he was ranked in the top 10 during four years.
Wall Street bombing
editAt noon on September 16, 1920, a bomb exploded on Wall Street in the Financial District of New York City. The blast killed 38 and seriously injured 143.[4]
Investigators of the Wall Street bombing became suspicious of Edwin Fischer, then a lawyer, as he apparently predicted the attack with astonishing accuracy. Fischer had been warning his friends of an impending bomb attack on Wall Street, sending them postcards urging them to leave the area before September 16.[5]
He was taken into custody in Hamilton, Ontario. On return to New York, he was wearing two business suits for warmth and a tennis outfit underneath, which he claimed he wore "to be ready for a tennis match at all times".[6] The police questioned him at Bellevue. He said he had received the messages "through the air from God." Realizing Fischer was suffering from a mental disorder and finding that he made a regular habit of issuing such warnings, the police released him and had him committed to the Amityville Asylum where he was diagnosed as 'insane but harmless'.[6][7][8]
Grand Slam finals
editMixed doubles (4 titles)
edit| Result | Year | Championship | Surface | Partner | Opponents | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Win | 1894 | U.S. Championships | Grass | 6–3, 6–2, 6–1 | ||
| Win | 1895 | U.S. Championships | Grass | 4–6, 8–6, 6–2 | ||
| Win | 1896 | U.S. Championships | Grass | 6–2, 6–3, 6–3 | ||
| Win | 1898 | U.S. Championships | Grass | 6–2, 6–4, 8–6 |
References
edit- ^ Collins, Bud (2010). The Bud Collins History of Tennis (2nd ed.). [New York]: New Chapter Press. pp. 455, 481. ISBN 978-0942257700.
- ^ "Miss Atkinson the Winner" (PDF). The New York Times. June 30, 1895.
- ^ "Fischer Defeats Chace" (PDF). The New York Times. July 5, 1896.
- ^ Gage, Beverly, The Day Wall Street Exploded: A Story of America in Its First Age of Terror, New York: Oxford University Press (2009), pp. 272–282
- ^ "Fischer Warned Five Friends" (PDF). The New York Times. September 18, 1920.
- ^ a b "Asylum for Bomb Prophet" (PDF). The New York Times. September 21, 1920.
- ^ "Big Bang on Wall Street". The New York Sun. September 6, 2005. Retrieved June 8, 2012.
- ^ "Wall Street's Unsolved Bombing Mystery". New York Press. March 6, 2001. Retrieved June 8, 2012.