Photographer that used developing chemicals as a booby-trap

I just recalled a story in the mid 90's about a newspaper photographer from my home town (Millville, NJ) known for only taking one photograph and then leaving. When he died authorities discovered a safe in his basement that was booby-trapped using photo developing chemicals.

Out of curiosity, would anyone know what he would have used?

Also, I've been unable to find the story (it was only in the local papers), so if anyone out there actually remembers this and could shed some light on it that would be amazing.

You planning a surprise, jdeg?

I worked in North Brunswick during the late 80's but can't remember the names of any local newspapers. Was there a paper that began with an 'H' (like The Herald or something?) The Star Leger and The Asbury Park Press might also have something in their archives although I don't know if they would have archived stories before the internet became really popular. I wonder if @BackdoorHippie's brother might be familiar with the story?

Nope

Could he have rigged it so that the stop bath, which is glacial acetic acid (5% acetic acid by volume is vinegar) would mix with common bleach? That would cause a very nasty reaction and some rather caustic products. It would cause the sodium hypochlorite in the bleach to become hypochlorous acid. If one gets the pH low enough, it would form chlorine gas - some very nasty stuff. Taking off my chemistry hat. I have to do something with my degree, you know.

haha, no I'm not planning anything, I just got curious. I found a reference to the incident: Police detonate chemicals in mayonnaise jar in Millville | NJ.com

His name was Wilfred Ralph, and got the nickname "One shot Ralph".

piperbarb said:

Could he have rigged it so that the stop bath, which is glacial acetic acid (5% acetic acid by volume is vinegar) would mix with common bleach? That would cause a very nasty reaction and some rather caustic products. It would cause the sodium hypochlorite in the bleach to become hypochlorous acid. If one gets the pH low enough, it would form chlorine gas - some very nasty stuff. Taking off my chemistry hat. I have to do something with my degree, you know.

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Thanks! The story I mentioned above says "explosive materials were destroyed". Maybe they just got it wrong, and it was more of a nasty gas that would've been produced.

When I was an undergrad in Chemistry back in the dark ages of the last century, during the mid 1970s, at least once or twice a year, we would have to evacuate the Chem/Physics building because there would be something smoldering in one of the refrigerators or freezer in the graduate organic chem labs. The State Police bomb squad would come in their bomb suits (I always called them their aluminum suits), take out the smoldering offender on a 4x8 plank of wood and detonate it in the nature preserve. Yeah, the nature preserve. Anyway, the offending substance was usually in a teeny tiny Erlenmeyer flask that could hold no more than maybe 10 or 15 ml, total. It made for great lunchtime talk with my humanities major friends. They were always so shocked. I thought it was funny.

I lived on south 4th street about a block from where they detonated the booby trap and unstable chemicals that were also in his basement. From what I can remember they were more concerned about some unstable chemicals that were improperly stored for a very long time than they were about the “booby trap”

jdeg said:

I just recalled a story in the mid 90's about a newspaper photographer from my home town (Millville, NJ) known for only taking one photograph and then leaving. When he died authorities discovered a safe in his basement that was booby-trapped using photo developing chemicals.

Out of curiosity, would anyone know what he would have used?

Also, I've been unable to find the story (it was only in the local papers), so if anyone out there actually remembers this and could shed some light on it that would be amazing.

Click to expand...

I was a good friend of One Shot Ralph and the safe was wired with c-4 because it held "police evidence" that former Police Chief Pangburn was trying to break in and steal.He was shot by Dr. Wong when caught banging his wife. One shot was the" privately contracted forensic investigator for the City of Millville which means he collected and held evidence. Ralph and I actually shocked the man through his kidneys when he (Pangburn) pissed in his gas tank . I am the reason the army ordinance squad came to clean up that mess. Picric acid ,dynamite c-4;and many other explosives were in that house. That man was a real scientist with ties to the Manhattan Project.

Not an explosive, but the nastiest chemical I had in my darkroom was farmers reducer.

potassium ferricyanide and sodium thiosulfate

I also remember they used to sell antistatic brushes with a little bit of polonium on a strip.

Welcome aboard Jbrown, enjoy the ride. We look forward to seeing more posts and samples of your work.

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