Award Winning Account of the 1892 Lynching of Robert Lewis!
On the evening of June 2, 1892, a mob dragged a local African American man named Robert Jackson (also known as Robert Lewis) nearly a half mile through the streets of Port Jervis, New York, kicking and beating him, until they lynched him from a maple tree. Jackson had been accused of sexually assaulting a popular young woman named Lena McMahon. Lena was a white female and, as was all too common with similar situations in the southern states, Judge Lynch was the only appropriate punishment.
Robert Jackson (a/k/a Robert Lewis)
Accused of sexually assaulting a popular young woman named Lena McMahon, Robert was dragged through the streets and hanged from a maple tree. Who was Robert Jackson? What happened on June 2, 1892? Did he sexually assault Lena McMahon? These questions and more are answered in Lynched by a Mob! Michael J. Worden describes the lynching in striking detail, providing the most historically accurate accounting of that tragic event that has ever been written.
Lena McMahon
Lena was a popular young woman who lived with her adoptive parents, John and Theresa. She operated a confectionary and ice cream parlor, was a graduate of the local academy, and was by all accounts a beautiful, smart and vivacious young lady. Life drasticaly changed for Lena on the afternoon of June 2, 1892, when she was sexually assaulted while reading near the river. This event not only led to the apprehension and lynching of Robert Jackson, but also derailed Lena’s happy and humble life, leading her down a tragic road.
P. J. Foley
A villain or scoundrel? P. J. Foley is a man of mystery, known by his first two initials and a last name. Foley had come to Port Jervis in 1891 as an insurance salesman, and he and Lena McMahon became entangled in a toxic relationship. In the aftermath of the lynching, there was evidence that Foley may have set up the entire sexual assault on Lena! Who was P. J. Foley, and did his relationship with Lena culminate with her assault?
An Unsolved Homicide
Nobody was ever held accountable for the lynching of Robert Jackson. It is one of the only unsolved homicides in Port Jervis, New York. How could a crime such as this go unpunished? A coroner’s inquest, and two separate grand juries failed to bring anyone to justice, despite good citizens identifying some of the perpetrators. What happened at the coroner’s inquest? What about the grand juries that sat and heard evidence?
Michael J. Worden has researced these topics in striking detail. He meticulously reconstructed the testimony of the coroner’s inquest witness by witness, utilizing over a dozen sources to fully examine and evaluate that aspect of the story. Michael located never before published court records which shed new light on the grand juries that heard the case, and why they likely didn’t return any indictments for murder.
Lynched by a Mob! was awarded a gold medal in the true crime category in the 2023 Independent Publisher Book Awards.
The Independent Publisher Book Awards awards are intended to bring increased recognition to the thousands of exemplary independent, university, and self-published titles published each year. Since the inaugural contest in 1996, over 5,500 books have received “IPPY“ Awards, and all the recognition, credibility, and increased sales that a book award can bring. The IPPY Awards reward those who exhibit the courage, innovation, and creativity to bring about change in the world of publishing. Independent spirit and expertise comes from publishers of all sizes and budgets and books are judged with that in mind. Gold, silver and bronze medals are awarded to winners in national subject categories, regional categories, and e-book categories.
Lynched by a Mob! was awarded the gold medal in the true crime category in the Next Generation Independent Book Awards.
The Next Generation Indie Book Awards is the largest International awards program for indie authors and independent publishers. In its seventeenth year of operation, the Next Generation Indie Book Awards was established to recognize and honor the most exceptional independently published books in 80+ different categories, for the year, and is presented by the Independent Book Publishing Professionals Group in cooperation with Marilyn Allen of Allen Literary Agency (formerly the Allen O'Shea Literary Agency).