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On the flight, death and skull. New details emerge
I knew from my years as a reporter that it was not unusual to hear from key sources after publication. That is what happened with The Last Lynching in Northern Virginia. New sources came forward with new details. In September, two weeks after the book came out, a member of the Shedrick Thompson family wrote…
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The mystery of Martinsburg is solved
Of the many puzzling aspects of the Shedrick Thompson story, one of the most curious is Thompson’s connection to Martinsburg, West Virginia. Why were authorities in Fauquier County so focused on that small West Virginia city? Now, thanks to Julia Mopkins, we know. Within hours of Thompson’s attack on Henry and Mamie Baxley in July…
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‘That’s W.W. Pearson.’
I realized later that I forgot to ask the lady her name. Perhaps I was distracted by the photos she pulled from her notebook during a recent book signing at the Culpeper County Library. She had two black-and-white pictures, one of a man in an overcoat and hat, and the other of the same man,…
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Banned in Warrenton? I hope not
I expected this book to be judged on whether it is informative, entertaining and accurate. I did not expect it to be judged on whether it was “sensitive.” Sensitive? A history book? I bring this up because of an email I received last week from a publicist at History Press, the publisher. She wrote that…
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The book has been written, yet the story still unfolds
First, I got a picture of Shedrick Thompson’s father, and then pictures of his siblings. And yesterday, I saw for the first time a picture of his mother. Maybe, if my luck holds, I will someday see a picture of Thompson himself. Thompson is a key figure in The Last Lynching in Northern Virginia. He…
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Mining a family photo for tantalizing clues
Of all that’s come to light after publication of The Last Lynching in Northern Virginia, the photo of Sarah Rector McGee may be the most interesting. McGee was the aunt of Shedrick Thompson, the man lynched on Rattlesnake Mountain in Fauquier County. Thompson’s mother was her sister. In the picture, she is surrounded by Ola,…
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If it’s not the money, why do I do this?
I was on the way to Richmond to speak at the Black History Museum of Virginia recently when I asked myself, “Why am I doing this?” I was travelling 60 miles in the rain. I was not being paid, and the director had said that she wanted the museum, not me, to sell my book.…
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Me and Harry F. Byrd
When the audience member asked, “Why did you pursue this story?” I decided to abandon the safe answers that I usually give to that question. Instead, I tried to put into words the feelings that have percolated inside me ever since I started working on The Last Lynching in Northern Virginia. Usually when someone asks…
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Some feedback about the book is puzzling
The Last Lynching in Northern Virginia has been out three weeks, long enough for me to get some feedback. As expected, the results are mixed. I’m delighted when I hear that someone enjoyed the book. “You addressed a very difficult and dark subject very well,” said one reader. “Well done,” said another. I also was…
Author & Lecturer
Jim Hall 