Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-06-15
THE PORT JERyIs SENSATION.
Foley. Bob Lewis Alleged Instisator. Ar
raigned for Blnckmafl


P. J. Foley. implicated by Bob Lewis. the
negro who lynched ten DAYS ago for the
assault on Lena McMahou at Port Jervis. n.
y, in the plot to ruin the girl. was arraigned
in court there yesterday for blackmail. The
charge against him is that he attempted to
blackmail Lena Mcmahon. threatening that il
she did not give him money he would tell her
father and all the world that she was not a good
girl
Foley threatened her in several letters. Some
OF the letters he sent through the negro who
was iynched. Another he sent by John West,
fill. She burned all but one of these letters.
Her father, after Lewis had been lynched
who. just before death. declared that Foley had
put him up TO the crime. brought a charge Of
blackmail against Foley. and put the one re-
manning letter in the hands of the prosecuting
attorney in the case.
Indignation ran high against Foley at the
time in Port Jervis, and had he remained he
would have been lynched. The police removed
him TO the Jail at Goshen. Monday night he
was very quietly brought back. Nobody in
town knew that he TO be brought up. and
but few knew that he had arrived there until
morning, when he was arraigned.
When Foley was escorted into the court room
he took seat in the corner of the room next 20
the desk Of the justice Of the peace, who was the
presiding officer
! Foley was dressed in blue coat and vest and
wore pair of light striped trousers. He looked
ugly and only half clean. His collar limp
and soiled. His hair he had parted in the mid
die. with bangs on either side. lie sat down
and commenced reading a newspaper.
Hardly had he been seated when John J. Nc
Mahon. the father of the wronged girl. came
into the court room. He stopped short when
he saw the man. Then he raised his doubled
fist above his head and made a break for Foley
bnf ua ,pfar tod hy a2'a
| IL had been decided TO keep the mob out of
the court room to rave Foleys skin. A
crowd gathered during the morning in front of
the building where the court was in session.
From the street Foley could be plainly seen. II
| only needed a stone or stick thrown through
the window TO fire the crowd to dangerous
work
1t was 10 o'clock before Mrs. Mcmahon and
Lena Mcmahon arrived in court. The girl was
cheered by the crowd, as il made path for her
I and her mother. She was dressed i'm a thin
white dress and looked very pretty. As she en-
tered the court room she looked over ut the man
| in the cornef. and he grew red. but did MOI look
up at her. Foley WAS not represented by coun-
1 sell Miss Mcmahon was represented by Wilton
) Bennett, the best lawyer in town. On the bench
\ were Justices of the Peace X. A. Conkling and
n. w. Mulley. There were about dozen per-
Sons in court. Two court officers were posted
in the hall to keep it cleared.
Miss Lena Mcmahon was the first witness
called. She took the stand and was sworn.
She said that she was TWENTY-FIVE wears old:
that she born in New York city and had
lived with her parents here for seventeen wears
She said that she met Foley first in October last
that he was apparently gentleman and thai
she liked him. In January she first received
letter from him. 1t was the commencement of
their correspondence. 1t was not blackmail-
ing letter. The first blackmailing letter she got
from him came in April.
In this letter he asked me to meet him and
to bring him money. He said that if did not
he would write to nv father and expose me-
burned that letter. / got several letters from
him in May-all Of them Matchmaking letters.
Some of them burned up. some of them tore
up. In May be wrote TO me telling me that
would either have to meet him and answer his
letters and give him money or he would expose
ME. He extorted $40 in all from me. This
money gave him from time to time in small
sums. He kept me in constant terror of him. -
Then this letter was presented in evidence.
1t was written in pencil. in a wide, blacksmithy
hand. 1t read:
Dear Friend-I waited until the clock struck
twelve. Why did you not show YOURSELF Some
good excuse, I suppose. Well. tell YOU what
/ will do. as it seems impossible for YOU TO let
me in. IL You will conie out this afternoon and
stay out for three hours 1 will leave here to-
morrow Saturday. You can meet me on the
Matamoras bridge at sharp. Answer. PHIL. ="
Then follow some postscripts. Without the
bad grammar they read:
"P. S.-You NAV think You can keep this
farce up right along, but You will find out your
me know your reason for not meeting mel /
| saw your mother the street yesterday. 1
had a notion to ask her il you were alone
Your answer will be guide to my actions I
! am sick Of such nonsense. / will wait at Mon
don's corner until nv man returns. BY meet
ing on Matamoras bridge at 2 O'Clock sharp you
will save yourself great deal of trouble.
| PHI.
Friday afternoon.-I have sent to your
house four times since Tuesday. The party saw
YOU at the window. Why did you not come
down? find the only way for me to do is to
show things up just they have transpired. Ii
will make nice talk for the colored population
| in your section. You will find your mistake in
trying the racket with me, as 1 won't have it.
| will look for you on Fowler street. on SATURDAY
afternoon; at two, without fail; II not l viii
| be obliged to give you q sample Of what can
do with you and your friend, Mccormick.
| will talk for business"
Foley cross-questioned the girl He tried TO
wheedle the girl into contradictng herself. but
she stuck to her story. She said that she had
sent the money to him through fear of him,
and because Of the letters. During the cross
examination the girls mother and father
could hardly keep their seats excited were
they.
Mrs. Mcmahon was sworn, and corroborated
the testimony Of the girl as 10 the contents of
Foley was seen about her home at all hours of
the night, and annoyed them continually. The
| girl was in terror of him. The letters put her
beside herself.
| The prosecution then rested its case.
Justice Muiley then said that the evidence
presented warranted him in holding Foley for
the action Of the grand jury. Bail was hxed at
| e500. Then the justice commanded the
officers TO take charge of the man.
| After Foley had been led out the Justice ex-
ploded. 1.-The miserable, low-lived scoundrelI'
he exclaimed. II wanted to let myself ont and
tell him what I thought Of him, but did not
dare to-"
Foley was then taken back to the lookup.
| crowd of about 500 men followed him, and sew
eral times rushed the police, but il was broad
| daylight, and 20 nothing was done.
The London standard's Bitterness.
The London Standard comments upon the
statement made In the house of commons by
/ e 4.