Joseph Koper has done a rigorous job researching and telling another heartbreaking story of yet another Black man lynched while clearly innocent of the "charges" against him. Fountain was a hard-working farmer and family man who went looking for his wife who had not returned from a trip to the bank, and got caught up in a situation that had nothing to do with him. A young white woman had been sexually assaulted, Fountain had an alibi, the sheriff believed him, but a prosecutor and judge were hell-bent on destroying him. Fountain was convicted within minutes by a jury, his conviction was overturned on appeal, and yet that didn't save his life. This is a far-too- common tragic story of Jim Crow times, and Koper presents all the facts that can be recovered from local news reports. The photographs are a welcome addition to the text. The story is a bit impersonal because of the limited sources but the reader is bound to have a strong emotional reaction to the story of a good man killed by racists.

A Clouded Sense Of Justice Institutional Racism A Lynching Mentality.
First, I would like to say the Author Joseph Koper has done a remarkable job in the writing of this book. It is extremely a well-researched and written piece of history with photographs taken back in the 1919 and a story told of a married black man with two children who owned a farm and earnt an honest living and lived and worked alongside his white neighbours.
One day Isaiah wife went to the bank to get $10 for the price of a pig but she did not come home. After checking with neighbours on his way to town Isaiah was concerned something had happened as he had a skittish horse, but when he spoke to neighbours nobody had seen her coming home. Isaiah got a ride to town informed the police and instructed them to go and bring his wife back as she had taken the money and gone back to her parents in Talbot county. The police were not interested in helping Isaiah, so he went home and gathered his things and went looking to bring his wife home. Isaiah Fountain would never think that his life was going to change the next couple of days, and he would be accused of raping a 14-year-old white girl.
The story goes into what happens after the young girl named Bertha Simpson was raped on her way home from school by a black fiend on April 1st, 1919, in the town of Traipe. Sadly, justice will be far from being served. The book reflexes the time and mentality of the era perfectly. The system of the time had institutional racism and a lynching mentality. Two trials, a lynch mob, and two escapes take place in this small community where racism if rife.
The police had been given information that there where marks at the scene of the crime that the horse had an unshod hoof and that another black man was in the area who’s buggy and horse matched the description from Bertha’s story, but this was dismissed once the blacksmith spoke. After talking to the blacksmith, they discover that he had spoken to a black man named Isaiah Fountain whose horse had an unshod hoof that needed fixing, and he had just left town that morning. The information was all they needed to convince the posse that the man who had committed this crime was named Isaiah Fountain a black man accused of committing “an outrage” against a white girl trying to escape justice.
There is so much of Berthas account that was inconsistent and will be altered later when the white citizens, police, and justice system (which are products of the Jim Crow era) go to trial.
Sadly, Isaiah Fountain would be executed by hanging. Could Isaiah Fountain ever get true justice. Definitely not. The victim, prosecution, jury, police, the judge, and the papers all wanted a speedy trial, and this will taint and cloud Isaiah chance of ever receiving justice due to the clouded sense of humanity. I truly personally believe he was innocent, and the outcome today would probably never get to trial, or Isaiah would have definitely been acquitted due to the evidence admitted. A fascinating historical true crime book which I happily recommend as a must-read book in 2023.
Thanks to NetGalley and to the publishers of this book for giving me a free advance copy of the book to preview and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Isaiah Fountain was a well-off black farmer. He was 28 years old paid his taxes love this family and soon would be accused of rape. His level of education and level of character would depend on what newspaper you read in the want to usually read the Afro American that stated most true details probably would not be on the jewelry. I don’t want to give too much away but just know this is the first nonfiction book I have read that includes a twist and oh what a mighty twist it is I truly enjoyed this book and felt so lucky to get to be an early reader. Isaiah fountain was just one of many black men then and unfortunately after that were brought down by the stupid Jim Crow laws that existed. if you love historical True Crime then you love the Isaiah Fountain casecase it truly is an awesome read! I was given this book by net Galley in the publisher but I am leaving this review voluntarily please forgive any mistakes as I am blind and dictate my review.g