August 30, 2026 • 30 mins
by Gerald R Patnode
In 1889, Archibald Stirling is a man of wealth, privilege, and prestige. As a respected Baltimore criminal defense attorney and partner in a renowned law firm, his life is steeped in tradition and order. But when he accepts a single desperate plea for help; everything he believes will be challenged,One morning, the familiar routine in the Stirling household is shattered. Outside, the shouts of an angry mob rise as four Black men in chains are paraded through the streets by federal marshals. Among them is Henry Jones, the son of the Stirling family's loyal housemaid, Elsie Tolson who has been accused of leading a violent uprising on Navassa Island, where Black laborers fought back against their brutal white overseers. Henry now faces certain execution. With tears in her eyes and fear in her voice, Elsie begs Archibald to save her son.This real event, fictionalized through The Stirling Defense, is a gripping exploration of justice, sacrifice, and moral courage. Through one man's fall from privilege into the crucible of social change. The novel reveals the extraordinary cost of standing for what is right and the lasting impact of one man's fight against an unjust system.Determined to seek justice, Archibald takes Henry's case, setting off a chain of devastating consequences that include expulsion from his partnership, divorce from his wife, his young son brutally assaulted, and their home is torched in an arson attack. Even with several attempts at Archibald's life, he refuses to back down.As the trial unfolds, Archibald exposes the horrors of Navassa Island, where Black laborers were starved, beaten, and worked to death. His defense is not just for Henry but for an entire cla
In 1889, Archibald Stirling is a man of wealth, privilege, and prestige. As a respected Baltimore criminal defense attorney and partner in a renowned law firm, his life is steeped in tradition and order. But when he accepts a single desperate plea for help; everything he believes will be challenged,One morning, the familiar routine in the Stirling household is shattered. Outside, the shouts of an angry mob rise as four Black men in chains are paraded through the streets by federal marshals. Among them is Henry Jones, the son of the Stirling family's loyal housemaid, Elsie Tolson who has been accused of leading a violent uprising on Navassa Island, where Black laborers fought back against their brutal white overseers. Henry now faces certain execution. With tears in her eyes and fear in her voice, Elsie begs Archibald to save her son.This real event, fictionalized through The Stirling Defense, is a gripping exploration of justice, sacrifice, and moral courage. Through one man's fall from privilege into the crucible of social change. The novel reveals the extraordinary cost of standing for what is right and the lasting impact of one man's fight against an unjust system.Determined to seek justice, Archibald takes Henry's case, setting off a chain of devastating consequences that include expulsion from his partnership, divorce from his wife, his young son brutally assaulted, and their home is torched in an arson attack. Even with several attempts at Archibald's life, he refuses to back down.As the trial unfolds, Archibald exposes the horrors of Navassa Island, where Black laborers were starved, beaten, and worked to death. His defense is not just for Henry but for an entire cla
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Speaker 1 (00:08):
It is in between pages of James Lodd Junior. And
we're gonna get in between something a page some pages
of a book that I made jokes, a light read.
It's not like read at all, called The Sterling Defense,
the historical legal thriller based on a true trial. So
I'm gonna introduce my guests first, and then what's about
the book? And I and I and we're gonna find
(00:30):
out why this story resonated, resonated with him, he's like
putting it out and learn learn a little about him too.
How many welcome Jerry Patnode. And you're also a junior, junior?
I am, indeed I'm a junior. Also I always ask
other juniors, just because I always do this, what does
it mean anything to you to be a junior? Does
(00:51):
it mean anything to you?
Speaker 2 (00:52):
Yeah? Because senior was a pretty terrific guy.
Speaker 1 (00:54):
Okay, very good. I like that. What is what is
one trait you think you got from him?
Speaker 2 (01:02):
Tenacity?
Speaker 1 (01:05):
I can say, meet to you. I guess my father, Yes,
that same thing, just yeah, just yeah.
Speaker 2 (01:10):
By My father never graduated high school. My mother finished
eighth grade. I grew up in Baltimore City. Uh, I
was poor, but I didn't know it's poor until after
I got out of the city.
Speaker 1 (01:23):
One of those things. Yeah, yeah, just grow up. How
you grow up? You don't know anything, like you know, right,
it's time, that's right, that's very cool. So, yes, it's
it's And I know most parents want us to want
us to surpass them anyway. So you've done that. That's good.
Speaker 2 (01:37):
I have. I've been very fortunate.
Speaker 1 (01:38):
Yeah, so I'm education wise, Okay, So I'm going to read,
so folks don't want to read to you first. If
you're watching. That's part of the cover of the book.
You see. It's very startling picture. I'm going to read
what they have on Amazon, and then we're gonna get
into it because I want to give them away. Get
my voice together. Yeah, I've tried to do is for you? Do?
Is justice for you? Gerald? Here we go and the
(02:03):
tagline is he took the case no one wanted. Now
the system wants them destroyed. Baltimore, which you know I
have sole on this channel. We have a lot of
Baltimoreans on this channel. It's kind of funny. Jerry's a
whole bunch. I work with a lot of Baltimorians, a
lot of Baltimoreans and Los Angeles on here too, So
it's very winning. Back to the story Baltimore, eighteen eighty nine.
(02:24):
Archibald Sterling is a man of wealth, power, and shake
of a reputation until the day he agrees to defend
a condemned man. Henry Jones, the son of his housemaid,
stands accused of leading a deadly uprising Navasa Island where
black laborers were driven beyond endurance. The vert is all
but certain, the sentence death. What begins as an act
(02:48):
of compassion becomes something far more dangerous. As Sterling digs deeper,
he discovers the truth is far more dangerous than the crime.
It isn't a tragedy, It's a system, one built on
forced labor, violence and silence. The truth isn't justice, it's indictment,
(03:11):
and once Sterling sees it, he becomes his next target.
One by one, everything is stripped away, his career, his family,
his safety. The threats escalate, the attacks turned personal. The
message is unmistakable, walk away or be destroyed, but Sterling refuses.
(03:38):
That's the book, folks. What do you think so far?
How did I do? Jerry?
Speaker 2 (03:43):
Well? Well, let me let me tell you a little
bit about how this book came about.
Speaker 1 (03:51):
Okay, sure, go right ahead, Okay.
Speaker 2 (03:55):
It came about with a visit to my grandmother's attic
and the discovery of a steamer trunk that belonged to
my great grandfather, who was in fact complicit in the
Vasa Island. Oh. This was at the age of fifteen.
It haunted me for years. It was a story that
(04:16):
had to be told. I would say that eighty five
percent of this book is accurate. Fifteen percent is fiction.
Speaker 1 (04:25):
Yeah, well, the name change was that it No, the
names were not changed. The names are real. Cell what
parts what's the what's the parts that's not well.
Speaker 2 (04:36):
Understanding Archibald's family life, I do reimagine what his family is.
I knew that he lost everything, but there was very
little historically about it, and so I had to can
imagine what that life was like, uh, and what he
had to go through and what she was kind of
like in terms of willing to leave under the circumstances.
Speaker 1 (04:58):
And so.
Speaker 2 (05:00):
His son is real, but in the real case, his
son was actually a practicing attorney with him and worked
with his case. The two black attorneys that are prominent
in this book are real and in fact, wearing the
every Wearing was the very first black attorney to gain
(05:22):
access to presenting in front of the Supreme Court. And he,
in facts presented this case in front of the Supreme Court.
Speaker 1 (05:31):
Wow, so there's some reality here. I mean I knew
his reality, but saying but this.
Speaker 2 (05:35):
Really these are there's a lot of There's a lot
of reality. The one black law partner is a conglomeration
of black attorneys I have known.
Speaker 1 (05:46):
I like that. I like that as a good writer
would do. Of course, Yes, now you said you were
fifteen when you found the stewer drunk. Yep, and me
answer this question at fifteen it was only a few
years ago at fifteen, could you comprehend like everything you found?
(06:08):
Did it come to you kind of later what you found?
Speaker 2 (06:12):
I knew that he was a superintendent on the Vasa Island.
I did not realize the implications of what in the
Vasa Island was really about until years later. And he
was the superintendent that took over from the superintendents that
were murdered. And so you know, I would like to
have believed that, oh he helped make conditions a little better.
(06:34):
I found out that he carried on the traditions. Unfortunately,
how does that?
Speaker 1 (06:40):
Okay, So as a white person looking back at their past, sure,
how did that? How did that? How to make you feel?
I guess, I mean, I said stuck with you said
it stuck with you? But like, how did it make
you feel?
Speaker 2 (06:56):
It bothered me? Let me use you some background that
you may not know. I am also a I am
also a graduate of Morgan State University.
Speaker 1 (07:03):
Okay, okay, okay, okay.
Speaker 2 (07:06):
I have a master's degree in business there. I was
a DISCA volunteer for years working with Black Enterprise and
UH in Baltimore City for about four or five years.
Uh and uh. And I grew up in a segregated
Baltimore and Baltimore school system.
Speaker 1 (07:21):
Okay, okay, okay, So you have them in the fifties,
So I will say, so you know black folks even
around there, I do. I mean, and Baltimore of course
is a large obviously black population, but uh, there's also
a large white population there too, So there's both. Yes,
So that's okay. So but so that so that even
actually makes me want to reinforce the question you because
(07:43):
lah wats go, Well, my family didn't do anything in
those situations where you found out a member of your
family did.
Speaker 2 (07:49):
Yes.
Speaker 1 (07:50):
Yeah, so that must that must have just kind of
like just touch at your heartstrings at some low of like, wow,
this is kind of crazy about your.
Speaker 2 (07:56):
Great quay right, well, it does a little bit. And
and and I had the and I had the privilege
of knowing him for a short period of time. I
mean I was I was four years old when he died,
but I do remember him and a big handlebar mustache
and everything else that he had. Yeah, but uh, you know,
to me, he was just a kind of white guy.
Speaker 1 (08:20):
I know, it is my grandfather, I know, yeah, I
know how those are. Yes, you know detail just know
that's the grand you know, you know as you know that.
Speaker 2 (08:27):
And of course my grandmother being his daughter, idolized and
thought he could.
Speaker 1 (08:31):
Do no funny. Yes, I understand that. I understand that
I had the privilege of knowing, uh, to my great
grandmother's So I was like, that's a that's a rare
thing that that happened. So I know that is so. Yes,
And he said, Baltimore rich history. You know, it's I mean,
(08:52):
it's Baltimore considered, It's considered the East, is it. It's
considered part of the East.
Speaker 2 (08:56):
Yeah, absolutely, absolutely, yeah, and you know it was. It
was a conflicted city, I mean, and during the Civil
War it was both North and South sentiments.
Speaker 1 (09:05):
Uh.
Speaker 2 (09:06):
After the war, Baltimore became a central hub for black enterprise,
black achievement. Uh and all the way up to uh
when the Supreme Court decided that separate but equal was okay,
Baltimore was a thriving, integrated society.
Speaker 1 (09:22):
Uh.
Speaker 2 (09:22):
And that that Supreme Court destroyed it.
Speaker 1 (09:25):
I know, you don't. You don't realize that there's like
so many like it was working for you guys, was
actually working and it was. Yeah, that's kind I mean,
so when you when you think of you know, like
like this book. We'll get to the book, but I'm
just kind of curious because of your background. And I
grew up in a I grew up on a mixed
race families, and my kids are mixed race and the
(09:46):
whole whole thing. So I grew up with both sides
of having a white family and a black family. We
had both right as one of those things, where for
me it was just that's uncle so and so, that's
cousin of so and so. Like you know about racism
and I've had it from other people, but like in
my family and my neighborhood were all pretty integrated. My
mother comes from New York where it was pretty integrated.
So for you, you grew up pretty integrate yourself, I
(10:09):
mean as something. Yeah, So aren't these kind of stories
It's like, I mean, they're just they must just they
must just hit you a certain way, like because you
don't see things the way some people see things, So
it must be interesting for you to bring these stories
out to the light.
Speaker 2 (10:26):
Well, I think it's important to bring it out to light.
Speaker 1 (10:28):
The uh.
Speaker 2 (10:30):
And like I said, I felt very strongly about what
happened in Navasa. Yeah, let's not sugarcoat this. What happened
is at one hundred and thirty black men were enticed
to go to work for the Nevasa phosphate company in Baltimore,
taken to a Caribbean island, and re enslaved in eighteen ninety.
Speaker 1 (10:47):
Yeah. Horrible, that's just horrible.
Speaker 2 (10:49):
It is horrible.
Speaker 1 (10:51):
It's like you just that's yeah. Yeah. When I heard that,
I was like, wow, that's a trip because that's so late,
because simily was over so that was so late in
the game. It was like we almost a ninth almost
were almost a nineteen hundred almost on the turn right, right.
So so what you saw in the what did you
(11:12):
exactly find in the in the trunk was like just
papers writings.
Speaker 2 (11:18):
Yes, I I in the trunk. I found the letters
that my grandfather had written to his wife, Susan about
life on the vasa and things that were happening.
Speaker 1 (11:30):
Uh.
Speaker 2 (11:30):
There were newspaper articles that came out after a physician
that was working on the island came back and kind
of read it on them, and so the New York
Times and a variety of other things ran big exposed,
as you know, the slavery still you know, exist on
the vasa and all this kind of stuff.
Speaker 1 (11:49):
Uh.
Speaker 2 (11:49):
And so uh, you know, my grandfather was kind of
left the sole survivor, if you will, uh, you know,
defending their actions. And so you know, he was saying
one thing in the press, and I had the press clippings,
and he was saying other things to his wife about
how horrible it was and that was the way things were,
That's the his his explanation was that's the nature of
(12:11):
the world.
Speaker 1 (12:12):
So on some level, Archibald also became a victim. Yeah,
but should we But should we view him that way?
Is it is a victim?
Speaker 2 (12:24):
Or is Archibald had Archibald he a transition that was
really quite remarkable. And Archibald Sterling is a is a
real man and he he started off you know, the
height of society. Uh. And when he saw what the
court systems were doing to uh black Americans uh and
(12:47):
poor in general. Uh, he had a true conversion in life.
And that conversion was uh uh developed in uh pretty
tragic situations in terms of you know, attempts on his life.
His home was burned to the ground by the KKK
uh and so but this transformation uh is really the
(13:09):
result of his relationship with two black attorneys, the first
one being Ever Wearing, who is really an unsung black
hero that many people don't know about. But he was
in fact the first Maryland black attorney to pass the
bar and he was indeed the first black to present
a case in front of the Supreme Court.
Speaker 1 (13:33):
Yeah, that's crazy.
Speaker 2 (13:35):
And he had a he had a significant impact on
ARCHIBALLL Sterling.
Speaker 1 (13:40):
So on some level. Well in this and I'm not
thinking about today's age where a lot of times are
like if you're a certain way at one time. That's it,
you know how they just got you can't you can't
change grow. You and I have lived long enough, we
know you can change and grow. You can have one
opinion at one point and.
Speaker 2 (13:58):
That absolutely yeah. Yeah, And you have to and you
have to remember people. And I try to have a
little more compassionate grace for understanding my great grandfather. But
he was a man of his times.
Speaker 1 (14:13):
Yeah, yeah, I tried.
Speaker 2 (14:15):
He was born in eighteen sixty.
Speaker 1 (14:16):
Yeah right, you know right. I tried to explain to
my grandkids because I have some older relatives who don't
like being called black. They still say color it's and
I had to tell them. I told them basically what
you just said. I go, They're born of a certain
time where color was actually good, you know, in a sense,
(14:41):
I goes. They got to that. They went from the
one word all the way to so anything after that
with afro and I no, yeah, we went to all
this stuff in the seventies eight. They're just like, we're
not we're not black, we are colored, and it's like,
you know, and I had explained to them, I said,
it's a time period thing. So you just said that.
I actually started to say, so I said, you have
to give am grace because like that's kind of what
(15:01):
they Whether you call yourself that or not, that doesn't matter.
It's like they still call themselves this thing, and it's
kind of of that time period, and you know, you
just you can't. It's hard to change older people when
they've been conditioned a certain way. I think it's nice,
but but people can change.
Speaker 2 (15:20):
I'm a pretty old dude, so you know, come on.
Speaker 1 (15:24):
I'm getting old. I'm older. I'm older and it's had
a birthday and I'm like, how old am I again?
Oh my god?
Speaker 2 (15:29):
Well I'm I bet I'm twenty years older than you are.
Speaker 1 (15:33):
Maybe I'm close to sixty.
Speaker 2 (15:36):
I'm eighty two.
Speaker 1 (15:38):
Then we are okay, there we are. There you go, yeah, yeah,
there you go. But we both understand. We both be
around a long time to know that certain things are
certain things. I mean nothing, nothing is black and white.
I know there. I mean there's all that. People are
shades of gray, and I and I and I. As
I've gotten older, when I was younger, when I was
a hot head, I don't trust nobody. I don't care.
(15:59):
But you know, you live some life, right, Jerry. He
learns that you learn to go. Okay, well, you know
that's good. But I think it's interesting in the story,
just going back to the story that he's affected also
for for his choices that he's making. So so people
read it, I wouldn't they'll think, you know, he said,
you may think, well, it's karma, that's what he gets,
(16:21):
blah blah blah. Or you may feel he is a
victim too because he has changed. So I think it's
gonna be interesting for readers to read this and they
could come up to their own club.
Speaker 2 (16:31):
Well. In fact, as they read, they'll find that he
reaches different points within the book where he acknowledges his
own complacency, you know, as part of uh being involved
in perpetuating his system.
Speaker 1 (16:44):
Right, And you said, you kind of blindly go along
with what society is doing sometimes and then you and
and for some of us, it may be something small,
you know. I mean, for a while everybody was into
thigh masters. I don't know, I'm just thinkingthing. Everybody's into
something later it doesn't work, or are you know we
all smoked. I smoked back in this in the eighties.
I was smoking to you and then you find it's
bad for you, like this is like, I just feel
(17:05):
like there's some things that you know, you you were
born into, but you kind of have to learn out
of it. You kind of have to have to like
yeah right, yeah, it ware for you for being eighty two.
I'll give you point. You look great for eighteen. Number one.
Just number one. Now, I hope like half it's good
to you in another year.
Speaker 2 (17:23):
So but well, you know, I I taught full time
that that your college up until last year. So I
was a full time professor up to the age of eighty.
And I say, that's what kept me young.
Speaker 1 (17:37):
Wow, that's amazing. But I would say for you, you've
seen your own racial stuff go through in your age
two years. Also you just.
Speaker 2 (17:44):
Said, oh, you bet, you bet, you know, that's.
Speaker 1 (17:48):
Just that's a man. It's amazing. So we had But
the other other part of this big story is Henry
Jones and and this whole and you know, and the
uprising whole thing of like we've had enough, take this
job and shove it kind of thing, like we had enough.
In historic he talked about He talked about Henry a
little more well.
Speaker 2 (18:10):
Henry came off of a tobacco farm in eastern Maryland,
moved into the city, uh and was looking for work.
Strangely enough, his his mother ended up going to work
for as a house maid. Uh paid housemaid, I should pay,
(18:30):
I'd point out, uh to Archibald Sterling. And the relationship is
kind of interesting because Archibald Sterling's nanny was his housemaid's
mother and she was a slave a come, so there
was a relationship. So there was a relationship there that
was actually very close.
Speaker 1 (18:52):
Yeah, I'll say it's always all intertwined. It was all intertwined, yes, yes, wine,
But you know, we have him the rovers that the
other half of the other side of this, and you know,
and for the reader to be like, Okay, what's gonna
happen to him? Like that's I guess that's the whole thing.
Read the book of.
Speaker 2 (19:10):
Course, you know, he he admits that he did in
fact commit the crime. He yep. Uh, but uh, you know,
archiball thought it was probably extatuating circumstances of you know,
why he committed the crime.
Speaker 1 (19:24):
Uh.
Speaker 2 (19:25):
But a but a white jury, uh, including one black juror,
uh saw it another way. And so they they were
they were hoping that an appeals court or jury would
overthrow the conviction. None of the jury really wanted to
do the conviction, but they understood they'd all be hung.
Speaker 1 (19:46):
God, it's right, right. And here's the thing. We say
the crime, but it's it's in quote, so to speak
like that. It's like, you know, the crime was what
was happening now the crime? You know, right, that was
the crime. Yeah, just trying to change that. That's but
(20:07):
the eyes of the law at the time, it was
a crime to do that, right. And there's so many
layers to this story. That's why I like why I
like to study in this book. And so there's way
layers to it.
Speaker 2 (20:18):
It is a multi layer, a lot of little side
stories that all tie it together. Yeah, I'm very proud
of the book.
Speaker 1 (20:25):
Oh you should be. No, I know you should be.
And it's funny you're bringing this out, not funny, but
just like it's interesting you're bringing it out in current times.
I think it's very timely that you're bringing out to
current I mean, yeah, so what I thought about that
as you were writing a book and put it together, like, Okay,
I'll bring it out now in twenty twenty six and
(20:46):
our country is divided as ever.
Speaker 2 (20:48):
Yeah, yeah, it took me three years to put it
all together, even though I had a lot of documentation.
In fact, if you look at the actual book, this
has something most fiction books don't have. It as a answered,
the bibliography of research. That's the academic academic of course.
Speaker 1 (21:08):
Right right.
Speaker 2 (21:09):
Uh, But if anybody really was to dig into I've
given them all the source of all my source data
for the most part. Uh and uh, a little bit
of insight as to what I got from my my grandfather. Uh.
I've actually put together any library presentation that I'm going
around libraries now, I'm actually giving presentations on the story
behind the story and uh, you know, and basically, uh, yeah,
(21:33):
outing my great grandfather for the most part.
Speaker 1 (21:36):
Let me let me ask you this, Jerry. Then any
family members upset about it.
Speaker 2 (21:42):
No, Surprisingly, although not heard from the ball, I had
part of the luxury of being one of the last survivors.
But OK, yeah, yeah, but I have some cousins that
have kind of raised their eyebrows at me.
Speaker 1 (21:57):
I'm like the older but the older relatives it might be,
I'm like, hmm, well, they're gonna say anything to you
because you chose that. I mean, you chose that, So
that's very interesting. But Yeah, that's that's good though. I
think as well stories as be told today because you know,
past become prologue. We don't need anything like this happening.
People thinking, but it can.
Speaker 2 (22:19):
Uh no, only can it's being planned Yea, yeah.
Speaker 1 (22:26):
Yeah it is. That's That's kind of the point, folks.
I'm like, come on, anybody, these are stories, you know.
And also, I mean, here's the thing, and I applaud
you for this because there's so many stories out there
they're just not told for whatever reason. Just not just
whatever reason we're not told. So what was the driving
(22:48):
force for you to get this particular story out there?
Speaker 2 (22:53):
Well, because it's been with me for so long, number one,
and I've had a pretty extensive Uh. I don't want
to put an engagement, if you will, with the black community,
you know, all the way back from youth.
Speaker 1 (23:08):
Uh.
Speaker 2 (23:09):
You know, my friends in high school were you know,
black and white. Uh and uh uh. The fact that
I was a disco volunteer and black communities in Baltimore
for six years, uh and things of that nature.
Speaker 1 (23:21):
Uh.
Speaker 2 (23:22):
You know, I felt an obligation and the fact that
I at Morgan State University was gracious enough. I was
a terrible undergraduate student to give me a shot, you
get my master's degree. Yeah yeah, and so eternally grateful
because of that.
Speaker 1 (23:37):
Yeah yeah yeah, uh not almost the great students all
the time, you know. But we make it through. We do.
We make it through. It's fine, which is what said
Irony as became a professor later and all this stuff.
So you know, sometimes school is just it's for some people,
it's a little different than others. That's all it is, right, Yeah,
that's all I say. It is it is, But that's glad.
(23:57):
I'm glad that you say you decided to put this out.
I think I like historical fiction stories because they that
also have that are realism in them too, that are
that I have real story in there, ripped from the
headlines in the past. I think those I think more
of those and flood the markets and more of that
stuff that these generations can learn about it. I mean,
(24:19):
it's I mean, it's I mean just.
Speaker 2 (24:22):
Yeah. I have three more books planned and are all
in the same vein. Uh. They basically written around real events.
Speaker 1 (24:29):
Oh, I love that. I like that. I like that. Yes,
it's yeah, it's just it's just rare. It's just again,
it's very important to tell these stories. The stories are
out there, and that's your legacy that you can say
I put out these stories that I can make a
difference about the past, you know, with the past, our
checkered past, because of all the time stuff like this.
This is not just a Black history lesson, It's an
(24:50):
American history lesson, right.
Speaker 2 (24:52):
Sure, absolutely, absolutely, yeah. Yeah. I've written several books in
the past. They've all been political in nature, and this
is the first one that I've attempted that fell into
the uh fiction category uh in which I actually love writing.
So it's the creative side of pulling it together and
(25:13):
making it real is a great deal of fun.
Speaker 1 (25:16):
Yeah yeah, oh yeah. Were there any was there any
part of this story that, like super surprised you it
could be a good way or.
Speaker 2 (25:27):
About yes, yeah, yes, yeah, yeah. I think the thing
of really super science. Once I really got into digging,
I teamed up with a doctor Medley at George Mason
University of Washington, d C. Who actually did some research
on the Bass Island, and he and I shared notes
and uh findings, uh and uh. I did not really
(25:48):
know the full story about James A. Woodward, who was
my great grandfather and but Medley had uncovered all the
real stuff. And so I had seen inklings of it
but didn't really know, and he was able to really
put it together.
Speaker 1 (26:02):
Uh.
Speaker 2 (26:03):
And so uh, James A. Woolmer was a character in
and of himself and that uh. He wasn't an American
citizen at the time. He was British.
Speaker 1 (26:12):
Uh.
Speaker 2 (26:13):
And he earned his American citizenship by becoming an American
spy during the Spanish American War. He was on the
Basket Island. He was in a position to go to
Cuba and spy on the Spanish Ramata. So not only
was he a racist, he was a spy and a
trader to his nation.
Speaker 1 (26:33):
Some color people in your past family, Wow, that's amazing.
Speaker 2 (26:41):
But at any rate, so uh, President mckintley gave him
his citizenship for being a spy. Hm.
Speaker 1 (26:49):
That's like that's he that that's you have some like
you have some colorful folks. Yes, yes you do. He
come far by interesting family will say that.
Speaker 2 (27:02):
Yes.
Speaker 1 (27:03):
Men, Oh my god, I'm be curious about the women
they were with that were with them, Like, what are they?
What were they thinking? Day?
Speaker 2 (27:10):
They had to be pretty tough. They had to be
pretty tough.
Speaker 1 (27:13):
I think yeah, I think so. Oh my goodness, that's
that's a lot folks. Wow there showing defense. Historical legal
thriller based on your trial is out.
Speaker 2 (27:26):
It's September first, Yeah, it comes out actually August thirty first.
I think it's available on Amazon and in September first.
Everywhere else it's open for pre order. You can you
can pre order it now if you want to pre
order the book, I suggest going to Barnes and Noble
if you want to do Amazon for the e book
(27:47):
that's available now, but they're not doing the pre order
on the printed copies yet. But everybody else is that
I'm aware of. I would really appreciate anybody buy a
copy the e book. It's it's good reading.
Speaker 1 (28:00):
Yeah, Jacky, it's Gerald Patton. Thanks for being on the show.
When you get your next book out of when you
have to come back on, I want to know about
that one too.
Speaker 2 (28:07):
I want to absolutely come back on.
Speaker 1 (28:11):
And where can they follow you? They want to follow
you and your your exploits.
Speaker 2 (28:15):
Well, I do have a website where my author website.
If they go to h T T P S you
know the dots and slashes, uh pat Node Media p
A T N O d E media dot com takes
your rate to my books. Uh. And I also have
another website. It's g R patnode dot com.
Speaker 1 (28:40):
Okay, I'm right now. I'll put them in the show
notes people, so you can go there and you want
to talk to heal what's more going on? Uh? And
maybe maybe he'll come to a library near you. I
think you know you say you're doing some library to
our kind of.
Speaker 2 (28:52):
You're saying, if you've got some libraries out there, they're
looking for a program. I love coming in and doing
a program. Uh. No commitment the to buy books. Uh.
In fact, go to do my precientations. I do not
bring books to side. I give them little cards with
a QR code, and if they were to buy it,
don't feel obligated. They have to do it under pressure.
Here's your QR code. Please buy it if you like.
Speaker 1 (29:14):
See he's ready for folks. He knows how he does
how to do this. You know how to do this.
He's doing it. He is doing it. Go meet in person,
do it, hire him, Come on, bring him in. There's
some great libraries out there doing programming. Added to your programming.
So added to your programming, everybody. I'm James Jr. And
uh in between pages on all the student source platforms
(29:36):
from Apple, Google, not Google, Apple, Audible, iHeartRadio, Spotify, and
all the others. We're also on the granddaddy of them all,
YouTube at jail J Media. You can follow us there.
And again I said, I'll put the show notes where
you can find him in the books. And again, as
we'll tell everybody you know. On this channel, we showcase
books of all kinds, and we're so happy to have
(29:58):
the variety that we do. Books like this are historic,
they're important, they add value. So learn some history, but
also get a good book to read. So, like I
was saying, this book, put it in your backpack, put
it whatever, take it with you on the plane, whatever,
and read it and you'll get to get you'll get
a history lesson, but also you'll get a good legal
(30:20):
thriller at the same time, Right, Jerry
It is in between pages of James Lodd Junior. And
we're gonna get in between something a page some pages
of a book that I made jokes, a light read.
It's not like read at all, called The Sterling Defense,
the historical legal thriller based on a true trial. So
I'm gonna introduce my guests first, and then what's about
the book? And I and I and we're gonna find
(00:30):
out why this story resonated, resonated with him, he's like
putting it out and learn learn a little about him too.
How many welcome Jerry Patnode. And you're also a junior, junior?
I am, indeed I'm a junior. Also I always ask
other juniors, just because I always do this, what does
it mean anything to you to be a junior? Does
(00:51):
it mean anything to you?
Speaker 2 (00:52):
Yeah? Because senior was a pretty terrific guy.
Speaker 1 (00:54):
Okay, very good. I like that. What is what is
one trait you think you got from him?
Speaker 2 (01:02):
Tenacity?
Speaker 1 (01:05):
I can say, meet to you. I guess my father, Yes,
that same thing, just yeah, just yeah.
Speaker 2 (01:10):
By My father never graduated high school. My mother finished
eighth grade. I grew up in Baltimore City. Uh, I
was poor, but I didn't know it's poor until after
I got out of the city.
Speaker 1 (01:23):
One of those things. Yeah, yeah, just grow up. How
you grow up? You don't know anything, like you know, right,
it's time, that's right, that's very cool. So, yes, it's
it's And I know most parents want us to want
us to surpass them anyway. So you've done that. That's good.
Speaker 2 (01:37):
I have. I've been very fortunate.
Speaker 1 (01:38):
Yeah, so I'm education wise, Okay, So I'm going to read,
so folks don't want to read to you first. If
you're watching. That's part of the cover of the book.
You see. It's very startling picture. I'm going to read
what they have on Amazon, and then we're gonna get
into it because I want to give them away. Get
my voice together. Yeah, I've tried to do is for you? Do?
Is justice for you? Gerald? Here we go and the
(02:03):
tagline is he took the case no one wanted. Now
the system wants them destroyed. Baltimore, which you know I
have sole on this channel. We have a lot of
Baltimoreans on this channel. It's kind of funny. Jerry's a
whole bunch. I work with a lot of Baltimorians, a
lot of Baltimoreans and Los Angeles on here too, So
it's very winning. Back to the story Baltimore, eighteen eighty nine.
(02:24):
Archibald Sterling is a man of wealth, power, and shake
of a reputation until the day he agrees to defend
a condemned man. Henry Jones, the son of his housemaid,
stands accused of leading a deadly uprising Navasa Island where
black laborers were driven beyond endurance. The vert is all
but certain, the sentence death. What begins as an act
(02:48):
of compassion becomes something far more dangerous. As Sterling digs deeper,
he discovers the truth is far more dangerous than the crime.
It isn't a tragedy, It's a system, one built on
forced labor, violence and silence. The truth isn't justice, it's indictment,
(03:11):
and once Sterling sees it, he becomes his next target.
One by one, everything is stripped away, his career, his family,
his safety. The threats escalate, the attacks turned personal. The
message is unmistakable, walk away or be destroyed, but Sterling refuses.
(03:38):
That's the book, folks. What do you think so far?
How did I do? Jerry?
Speaker 2 (03:43):
Well? Well, let me let me tell you a little
bit about how this book came about.
Speaker 1 (03:51):
Okay, sure, go right ahead, Okay.
Speaker 2 (03:55):
It came about with a visit to my grandmother's attic
and the discovery of a steamer trunk that belonged to
my great grandfather, who was in fact complicit in the
Vasa Island. Oh. This was at the age of fifteen.
It haunted me for years. It was a story that
(04:16):
had to be told. I would say that eighty five
percent of this book is accurate. Fifteen percent is fiction.
Speaker 1 (04:25):
Yeah, well, the name change was that it No, the
names were not changed. The names are real. Cell what
parts what's the what's the parts that's not well.
Speaker 2 (04:36):
Understanding Archibald's family life, I do reimagine what his family is.
I knew that he lost everything, but there was very
little historically about it, and so I had to can
imagine what that life was like, uh, and what he
had to go through and what she was kind of
like in terms of willing to leave under the circumstances.
Speaker 1 (04:58):
And so.
Speaker 2 (05:00):
His son is real, but in the real case, his
son was actually a practicing attorney with him and worked
with his case. The two black attorneys that are prominent
in this book are real and in fact, wearing the
every Wearing was the very first black attorney to gain
(05:22):
access to presenting in front of the Supreme Court. And he,
in facts presented this case in front of the Supreme Court.
Speaker 1 (05:31):
Wow, so there's some reality here. I mean I knew
his reality, but saying but this.
Speaker 2 (05:35):
Really these are there's a lot of There's a lot
of reality. The one black law partner is a conglomeration
of black attorneys I have known.
Speaker 1 (05:46):
I like that. I like that as a good writer
would do. Of course, Yes, now you said you were
fifteen when you found the stewer drunk. Yep, and me
answer this question at fifteen it was only a few
years ago at fifteen, could you comprehend like everything you found?
(06:08):
Did it come to you kind of later what you found?
Speaker 2 (06:12):
I knew that he was a superintendent on the Vasa Island.
I did not realize the implications of what in the
Vasa Island was really about until years later. And he
was the superintendent that took over from the superintendents that
were murdered. And so you know, I would like to
have believed that, oh he helped make conditions a little better.
(06:34):
I found out that he carried on the traditions. Unfortunately,
how does that?
Speaker 1 (06:40):
Okay, So as a white person looking back at their past, sure,
how did that? How did that? How to make you feel?
I guess, I mean, I said stuck with you said
it stuck with you? But like, how did it make
you feel?
Speaker 2 (06:56):
It bothered me? Let me use you some background that
you may not know. I am also a I am
also a graduate of Morgan State University.
Speaker 1 (07:03):
Okay, okay, okay, okay.
Speaker 2 (07:06):
I have a master's degree in business there. I was
a DISCA volunteer for years working with Black Enterprise and
UH in Baltimore City for about four or five years.
Uh and uh. And I grew up in a segregated
Baltimore and Baltimore school system.
Speaker 1 (07:21):
Okay, okay, okay, So you have them in the fifties,
So I will say, so you know black folks even
around there, I do. I mean, and Baltimore of course
is a large obviously black population, but uh, there's also
a large white population there too, So there's both. Yes,
So that's okay. So but so that so that even
actually makes me want to reinforce the question you because
(07:43):
lah wats go, Well, my family didn't do anything in
those situations where you found out a member of your
family did.
Speaker 2 (07:49):
Yes.
Speaker 1 (07:50):
Yeah, so that must that must have just kind of
like just touch at your heartstrings at some low of like, wow,
this is kind of crazy about your.
Speaker 2 (07:56):
Great quay right, well, it does a little bit. And
and and I had the and I had the privilege
of knowing him for a short period of time. I
mean I was I was four years old when he died,
but I do remember him and a big handlebar mustache
and everything else that he had. Yeah, but uh, you know,
to me, he was just a kind of white guy.
Speaker 1 (08:20):
I know, it is my grandfather, I know, yeah, I
know how those are. Yes, you know detail just know
that's the grand you know, you know as you know that.
Speaker 2 (08:27):
And of course my grandmother being his daughter, idolized and
thought he could.
Speaker 1 (08:31):
Do no funny. Yes, I understand that. I understand that
I had the privilege of knowing, uh, to my great
grandmother's So I was like, that's a that's a rare
thing that that happened. So I know that is so. Yes,
And he said, Baltimore rich history. You know, it's I mean,
(08:52):
it's Baltimore considered, It's considered the East, is it. It's
considered part of the East.
Speaker 2 (08:56):
Yeah, absolutely, absolutely, yeah, and you know it was. It
was a conflicted city, I mean, and during the Civil
War it was both North and South sentiments.
Speaker 1 (09:05):
Uh.
Speaker 2 (09:06):
After the war, Baltimore became a central hub for black enterprise,
black achievement. Uh and all the way up to uh
when the Supreme Court decided that separate but equal was okay,
Baltimore was a thriving, integrated society.
Speaker 1 (09:22):
Uh.
Speaker 2 (09:22):
And that that Supreme Court destroyed it.
Speaker 1 (09:25):
I know, you don't. You don't realize that there's like
so many like it was working for you guys, was
actually working and it was. Yeah, that's kind I mean,
so when you when you think of you know, like
like this book. We'll get to the book, but I'm
just kind of curious because of your background. And I
grew up in a I grew up on a mixed
race families, and my kids are mixed race and the
(09:46):
whole whole thing. So I grew up with both sides
of having a white family and a black family. We
had both right as one of those things, where for
me it was just that's uncle so and so, that's
cousin of so and so. Like you know about racism
and I've had it from other people, but like in
my family and my neighborhood were all pretty integrated. My
mother comes from New York where it was pretty integrated.
So for you, you grew up pretty integrate yourself, I
(10:09):
mean as something. Yeah, So aren't these kind of stories
It's like, I mean, they're just they must just they
must just hit you a certain way, like because you
don't see things the way some people see things, So
it must be interesting for you to bring these stories
out to the light.
Speaker 2 (10:26):
Well, I think it's important to bring it out to light.
Speaker 1 (10:28):
The uh.
Speaker 2 (10:30):
And like I said, I felt very strongly about what
happened in Navasa. Yeah, let's not sugarcoat this. What happened
is at one hundred and thirty black men were enticed
to go to work for the Nevasa phosphate company in Baltimore,
taken to a Caribbean island, and re enslaved in eighteen ninety.
Speaker 1 (10:47):
Yeah. Horrible, that's just horrible.
Speaker 2 (10:49):
It is horrible.
Speaker 1 (10:51):
It's like you just that's yeah. Yeah. When I heard that,
I was like, wow, that's a trip because that's so late,
because simily was over so that was so late in
the game. It was like we almost a ninth almost
were almost a nineteen hundred almost on the turn right, right.
So so what you saw in the what did you
(11:12):
exactly find in the in the trunk was like just
papers writings.
Speaker 2 (11:18):
Yes, I I in the trunk. I found the letters
that my grandfather had written to his wife, Susan about
life on the vasa and things that were happening.
Speaker 1 (11:30):
Uh.
Speaker 2 (11:30):
There were newspaper articles that came out after a physician
that was working on the island came back and kind
of read it on them, and so the New York
Times and a variety of other things ran big exposed,
as you know, the slavery still you know, exist on
the vasa and all this kind of stuff.
Speaker 1 (11:49):
Uh.
Speaker 2 (11:49):
And so uh, you know, my grandfather was kind of
left the sole survivor, if you will, uh, you know,
defending their actions. And so you know, he was saying
one thing in the press, and I had the press clippings,
and he was saying other things to his wife about
how horrible it was and that was the way things were,
That's the his his explanation was that's the nature of
(12:11):
the world.
Speaker 1 (12:12):
So on some level, Archibald also became a victim. Yeah,
but should we But should we view him that way?
Is it is a victim?
Speaker 2 (12:24):
Or is Archibald had Archibald he a transition that was
really quite remarkable. And Archibald Sterling is a is a
real man and he he started off you know, the
height of society. Uh. And when he saw what the
court systems were doing to uh black Americans uh and
(12:47):
poor in general. Uh, he had a true conversion in life.
And that conversion was uh uh developed in uh pretty
tragic situations in terms of you know, attempts on his life.
His home was burned to the ground by the KKK
uh and so but this transformation uh is really the
(13:09):
result of his relationship with two black attorneys, the first
one being Ever Wearing, who is really an unsung black
hero that many people don't know about. But he was
in fact the first Maryland black attorney to pass the
bar and he was indeed the first black to present
a case in front of the Supreme Court.
Speaker 1 (13:33):
Yeah, that's crazy.
Speaker 2 (13:35):
And he had a he had a significant impact on
ARCHIBALLL Sterling.
Speaker 1 (13:40):
So on some level. Well in this and I'm not
thinking about today's age where a lot of times are
like if you're a certain way at one time. That's it,
you know how they just got you can't you can't
change grow. You and I have lived long enough, we
know you can change and grow. You can have one
opinion at one point and.
Speaker 2 (13:58):
That absolutely yeah. Yeah, And you have to and you
have to remember people. And I try to have a
little more compassionate grace for understanding my great grandfather. But
he was a man of his times.
Speaker 1 (14:13):
Yeah, yeah, I tried.
Speaker 2 (14:15):
He was born in eighteen sixty.
Speaker 1 (14:16):
Yeah right, you know right. I tried to explain to
my grandkids because I have some older relatives who don't
like being called black. They still say color it's and
I had to tell them. I told them basically what
you just said. I go, They're born of a certain
time where color was actually good, you know, in a sense,
(14:41):
I goes. They got to that. They went from the
one word all the way to so anything after that
with afro and I no, yeah, we went to all
this stuff in the seventies eight. They're just like, we're
not we're not black, we are colored, and it's like,
you know, and I had explained to them, I said,
it's a time period thing. So you just said that.
I actually started to say, so I said, you have
to give am grace because like that's kind of what
(15:01):
they Whether you call yourself that or not, that doesn't matter.
It's like they still call themselves this thing, and it's
kind of of that time period, and you know, you
just you can't. It's hard to change older people when
they've been conditioned a certain way. I think it's nice,
but but people can change.
Speaker 2 (15:20):
I'm a pretty old dude, so you know, come on.
Speaker 1 (15:24):
I'm getting old. I'm older. I'm older and it's had
a birthday and I'm like, how old am I again?
Oh my god?
Speaker 2 (15:29):
Well I'm I bet I'm twenty years older than you are.
Speaker 1 (15:33):
Maybe I'm close to sixty.
Speaker 2 (15:36):
I'm eighty two.
Speaker 1 (15:38):
Then we are okay, there we are. There you go, yeah, yeah,
there you go. But we both understand. We both be
around a long time to know that certain things are
certain things. I mean nothing, nothing is black and white.
I know there. I mean there's all that. People are
shades of gray, and I and I and I. As
I've gotten older, when I was younger, when I was
a hot head, I don't trust nobody. I don't care.
(15:59):
But you know, you live some life, right, Jerry. He
learns that you learn to go. Okay, well, you know
that's good. But I think it's interesting in the story,
just going back to the story that he's affected also
for for his choices that he's making. So so people
read it, I wouldn't they'll think, you know, he said,
you may think, well, it's karma, that's what he gets,
(16:21):
blah blah blah. Or you may feel he is a
victim too because he has changed. So I think it's
gonna be interesting for readers to read this and they
could come up to their own club.
Speaker 2 (16:31):
Well. In fact, as they read, they'll find that he
reaches different points within the book where he acknowledges his
own complacency, you know, as part of uh being involved
in perpetuating his system.
Speaker 1 (16:44):
Right, And you said, you kind of blindly go along
with what society is doing sometimes and then you and
and for some of us, it may be something small,
you know. I mean, for a while everybody was into
thigh masters. I don't know, I'm just thinkingthing. Everybody's into
something later it doesn't work, or are you know we
all smoked. I smoked back in this in the eighties.
I was smoking to you and then you find it's
bad for you, like this is like, I just feel
(17:05):
like there's some things that you know, you you were
born into, but you kind of have to learn out
of it. You kind of have to have to like
yeah right, yeah, it ware for you for being eighty two.
I'll give you point. You look great for eighteen. Number one.
Just number one. Now, I hope like half it's good
to you in another year.
Speaker 2 (17:23):
So but well, you know, I I taught full time
that that your college up until last year. So I
was a full time professor up to the age of eighty.
And I say, that's what kept me young.
Speaker 1 (17:37):
Wow, that's amazing. But I would say for you, you've
seen your own racial stuff go through in your age
two years. Also you just.
Speaker 2 (17:44):
Said, oh, you bet, you bet, you know, that's.
Speaker 1 (17:48):
Just that's a man. It's amazing. So we had But
the other other part of this big story is Henry
Jones and and this whole and you know, and the
uprising whole thing of like we've had enough, take this
job and shove it kind of thing, like we had enough.
In historic he talked about He talked about Henry a
little more well.
Speaker 2 (18:10):
Henry came off of a tobacco farm in eastern Maryland,
moved into the city, uh and was looking for work.
Strangely enough, his his mother ended up going to work
for as a house maid. Uh paid housemaid, I should pay,
(18:30):
I'd point out, uh to Archibald Sterling. And the relationship is
kind of interesting because Archibald Sterling's nanny was his housemaid's
mother and she was a slave a come, so there
was a relationship. So there was a relationship there that
was actually very close.
Speaker 1 (18:52):
Yeah, I'll say it's always all intertwined. It was all intertwined, yes, yes, wine,
But you know, we have him the rovers that the
other half of the other side of this, and you know,
and for the reader to be like, Okay, what's gonna
happen to him? Like that's I guess that's the whole thing.
Read the book of.
Speaker 2 (19:10):
Course, you know, he he admits that he did in
fact commit the crime. He yep. Uh, but uh, you know,
archiball thought it was probably extatuating circumstances of you know,
why he committed the crime.
Speaker 1 (19:24):
Uh.
Speaker 2 (19:25):
But a but a white jury, uh, including one black juror,
uh saw it another way. And so they they were
they were hoping that an appeals court or jury would
overthrow the conviction. None of the jury really wanted to
do the conviction, but they understood they'd all be hung.
Speaker 1 (19:46):
God, it's right, right. And here's the thing. We say
the crime, but it's it's in quote, so to speak
like that. It's like, you know, the crime was what
was happening now the crime? You know, right, that was
the crime. Yeah, just trying to change that. That's but
(20:07):
the eyes of the law at the time, it was
a crime to do that, right. And there's so many
layers to this story. That's why I like why I
like to study in this book. And so there's way
layers to it.
Speaker 2 (20:18):
It is a multi layer, a lot of little side
stories that all tie it together. Yeah, I'm very proud
of the book.
Speaker 1 (20:25):
Oh you should be. No, I know you should be.
And it's funny you're bringing this out, not funny, but
just like it's interesting you're bringing it out in current times.
I think it's very timely that you're bringing out to
current I mean, yeah, so what I thought about that
as you were writing a book and put it together, like, Okay,
I'll bring it out now in twenty twenty six and
(20:46):
our country is divided as ever.
Speaker 2 (20:48):
Yeah, yeah, it took me three years to put it
all together, even though I had a lot of documentation.
In fact, if you look at the actual book, this
has something most fiction books don't have. It as a answered,
the bibliography of research. That's the academic academic of course.
Speaker 1 (21:08):
Right right.
Speaker 2 (21:09):
Uh, But if anybody really was to dig into I've
given them all the source of all my source data
for the most part. Uh and uh, a little bit
of insight as to what I got from my my grandfather. Uh.
I've actually put together any library presentation that I'm going
around libraries now, I'm actually giving presentations on the story
behind the story and uh, you know, and basically, uh, yeah,
(21:33):
outing my great grandfather for the most part.
Speaker 1 (21:36):
Let me let me ask you this, Jerry. Then any
family members upset about it.
Speaker 2 (21:42):
No, Surprisingly, although not heard from the ball, I had
part of the luxury of being one of the last survivors.
But OK, yeah, yeah, but I have some cousins that
have kind of raised their eyebrows at me.
Speaker 1 (21:57):
I'm like the older but the older relatives it might be,
I'm like, hmm, well, they're gonna say anything to you
because you chose that. I mean, you chose that, So
that's very interesting. But Yeah, that's that's good though. I
think as well stories as be told today because you know,
past become prologue. We don't need anything like this happening.
People thinking, but it can.
Speaker 2 (22:19):
Uh no, only can it's being planned Yea, yeah.
Speaker 1 (22:26):
Yeah it is. That's That's kind of the point, folks.
I'm like, come on, anybody, these are stories, you know.
And also, I mean, here's the thing, and I applaud
you for this because there's so many stories out there
they're just not told for whatever reason. Just not just
whatever reason we're not told. So what was the driving
(22:48):
force for you to get this particular story out there?
Speaker 2 (22:53):
Well, because it's been with me for so long, number one,
and I've had a pretty extensive Uh. I don't want
to put an engagement, if you will, with the black community,
you know, all the way back from youth.
Speaker 1 (23:08):
Uh.
Speaker 2 (23:09):
You know, my friends in high school were you know,
black and white. Uh and uh uh. The fact that
I was a disco volunteer and black communities in Baltimore
for six years, uh and things of that nature.
Speaker 1 (23:21):
Uh.
Speaker 2 (23:22):
You know, I felt an obligation and the fact that
I at Morgan State University was gracious enough. I was
a terrible undergraduate student to give me a shot, you
get my master's degree. Yeah yeah, and so eternally grateful
because of that.
Speaker 1 (23:37):
Yeah yeah yeah, uh not almost the great students all
the time, you know. But we make it through. We do.
We make it through. It's fine, which is what said
Irony as became a professor later and all this stuff.
So you know, sometimes school is just it's for some people,
it's a little different than others. That's all it is, right, Yeah,
that's all I say. It is it is, But that's glad.
(23:57):
I'm glad that you say you decided to put this out.
I think I like historical fiction stories because they that
also have that are realism in them too, that are
that I have real story in there, ripped from the
headlines in the past. I think those I think more
of those and flood the markets and more of that
stuff that these generations can learn about it. I mean,
(24:19):
it's I mean, it's I mean just.
Speaker 2 (24:22):
Yeah. I have three more books planned and are all
in the same vein. Uh. They basically written around real events.
Speaker 1 (24:29):
Oh, I love that. I like that. I like that. Yes,
it's yeah, it's just it's just rare. It's just again,
it's very important to tell these stories. The stories are
out there, and that's your legacy that you can say
I put out these stories that I can make a
difference about the past, you know, with the past, our
checkered past, because of all the time stuff like this.
This is not just a Black history lesson, It's an
(24:50):
American history lesson, right.
Speaker 2 (24:52):
Sure, absolutely, absolutely, yeah. Yeah. I've written several books in
the past. They've all been political in nature, and this
is the first one that I've attempted that fell into
the uh fiction category uh in which I actually love writing.
So it's the creative side of pulling it together and
(25:13):
making it real is a great deal of fun.
Speaker 1 (25:16):
Yeah yeah, oh yeah. Were there any was there any
part of this story that, like super surprised you it
could be a good way or.
Speaker 2 (25:27):
About yes, yeah, yes, yeah, yeah. I think the thing
of really super science. Once I really got into digging,
I teamed up with a doctor Medley at George Mason
University of Washington, d C. Who actually did some research
on the Bass Island, and he and I shared notes
and uh findings, uh and uh. I did not really
(25:48):
know the full story about James A. Woodward, who was
my great grandfather and but Medley had uncovered all the
real stuff. And so I had seen inklings of it
but didn't really know, and he was able to really
put it together.
Speaker 1 (26:02):
Uh.
Speaker 2 (26:03):
And so uh, James A. Woolmer was a character in
and of himself and that uh. He wasn't an American
citizen at the time. He was British.
Speaker 1 (26:12):
Uh.
Speaker 2 (26:13):
And he earned his American citizenship by becoming an American
spy during the Spanish American War. He was on the
Basket Island. He was in a position to go to
Cuba and spy on the Spanish Ramata. So not only
was he a racist, he was a spy and a
trader to his nation.
Speaker 1 (26:33):
Some color people in your past family, Wow, that's amazing.
Speaker 2 (26:41):
But at any rate, so uh, President mckintley gave him
his citizenship for being a spy. Hm.
Speaker 1 (26:49):
That's like that's he that that's you have some like
you have some colorful folks. Yes, yes you do. He
come far by interesting family will say that.
Speaker 2 (27:02):
Yes.
Speaker 1 (27:03):
Men, Oh my god, I'm be curious about the women
they were with that were with them, Like, what are they?
What were they thinking? Day?
Speaker 2 (27:10):
They had to be pretty tough. They had to be
pretty tough.
Speaker 1 (27:13):
I think yeah, I think so. Oh my goodness, that's
that's a lot folks. Wow there showing defense. Historical legal
thriller based on your trial is out.
Speaker 2 (27:26):
It's September first, Yeah, it comes out actually August thirty first.
I think it's available on Amazon and in September first.
Everywhere else it's open for pre order. You can you
can pre order it now if you want to pre
order the book, I suggest going to Barnes and Noble
if you want to do Amazon for the e book
(27:47):
that's available now, but they're not doing the pre order
on the printed copies yet. But everybody else is that
I'm aware of. I would really appreciate anybody buy a
copy the e book. It's it's good reading.
Speaker 1 (28:00):
Yeah, Jacky, it's Gerald Patton. Thanks for being on the show.
When you get your next book out of when you
have to come back on, I want to know about
that one too.
Speaker 2 (28:07):
I want to absolutely come back on.
Speaker 1 (28:11):
And where can they follow you? They want to follow
you and your your exploits.
Speaker 2 (28:15):
Well, I do have a website where my author website.
If they go to h T T P S you
know the dots and slashes, uh pat Node Media p
A T N O d E media dot com takes
your rate to my books. Uh. And I also have
another website. It's g R patnode dot com.
Speaker 1 (28:40):
Okay, I'm right now. I'll put them in the show
notes people, so you can go there and you want
to talk to heal what's more going on? Uh? And
maybe maybe he'll come to a library near you. I
think you know you say you're doing some library to
our kind of.
Speaker 2 (28:52):
You're saying, if you've got some libraries out there, they're
looking for a program. I love coming in and doing
a program. Uh. No commitment the to buy books. Uh.
In fact, go to do my precientations. I do not
bring books to side. I give them little cards with
a QR code, and if they were to buy it,
don't feel obligated. They have to do it under pressure.
Here's your QR code. Please buy it if you like.
Speaker 1 (29:14):
See he's ready for folks. He knows how he does
how to do this. You know how to do this.
He's doing it. He is doing it. Go meet in person,
do it, hire him, Come on, bring him in. There's
some great libraries out there doing programming. Added to your programming.
So added to your programming, everybody. I'm James Jr. And
uh in between pages on all the student source platforms
(29:36):
from Apple, Google, not Google, Apple, Audible, iHeartRadio, Spotify, and
all the others. We're also on the granddaddy of them all,
YouTube at jail J Media. You can follow us there.
And again I said, I'll put the show notes where
you can find him in the books. And again, as
we'll tell everybody you know. On this channel, we showcase
books of all kinds, and we're so happy to have
(29:58):
the variety that we do. Books like this are historic,
they're important, they add value. So learn some history, but
also get a good book to read. So, like I
was saying, this book, put it in your backpack, put
it whatever, take it with you on the plane, whatever,
and read it and you'll get to get you'll get
a history lesson, but also you'll get a good legal
(30:20):
thriller at the same time, Right, Jerry
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