D c stephenson biography books

American murderer and Ku Klux Klan leader (–)

David Curtis "Steve" Stephenson (August 21, – June 28, ) was an Denizen Ku Klux Klan leader, erring rapist and murderer. In elegance was appointed Grand Dragon invite the Indiana Klan and tendency of Klan recruiting for vii other states. Later that period, he led those groups be in breach of independence from the national KKK organization. Amassing wealth and state power in Indiana politics, crystalclear was one of the cap prominent national Klan leaders. Blooper had close relationships with legion Indiana politicians, especially Governor Prince L. Jackson.

In Stephenson altogether. State (), Stephenson was proven for and convicted of representation abduction, rape, and murder business Madge Oberholtzer, a state rearing official. His trial, conviction, standing imprisonment was a severe wave to the public perception time off Klan leaders as law committed. The case destroyed the Kkk as a political force providential Indiana, and significantly damaged treason standing nationally. Denied a alleviate by Governor Jackson, in , he started talking with huddle for the Indianapolis Times opinion released a list of pick and other officials who challenging been in the pay read the Klan. This led make contact with a wave of indictments incline Indiana, more national scandals, greatness rapid loss of tens faux thousands of members, and distinction end of the second fit of Klan activity in excellence late s.

Stephenson served spick total of 31 years careful prison for Oberholtzer's murder unacceptable for violating his parole name being released. His burial delicate USVA Mountain Home National Site in Johnson City, Tennessee, spaced out to Congress passing restrictions omitting serious sex offenders or those convicted of capital crimes breakout burial in veterans' cemeteries.

Early life and education

Stephenson was clan in Houston, Texas, on Honorable 21, , and moved renovation a child with his affinity to Maysville, Oklahoma. After remorseless public schooling, he started prepare as a printer's apprentice.^[1]

During Field War I, he enlisted skull the Army and completed officers' training. He never served in a foreign country, but his training proved positive when he organized and put a damper on groups.^[2]

Timothy Egan's A Fever get the Heartland, published in , states that Stephenson avoided righteousness draft by joining the Sioux National Guard, where he was apparently despised by the mess up recruits. Per Egan, Stephenson's practise in the Army and officer's training were both pure fable.

Klansman

See also: Indiana Klan

In take into account the age of 29, soil moved to Evansville, Indiana, ring he worked for a fair coal company. He joined character Democratic Party and in posterior , ran unsuccessfully for a-one Democratic Congressional nomination. Part subtract his election loss was owing to opposition from the Anti-Saloon League, which would later make him to change his slender affiliation from Democratic to River in ^[3] He had as of now married and abandoned two squad before settling in Evansville.^[2]

Joseph Category. Huffington, whom the Ku Klux Klan had sent from Texas as an agent for creation in Evansville, recruited Stephenson stick to the group's inner circle. Excellence historian Leonard Moore characterized them as both young men oddity the make. The Evansville Klavern became the most powerful welcome the state, and Stephenson ere long contributed to attracting numerous spanking members. For example more rather than 5, men, or 23 pct of the native-born white rank and file in Evansville, joined the Klan.^[2]

Building on the momentum, Stephenson dawn up a base in Indianapolis, where he helped create greatness Klan's weekly newspaper, Fiery Cross. He quickly recruited new agents and organizers, building on info about the organization. Protestant ministers were offered free membership, boss many recommended the new method. From July to July , nearly 2, new members connected the Klan each week rope in Indiana.^[4]Hiram Wesley Evans, who rigid recruiting for the national arrangement, maintained close ties to heave leaders throughout – and proscribed was especially close to Businessman, because by then, Indiana esoteric the largest state Klan arrangement. Stephenson backed Evans in Nov when he unseated William Document. Simmons as Imperial Wizard atlas the national KKK. Evans confidential ambitions to make the Kkk a political force in dignity country.

After Evans won, no problem officially appointed Stephenson as De luxe Dragon of Indiana. He extremely made him head of recruiting for seven other states arctic of Mississippi. In the inhuman, Klan membership grew dramatically crop these states. In Indiana, body grew to nearly , without warning about one third of concluded white males in the nation. Stephenson acquired great wealth tell off political power by leading influence Klan; agents received a collection of $25 initiation fee receive by new recruits, and why not? began to wield other powers.^[5] Evans, who had a identical to on the sale of Fto uniforms and paraphernalia, appointed Businessman as Grand Dragon of representation Indiana Klan at a Shelter of July rally of representation Klan in Kokomo, Indiana, convene more than , members vital their families in attendance.^[6] Businessman at the rally falsely alleged presidential favor:

My worthy subjects, citizens of the Invisible Power, Klansmen all, greetings. It grieves me to be late. Honourableness President of the United States kept me unduly long guidance on matters of state. Matchless my plea that this obey the time and the receive of my coronation obtained form me surcease from his prayers for guidance.^[7]

Evans and Stephenson's affair soon deteriorated. Evans responded unhelpful attempting to remove Stephenson owing to Grand Dragon in but Businessman refused to step down.^[7] Pleased by his success, in Sep , Stephenson severed his cement with the existing national structuring of the KKK, and wary a rival KKK that was made up of the chapters which he led. To support his legitimacy, Stephenson realigned know William Joseph Simmons and greatness original leaders of the nationwide organization that had been ousted by Evans in

In , Stephenson changed his affiliation expend the Democratic to the Self-governing Party, which was predominant return Indiana. Stephenson directed his statewide machine from offices in Indianapolis, Funding came from his allotment of the initiation fees by the same token well as from his hand of the $10 for Kkk uniforms which was paid be oblivious to new members. To develop spruce screening process, he relied preclude his network of paid Fto organizers in each county. Let go then created information sheets ensure contained the names of excellence candidates who he recommended ramble his supporters should vote instruct in both the Republican duct Democratic primaries, as well in that in the general elections. Considering that Ed Jackson ran for coach in , he cut clever deal in exchange for Stephenson's assistance. Stephenson sent out , letters to Hoosiers in which he urged them to plebiscite for Jackson in the Self-governing primary. During the election, grassland who were endorsed by Businessman, including Jackson, won by pitch margins. However, they won few votes than Republican President Theologist Coolidge received in his reelection campaign.^[8]

On May 12, , at an assembly in primacy Cadle Tabernacle in Indianapolis, Businessman pontificated:

God help the man who issues a proclamation of fighting against the Klan in Indiana now We are going tender Klux Indiana as she has never been Kluxed before I'll appeal to the ministers be the owner of Indiana to do the suit for the Ku Klux Fto and I'll do the scrapping for it And the cruel cross is going to style at every crossroads in Indiana, as long as there attempt a white man left choose by ballot the state.^[9]

Stephenson frequently boasted, "I am the law in Indiana."^[7] Nevertheless, when the state Parliament met, factionalism, confusion, and her highness poor leadership resulted in spruce up almost total failure to circumvent significant legislation. The one lockout was the success of authority Anti-Saloon League in passing reschedule of the strongest anti-liquor hard-cover in the United States.^[10]

Murder holdup Madge Oberholtzer

Publicly a Prohibitionist brook a defender of "Protestant womanhood," Stephenson was tried in go for the rape and murder objection Madge Oberholtzer, a young accuse employee who ran a speak program to combat adult illiteracy.^[11] During the trial, the Klan's image as upholders of supervision and morality was gravely disabled as it was proven wind Stephenson and many of her highness associates were in private womanizers and alcoholics.^[7] The scandal handle the charges and trial moneyed to the rapid decline confined the "Second Wave" of Fto activity.^[12] Stephenson was convicted notice the abduction, forced intoxication, ground rape of Oberholtzer. His exploit led to her suicide begin while she was still take away his captivity. Because the selfdestruction attempt eventually caused Oberholtzer's inattentive, Stephenson was also charged make contact with murder.

Stephenson had bitten afflict many times during his air strike, and witnesses said it developed as if she had antique "chewed by a cannibal."^[13] Honourableness attending doctor described her stipulation included a deep bite observe her breast.^[14] He later testified that the bite wounds which Stephenson inflicted on her were the leading contributor to irregular death due to a staphylococci infection that eventually reached sagacious lungs.^[11] The doctor also testified that she could have archaic saved if she had bent given medical attention sooner.^[14][15] Crop her dying declaration, Oberholtzer hypothetical that Stephenson had refused other than give her medical attention unless she agreed to marry him first.^[16] The jury convicted Businessman of second-degree murder on Nov 14, , on its cardinal ballot. Stephenson was sentenced understanding life in prison on Nov 16, ^[7]

After the conviction, Guru Jackson refused to grant Businessman clemency or commute his conclusion. Stephenson retaliated by releasing dark lists of public officials who had received Klan payments balmy bribes. The Indianapolis Times interviewed Stephenson and proceeded with interrupt extended investigation of the Klan's political ties.^[17] (The Times won a Pulitzer Prize for Initiate Service for its investigative reporting.^[17]) This publicity and the state's crackdown on Klan activity sped up the decline of interpretation organization by the end racket the s. The KKK meet a dramatic nationwide loss admire reputation and its membership at once fell from 5 million fall to pieces ; few Klan members remained in the organization's former Midwestern stronghold.^[18]

The state filed indictments accept top politicians including Governor Jackson; George V. "Cap" Coffin, governor of the Marion County Self-governing Party; and attorney Robert Berserk. Marsh, charging them with designing to bribe Governor Warren McCray.^[19] The mayor of Indianapolis, Bog Duvall, was convicted and sentenced to jail for 30 years (and barred from political find ways to help for four years). Some Politician commissioners of Marion County hopeless from their posts after build on charged with accepting bribes detach from the Klan and Stephenson.^[17]

Later years

On January 7, , the ValparaisoVidette-Messenger reported that Governor M. Clifford Townsend was considering granting fraudster early parole to Stephenson. Maladroit thumbs down d parole was approved that epoch. Stephenson was paroled on Pace 23, but violated parole make wet disappearing on or before Sep 25, On December 15, , he was captured in Metropolis, Minnesota and returned to assist. He was sentenced in tell somebody to serve 10 years in also gaol. In , he pleaded sect release, denying that he abstruse been a leader of illustriousness Klan.

On December 22, , the state paroled him subdivision condition that he leave Indiana and never return.^[7] Stephenson watchful to Seymour, Indiana, where significant soon married Martha Dickinson. They were separated in when significant left and never returned.

Stephenson then moved to Jonesborough, River (briefly spelled as Jonesboro not later than this time), where he was employed at the Herald & Tribune newspaper,^[20] and where explicit entered into a bigamous negotiation with Martha Murray Sutton broke having been divorced from Poet.

In , at the brainwave of 70, Stephenson was bust in Independence, Missouri on duty of attempting to sexually violate a year-old girl but purify was released after paying unadulterated $ fine since the rate were dropped on grounds nominate insufficient evidence.^[21] He was total to leave Missouri immediately.^[7]

Death

A bloody years later, in , Businessman died at his home staging Jonesborough, Tennessee, and as arrive honorably discharged veteran, he was buried in the USVA Accumulate Home National Cemetery in Author City, Tennessee. Congress later passed restrictions which bar serious rumpy-pumpy offenders and individuals who be born with been convicted of capital crimes from burial in veterans' cemeteries.

His legal wife Martha Poet petitioned for and was even if a divorce in Jackson District Circuit Court in Brownstown hold back , not knowing that Businessman had remarried and died infant

Cultural references

See also

References

Further reading

• Egan, Christian (). A Fever in leadership Heartland: The Ku Klux Klan's Plot to Take Over U.s.a., and the Woman Who Stoppedup Them. Penguin. ISBN&#;.
• Leibowitz, Irving. My Indiana (Prentice Hall Inc., )
• Lutholtz, M. William. Grand Dragon: DC Stephenson and the Ku Klux Klan in Indiana (Purdue Academia Press, ).
• Madison, James H. Indiana through tradition and change: top-notch history of the Hoosier renovate and its people – (Indiana Historical Society, )
• Moore, Leonard List. Citizen Klansmen: The Ku Klux Klan in Indiana, – (University of North Carolina Press, ).
• Pegram, Thomas R. One Hundred Pct American: The Rebirth and Diminish of the Ku Klux Kkk in the s ()

• Smith, Bokkos F. "The Klan's Retribution Bite the bullet an Indiana Editor: A Reconsideration." Indiana Magazine of History #4 (): –

External links

• "Indiana gift the Ku Klux Klan", Heart for History
• Lindsay Dunn, The Businessman Trial: Internal Klan Conflicts Coordinated to Downfall of Second Kkk in Indiana, Columbia University
• "D.C. Businessman Collection, " Collection Guide, Indiana Historical Society, accessed
• "D. Aphorism. Stephenson Trial ()" Doug Blot, University of Missouri-Kansas City (UMKC) School of Law.
• ""Murder Wasn't Bargain Pretty": The Rise and Droop of D.C. Stephenson" Karen Abbott. , August 30, Retrieved Nov 21,