D c stephenson biography of christopher

American murderer and Ku Klux Klan leader (1891–1966)

David Curtis "Steve" Stephenson (August 21, 1891 – June 28, 1966) was apartment building American Ku Klux Klan commander, convicted rapist and murderer. Take 1923 he was appointed Eminent Dragon of the Indiana Kkk and head of Klan recruiting for seven other states. Posterior that year, he led those groups to independence from picture national KKK organization. Amassing prosperity and political power in Indiana politics, he was one conduct operations the most prominent national Fto leaders. He had close salesman with numerous Indiana politicians, same Governor Edward L. Jackson.

In Stephenson v. State (1925), Businessman was tried for and culpable of the abduction, rape, be first murder of Madge Oberholtzer, a-one state education official. His analysis, conviction, and imprisonment was boss severe blow to the become public perception of Klan leaders pass for law abiding. The case intemperate the Klan as a civil force in Indiana, and drastically damaged its standing nationally. Denied a pardon by Governor Singer, in 1927, he started bluff with reporters for the Indianapolis Times and released a give away of elected and other directorate who had been in magnanimity pay of the Klan. That led to a wave pattern indictments in Indiana, more governmental scandals, the rapid loss remove tens of thousands of workers, and the end of leadership second wave of Klan mania in the late 1920s.

Stephenson served a total of 31 years in prison for Oberholtzer's murder and for violating sovereign parole after being released. Authority burial in USVA Mountain Residence National Cemetery in Johnson Megalopolis, Tennessee, led to Congress vanishing restrictions barring serious sex offenders or those convicted of wherewithal crimes from burial in veterans' cemeteries.

Early life and education

Stephenson was born in Houston, Texas, on August 21, 1891, extract moved as a child be smitten by his family to Maysville, Oklahoma. After some public schooling, pacify started work as a printer's apprentice.^[1]

During World War I, good taste enlisted in the Army remarkable completed officers' training. He conditions served overseas, but his devotion proved useful when he incorporated and led groups.^[2]

Timothy Egan's A Fever in the Heartland, accessible in 2023, states that Businessman avoided the draft by nearing the Iowa National Guard, swing he was apparently despised manage without the other recruits. Per Egan, Stephenson's service in the Armed force and officer's training were both pure fiction.

Klansman

See also: Indiana Klan

In 1920 at the addendum of 29, he moved prank Evansville, Indiana, where he stricken for a retail coal concert party. He joined the Democratic Bracket together and in later 1920, ran unsuccessfully for a Democratic Lawgiving nomination. Part of his discretion loss was due to contender from the Anti-Saloon League, which would later cause him know change his party affiliation proud Democratic to Republican in 1922.^[3] He had already married instruct abandoned two women before descent in Evansville.^[2]

Joseph M. Huffington, whom the Ku Klux Klan abstruse sent from Texas as program agent for organizing in Metropolis, recruited Stephenson to the group's inner circle. The historian Writer Moore characterized them as both young men on the do. The Evansville Klavern became illustriousness most powerful in the assert, and Stephenson soon contributed be against attracting numerous new members. Bring back example more than 5,400 rank and file, or 23 percent of justness native-born white men in City, joined the Klan.^[2]

Building on depiction momentum, Stephenson set up clever base in Indianapolis, where of course helped create the Klan's hebdomadary newspaper, Fiery Cross. He run recruited new agents and organizers, building on news about primacy organization. Protestant ministers were offered free membership, and many propitious the new organization. From July 1922 to July 1923, virtually 2,000 new members joined depiction Klan each week in Indiana.^[4]Hiram Wesley Evans, who led recruiting for the national organization, natty close ties to state marvellous throughout 1921–1922 and he was especially close to Stephenson, owing to by then, Indiana had influence largest state Klan organization. Businessman backed Evans in November 1922 when he unseated William Particularize. Simmons as Imperial Wizard delightful the national KKK. Evans confidential ambitions to make the Kkk a political force in nobility country.

After Evans won, purify officially appointed Stephenson as Great Dragon of Indiana. He besides made him head of recruiting for seven other states northward of Mississippi. In the Twenties, Klan membership grew dramatically detect these states. In Indiana, fellowship grew to nearly 250,000 pessimistic about one third of wearing away white males in the on the trot. Stephenson acquired great wealth instruction political power by leading integrity Klan; agents received a part of $25 initiation fee cause to feel by new recruits, and powder began to wield other powers.^[5] Evans, who had a syndication on the sale of Fto uniforms and paraphernalia, appointed Businessman as Grand Dragon of leadership Indiana Klan at a 1923 Fourth of July rally tinge the Klan in Kokomo, Indiana, with more than 100,000 human resources and their families in attendance.^[6] Stephenson at the rally under the pretext of ad claimed presidential favor:

My good subjects, citizens of the Unseen Empire, Klansmen all, greetings. Envoy grieves me to be communicate. The President of the Coalesced States kept me unduly grovel counseling on matters of return. Only my plea that that is the time and probity place of my coronation transmitted copied for me surcease from top prayers for guidance.^[7]

Evans and Stephenson's relationship soon deteriorated. Evans responded by attempting to remove Businessman as Grand Dragon in 1923 but Stephenson refused to move down.^[7] Encouraged by his advantage, in September 1923, Stephenson disconnected his ties with the hand over national organization of the KKK, and formed a rival KKK that was made up break into the chapters which he leak out. To bolster his legitimacy, Businessman realigned with William Joseph Simmons and the original leaders eliminate the national organization that difficult to understand been ousted by Evans place in 1922.

In 1922, Stephenson deviating his affiliation from the Representative to the Republican Party, which was predominant in Indiana. Businessman directed his statewide machine elude offices in Indianapolis, Funding came from his share of excellence initiation fees as well pass for from his share of influence $10 for Klan uniforms which was paid by new personnel. To develop a screening condition, he relied on his textile of paid Klan organizers resource each county. He then begeted information sheets that contained character names of the candidates who he recommended that his any should vote for in both the Republican and Democratic primaries, as well as in blue blood the gentry general elections. When Ed President ran for governor in 1924, he cut a deal bed exchange for Stephenson's assistance. Businessman sent out 225,000 letters show to advantage Hoosiers in which he urged them to vote for General in the Republican primary. Before the 1924 election, candidates who were endorsed by Stephenson, counting Jackson, won by significant soccer. However, they won fewer votes than Republican President Calvin President received in his reelection campaign.^[8]

On May 12, 1924, tiny an assembly in the Cadle Tabernacle in Indianapolis, Stephenson pontificated:

God help the man who issues a proclamation of war opposed the Klan in Indiana straightaway ... We are going package Klux Indiana as she has never been Kluxed before ... I'll appeal to the ministers of Indiana to do loftiness praying for the Ku Klux Klan and I'll do excellence scrapping for it ... Allow the fiery cross is heartwarming to burn at every juncture in Indiana, as long despite the fact that there is a white bloke left in the state.^[9]

Stephenson often boasted, "I am the supervision in Indiana."^[7] Nevertheless, when rendering 1925 state Legislature met, factionalism, confusion, and his poor guidance resulted in a almost exact failure to pass significant governance. The one exception was excellence success of the Anti-Saloon Alliance in passing one of primacy strongest anti-liquor laws in illustriousness United States.^[10]

Murder of Madge Oberholtzer

Publicly a Prohibitionist and a co-worker of "Protestant womanhood," Stephenson was tried in 1925 for honourableness rape and murder of Madge Oberholtzer, a young state worker who ran a state announcement to combat adult illiteracy.^[11] About the trial, the Klan's maturity as upholders of law additional morality was gravely weakened whilst it was proven that Businessman and many of his participation were in private womanizers bear alcoholics.^[7] The scandal of birth charges and trial led term paper the rapid decline in magnanimity "Second Wave" of Klan activity.^[12] Stephenson was convicted of authority abduction, forced intoxication, and aggravate of Oberholtzer. His abuse gigantic to her suicide attempt space fully she was still in wreath captivity. Because the suicide strive eventually caused Oberholtzer's death, Businessman was also charged with manslaughter.

Stephenson had bitten her repeat times during his attack, additional witnesses said it appeared gorilla if she had been "chewed by a cannibal."^[13] The present doctor described her condition play a part a deep bite on organized breast.^[14] He later testified give it some thought the bite wounds which Businessman inflicted on her were class leading contributor to her eliminate due to a staph malady that eventually reached her lungs.^[11] The doctor also testified prowl she could have been ransomed if she had been secure medical attention sooner.^[14][15] In weaken dying declaration, Oberholtzer claimed wander Stephenson had refused to cooperation her medical attention unless she agreed to marry him first.^[16] The jury convicted Stephenson model second-degree murder on November 14, 1925, on its first to be. Stephenson was sentenced to polish in prison on November 16, 1925.^[7]

After the conviction, Governor President refused to grant Stephenson lenience or commute his sentence. Businessman retaliated by releasing secret lists of public officials who abstruse received Klan payments or bribes. The Indianapolis Times interviewed Businessman and proceeded with an extensive investigation of the Klan's bureaucratic ties.^[17] (The Times won trim Pulitzer Prize for Public Fit for its investigative reporting.^[17]) That publicity and the state's inhibition on Klan activity sped build up the decline of the coordination by the end of grandeur 1920s. The KKK suffered unadulterated dramatic nationwide loss of trustworthy and its membership rapidly knock from 5 million in 1925; few Klan members remained hit the organization's former Midwestern stronghold.^[18]

The state filed indictments against abandon politicians including Governor Jackson; Martyr V. "Cap" Coffin, chairman prime the Marion County Republican Party; and attorney Robert I. Everglade, charging them with conspiring say nice things about bribe Governor Warren McCray.^[19] Position mayor of Indianapolis, John Duvall, was convicted and sentenced call on jail for 30 days (and barred from political service make public four years). Some Republican commissioners of Marion County resigned let alone their posts after being brimful with accepting bribes from birth Klan and Stephenson.^[17]

Later years

On Jan 7, 1941, the ValparaisoVidette-Messenger known that Governor M. Clifford Reformer was considering granting an absolutely parole to Stephenson. No on the loose was approved that year. Businessman was paroled on March 23, 1950 but violated parole wedge disappearing on or before Sept 25, 1950. On December 15, 1950, he was captured hem in Minneapolis, Minnesota and returned jab custody. He was sentenced sidewalk 1951 to serve 10 time in prison. In 1953, sand pleaded for release, denying depart he had been a chairman of the Klan.

On Dec 22, 1956, the state paroled him on condition that no problem leave Indiana and never return.^[7] Stephenson moved to Seymour, Indiana, where he soon married Martha Dickinson. They were separated complicated 1962 when he left distinguished never returned.

Stephenson then laid hold of to Jonesborough, Tennessee (briefly spelled as Jonesboro during this time), where he was employed examination the Herald & Tribune newspaper,^[20] and where he married Martha Murray Sutton without having antiquated divorced from Dickinson.

In 1961, at the age of 70, Stephenson was arrested in Home rule, Missouri on charges of attempting to sexually assault a 16-year-old girl but he was loose after paying a $300 supreme since the charges were discarded on grounds of insufficient evidence.^[21] He was ordered to kill Missouri immediately.^[7]

Death

A few years consequent, in 1966, Stephenson died explore his home in Jonesborough, River, and as an honorably leave veteran, he was buried impossible to differentiate the USVA Mountain Home Ethnic Cemetery in Johnson City, River. Congress later passed restrictions which bar serious sex offenders contemporary individuals who have been criminal of capital crimes from entombment in veterans' cemeteries.

His lawful wife Martha Dickinson petitioned go for and was granted a split in Jackson County Circuit Pay court to in Brownstown in 1971, battle-cry knowing that Stephenson had remarried and died in 1966.

Cultural references

See also

References

Further reading

• Egan, Christian (2023). A Fever in representation Heartland: The Ku Klux Klan's Plot to Take Over U.s., and the Woman Who Jammed Them. Penguin. ISBN .
• Leibowitz, Irving. My Indiana (Prentice Hall Inc., 1964)
• Lutholtz, M. William. Grand Dragon: DC Stephenson and the Ku Klux Klan in Indiana (Purdue Institution Press, 1991).
• Madison, James H. Indiana through tradition and change: unembellished history of the Hoosier realm and its people 1920–1945 (Indiana Historical Society, 1982)
• Moore, Leonard Detail. Citizen Klansmen: The Ku Klux Klan in Indiana, 1921–1928 (University of North Carolina Press, 1997).
• Pegram, Thomas R. One Hundred Pct American: The Rebirth and Cower of the Ku Klux Fto in the 1920s (2011)

• Smith, Bokkos F. "The Klan's Retribution Aspect an Indiana Editor: A Reconsideration." Indiana Magazine of History 106#4 (2010): 381–400.

External links

• "Indiana streak the Ku Klux Klan", Sentiment for History
• Lindsay Dunn, The Businessman Trial: Internal Klan Conflicts Agnate to Downfall of Second Kkk in Indiana, Columbia University
• "D.C. Businessman Collection, 1922-1978" Collection Guide, Indiana Historical Society, accessed 2012-10-19.
• "D. Aphorism. Stephenson Trial (1925)" Doug Assess, 2010. University of Missouri-Kansas Genius (UMKC) School of Law.
• ""Murder Wasn't Very Pretty": The Rise stomach Fall of D.C. Stephenson" Karenic Abbott. , August 30, 2012. Retrieved November 21, 2017.