Grand Dragon: D.C. Stephenson and the Ku Klux Klan - Softcover

Lutholtz, M. William

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1557530467 ISBN 13: 9781557530462

Publisher: Purdue University Press, 1993

Synopsis

The Ku Klux Klan reached its height in the 1920s, and nowhere was it as large and politically powerful as in Indiana, where about 30 percent of the native-born white male population were Klansmen. This book explores the career of D. C. Stephenson, grand dragon of the Indiana Klan, his rise to power, and his eventual conviction for second-degree murder in 1925. Grand Dragon traces Stephenson's background, still shrouded in mystery due to Stephenson's own colorful but imaginary accounts of his early years. A political opportunist, Stephenson's rise to power in the Klan was startlingly swift, but so was his fall from grace. Tried in Klan country for the rape and murder of a young government worker, Stephenson was convicted and imprisoned for a crime of which some still consider him innocent. Who was the man who could proclaim with arrogant self-confidence, “I am the law in Indiana,” and how did he and the Ku Klux Klan rise to a position of power unparalleled in other states?

Lutholtz gives a valuable history of the Ku Klux Klan and dispels many misconceptions about the Klan, including the notion that it was only a southern organization targeted solely against black Americans. In the 1920’s, Lutholtz argues, the Klan in Indiana was not “scented with magnolia blossoms and blood”; rather, its hatred was directed toward Catholics, Jews, and non-native Americans. The compelling force in Stephenson’s career was money and political power, not ideology. The cornerstone of Lutholtz’s narration is his account of Stephenson’s trial, for which the 2,347-page court transcript had been missing for thirty years. A model of investigative reporting, Grand Dragon captures the reader with its skillful narration and compelling story. It also raises troubling issues for the modern reader: Was Stephenson guilty of the crime for which he was imprisoned? Why was membership in the Klan so widespread in the 1920s? What are the dangers of charismatic leadership? And why is this disturbing chapter in Indiana history not better known?

About this title

About the Author:

M. William Lutholtz is an editor, writer, and teacher who lives in Indianapolis. He has worked as a corporate publications editor since 1976 and as a freelance writer since 1973. His work has appeared in various newspapers and magazines, including Indianapolis Magazine, Step-By-Step Graphics, CompuServe Magazine, Communication World, and others. He first became interested in the D.C Stephenson case while doing background research for a feature article in 1978.

Review:

“Lutholtz is especially successful in recreating the atmosphere of Indiana in the 1920s and in tracing the rise of Stephenson’s enormous political power.”

Publishers Weekly

“A rich and powerful history of a dark chapter, an intriguing view through the lens of time which provides a haunting illumination of the politics of hate. Lutholtz plumbs the depth of the sinister side of the politics of personal power and the tyrannies of movements of convenience. A chilling period examined in fascinating detail.”

(Tom Cochrun)

“More than just a masterful retelling of the most dramatic trial in Indiana history, this is a riveting narrative of the Indiana Klan during the 1920s. Lutholtz is a diligent researcher and a skillful writer, and his study of one of the state’s most notorious and elusive men is an outstanding achievement. A thorough study of Stephenson and his evil genius has been long overdue. Lutholtz’s book is a triumph of journalistic investigative reporting that is also grounded in the best academic materials on the subject. The story of the Klan and its two-faced leader reads like a murder mystery that, despite most readers knowing the outcome, will keep their interest and the pages turning. Grand Dragon will take its place on the short list of basic books to read for information about the Ku Klux Klan in Indiana in the 1920s”

(Ralph D. Gray)

“This intriguing, informative study is a welcome addition to historical scholarship. Judiciously peeling away layer upon layer of deception and myth, Lutholtz has provided some fascinating insights into Indiana political corruption and the most celebrated criminal trial in Hoosier history. . . . Grand Dragon merits a place in every serious American academic and public library.”

Choice

About this edition

• Publisher: Purdue University Press
• Publication date: 1993
• ISBN 10: 1557530467
• ISBN 13: 9781557530462
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 362