D. C. Stephenson
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Image:D C Stephenson mugshot.jpg
David Curtiss "D.C." Stephenson (August 21, 1891-June 28, 1966) was Grand Dragon of the Indiana Ku Klux Klan, whose conviction for murder led to the end of the second wave of Klan activity. However, he is considered to be one of the most successful Klan leaders ever up until his downfall.
He was born in Houston, Texas, moved with his family to Maysville, Oklahoma, where he worked as a printer's apprentice and was active in the Socialist Party. In 1920 he moved to Evansville, Indiana, where he became a salesman and briefly joined the Democratic Party before changing to Republican and then becoming Grand Dragon of the Indiana Ku Klux Klan in 1922. The position led to the acquisition of great wealth, which he used to support political candidates, notably that of Ed Jackson when he ran (successfully) for governor in 1924.
In a 1923 speech Stephenson proclaimed to a crowd, "My worthy subjects, citizens of the invisible empire, klansmen all, greetings. It grieves me to be late. The President of the United States kept me unduly long counseling on matters of state. Only my plea that this is the time and the place of my coronation obtained for me surcease from his prayers for guidance."
Publicly a Prohibitionist and a defender of "Protestant womanhood", his spectacular 1925 trial and conviction for the abduction and sadistic rape of Madge Oberholtzer, who ran a state program to combat illiteracy and whom Stephenson had bitten so many times that one man who saw her described her condition as having been "chewed by a cannibal" led to the downfall of the "Second Wave" of Klan activity.
As a result of his conviction, Curtis released lists of corrupt public officials who were on the Klan payroll in an act of vengence.
Shortly after his release from jail after serving the Madge Oberholtzer sentence, he was convicted of raping a sixteen year old girl, and returned to prison.
Stephenson died in Jonesborough, Tennessee. He is buried in Johnson City, Tennessee.