The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1928-05-08
VKTHEN D. c. Stephenson, former

dragon OF Cne hu-hluX Kan
for Indiana and its political dictator
for time, issued from his prison
cell a letter declaring that he had
documents which would prove vast
political corruption, there was a sig
nif1cant silence on the part of Of
flcials and political leaders Of the
Republican party.
Stephenson is in the penitentiary
for the rest of his life. He had been
convicted Of the murder of q girl
under revolving circumstances. He
had not expected to remain in
prison long.
He had elected Governors and
dictated nominations Of all, save
one, of the State officials. He had
boasted, only a few weeks before
his arrest that II am the law in
Indiana"
His letter was sent in q spirit of
reminder to those who had received
his favors that he was getting peev-
iSh at the delay in his deliberations.
That letter, smuggled out by
guards who were later discharged
for this act, started the Indianapolis
Times on the trail of the truth be-
hind his charges.
Official interest was directed in
Suppressing Stephenson. On the
day following the publication, Gov
ernor Ed Jackson refused to give
permission to Times reporters and
to all reporters to visit the prison.
The board in charge Of the prison
met hurriedly at the bedside of a
sick member and brought to light
what was claimed to be a rule for
bidding interviews with prisoners.
The former warden, who had held
office for IA years, denied the exist
ence Of any such regulation.
u q
CILENCE on the part of officials
~ and absence of denials CT the
truth Of the charges seemed to The
Times to be more suspicious than
the letter Of Stephenson, an ad-
venturer who easily would be dis
credited.
There was a hurried visit by an
agent of the Department of Justice,
Jack Maroney, and after the visit
the officials grew cold enough to
deny. The lips of Stephenson had
been closed. Later it has been re-
yealed that he was promised liberty
if he kept still until after election
which was but few months away.
The task of The Times, therefore,
was to unearth the facts and to fol-
low the trail into the past; to pro-
duce indisputable proof of corrup-
ton of elections, of bribes and
threats, of force and fear, by which
a great State had lost its political
birthright.
A FTER the visit of the Federal
"A agent, there were denials that
Stephenson had ever had any docu-
ments, that he had ever given
checks, that he had forced candi-
dates for Office to enter into written
contracts with him under which
they delivered all patronage IN re-
turn for his support.
The power of Stephenson was so
unique as to be beyond the under
standing of those in other States.
He had been a coal salesman in
Evansville until the Ku-Klux Klan
began to organize.
Very soon he had received a con-
tract under which he was named
organizer for twenty-three States.
His percentage of the initiation fees
brought him sums estimated at any
where from two to five millions of
dollars within 18 months.
He was only known to the very
few. To his following he had
adopted the title of '"The Old Man."
under which he was reverenced. He
had his secret service department
which unearthed embarrassing facts
in the private lives of those he
wished to terrify. He had the
alteration of 450,0OO members in IN
diana who believed ir him i'm
plicitly.
He turned that confidence into
political channels and dictated to
the Republican State convention.
y Il
XXTHEN the existence of checks
w and contracts was denied, The
Times discovered a photographer
who, with his wife, had made copies
of checks and contracts while
Stephenson was in jail after his
conviction.
Even then he began to suspect
that those he had put in power
would turn against him. He gave
the originals to a close business as
Socfate.
The photographs, it was later de-
veloped, were turned over to a
trusted henchman. Many of them
were purchased from these men,
who turned traitor to Stephenson.
The chance finding of a note
written by Stephenson disclosed to
The Times that the trustees Of the