Terror in the city of champions
Subtitle: murder, baseball, and the secret society that shocked Depression-era Detroit
By: Tom Stanton
Published: 2016
Language: eng
Number of pages: 327
ISBN-13: 9781493015702
Subjects: Black Legion; Murder; Baseball; Professional sports; History
Description: Detroit 1936: In a city abuzz over its unrivaled sports success, baseball fan Dayton Dean is arrested for murder. Though said to have a childlike intelligence, Dean possesses a vivid memory and a hunger for attention. He gives police a story about a secret Klan-like organization called the Black Legion, responsible for countless murders, floggings, and fire bombings. The Legion has tens of thousands of members in the Midwest, among them politicians and notable citizens--even, possibly, a beloved Detroit athlete. When Deans revelations explode, they all seek cover. Award-winning author Tom Stanton's stunning work of history, crime, and sports, weaves together the terror of the Legion with the magnificent athletic ascension of Detroit. Richly portraying 1930s America, and featuring figures like Louis, the country's most famous black man; Jewish slugger Hank Greenberg; anti-Semitic Henry Ford; radio priest Father Coughlin; and J. Edgar Hoover, Terror in the City of Champions is a rollicking true tale set at the confluence of hard luck, hope, victory, and violence.
Notes: Includes bibliographical references (pages 285-314) and index.
Table of contents: title: Something Afoot, 1933-1934; title: Grand Plans, 1935; title: Joy and Terror, 1936.; title: Something Afoot, 1933-1934. Mickey and Dayton ; A friend disappears ; Spring in Lakeland ; Major-General Bert ; A future together ; The bee is buzzing ; Neither threats nor bribes ; It hurt for days ; The little stone chapel ; The superstitious schoolboy and his gal ; Happy Rosh Hashanah, Hank ; Oh, those Dean boys ; The attorney down the street; title: Grand Plans, 1935. A new year ; Mr. Hoover, investigate ; Harry's caravan ; The radio priest ; The killing of Silas Coleman ; Worries ; Unwanted attention ; Zero hour ; Louis vs. Baer ; World champions ; Amid the joy, punishment ; The pastor who said no ; Uncle Frank ; Come to Detroit, Lindbergh; title: Joy and Terror, 1936. Case closed ; City of champions ; Rumors ; Poole and Pidcock ; Secrets ; Black Legion hysteria ; Frenzied nerves ; Dayton Dean and the Negro reporter ; The captain ; Wyoming ; The cover-up; title: Epilogue.