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A Fever in the Heartland: The Ku Klux Klan's Plot to Take Over America, and the Woman Who Stopped Them
Goodreads Choice Award
Nominee for Best History & Biography (2023)A historical thriller by the Pulitzer and National Book Award-winning author that tells the riveting story of the Klan's rise to power in the 1920s, the cunning con man who drove that rise, and the woman who stopped them.
The Roaring Twenties--the Jazz Age--has been characterized as a time of Gatsby frivolity. But it was also the height of the uniquely American hate group, the Ku Klux Klan. Their domain was not the old Confederacy, but the Heartland and the West. They hated Blacks, Jews, Catholics and immigrants in equal measure, and took radical steps to keep these people from the American promise. And the man who set in motion their takeover of great swaths of America was a charismatic charlatan named D.C. Stephenson.
Stephenson was a magnetic presence whose life story changed with every telling. Within two years of his arrival in Indiana, he’d become the Grand Dragon of the state and the architect of the strategy that brought the group out of the shadows – their message endorsed from the pulpits of local churches, spread at family picnics and town celebrations. Judges, prosecutors, ministers, governors and senators across the country all proudly proclaimed their membership. But at the peak of his influence, it was a seemingly powerless woman – Madge Oberholtzer – who would reveal his secret cruelties, and whose deathbed testimony finally brought the Klan to their knees.
A FEVER IN THE HEARTLAND marries a propulsive drama to a powerful and page-turning reckoning with one of the darkest threads in American history.
The Roaring Twenties--the Jazz Age--has been characterized as a time of Gatsby frivolity. But it was also the height of the uniquely American hate group, the Ku Klux Klan. Their domain was not the old Confederacy, but the Heartland and the West. They hated Blacks, Jews, Catholics and immigrants in equal measure, and took radical steps to keep these people from the American promise. And the man who set in motion their takeover of great swaths of America was a charismatic charlatan named D.C. Stephenson.
Stephenson was a magnetic presence whose life story changed with every telling. Within two years of his arrival in Indiana, he’d become the Grand Dragon of the state and the architect of the strategy that brought the group out of the shadows – their message endorsed from the pulpits of local churches, spread at family picnics and town celebrations. Judges, prosecutors, ministers, governors and senators across the country all proudly proclaimed their membership. But at the peak of his influence, it was a seemingly powerless woman – Madge Oberholtzer – who would reveal his secret cruelties, and whose deathbed testimony finally brought the Klan to their knees.
A FEVER IN THE HEARTLAND marries a propulsive drama to a powerful and page-turning reckoning with one of the darkest threads in American history.
432 pages, Hardcover
First published April 4, 2023
About the author
Timothy Egan
29 books1,582 followersTimothy Egan is a Pulitzer Prize winning author of nine books, including THE WORST HARD TIME, which won the National Book Award. His latest book, A PILGRIMAGE TO ETERNITY, is a personal story, a journey over an ancient trail, and a history of Christianity. He also writes a biweekly opinion column for The New York Times. HIs book on the photographer Edward Curtis, SHORT NIGHTS OF THE SHADOW CATCHER, won the Carnegie Medal for best nonfiction. His Irish-American book, THE IMMORTAL IRISHMAN, was a New York Times bestseller. A third-generation native of the Pacific Northwest, he lives in Seattle.
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January 21, 2024
Did racism end my reading slump???
I've been in a horrible reading slump for the last month and half. I had basically given up even trying to read....but then came racism. I picked The Devil's Half Acre which is about a slave jail and the enslaved woman who was forced to have her enslavers children, inherited the jail and turned it into a school for Black children. I devoured that book and than immediately picked up this book A Fever in the Heartland which is about the 2nd rise of the Ku Klux Klan shortly before WW1. Two books about racism.
So did racism end my slump?
Maybe.
I feel like I don't need to give Content Warnings for a book about a terrorist organization but in this case I really really do.
Content Warnings: Racism(duh), Domestic Violence, Torture, Rape, Murder, and Suicide.
I don't always read the synopsis of books I read and I definitely didn't read this one. I saw the title and was like "Oh! This seems fun" I wrongfully assumed that the woman who stopped the Klan, did it through some well thought out plan....like some spy shit....
Oh God!
Was I wrong!
Had I read the dust jacket I would have known that it's her DEATHBED TESTIMONY that brings down the Klan. Imagine my surprise when I read page after page of descriptions of her horrific rape and beating. This woman died an unimaginable death. It was gruesome.
I probably don't have to tell you that The KKK are the worst...but when I tell yall that the man this book is about D.C. Stephenson was a literal demon from Hell. This man didn't have one redeeming quality and yet for over 5 years this man was one of the most powerful men in America. Had he not been stopped he really could have gone on to become President. He basically controlled every politician in the Midwest and several police departments nationwide.
As I read this book I found myself feeling a whole lot of similarities between America of the 1920's and America of the 2020's. The Klan supported alot of things that may sound very familiar if you watch the news.
- Book banning
- Teachers being told not to teach things that might "paint America in a bad light"
- Laws restricting the rights of minority groups
- States restricting women's rights
- Police murdering minorities and getting away with it
Its really fascinating to see how cyclical history is. The more advances we make, the more some people want to " Keep America Great"(Several Klan affiliated candidates used that as a slogan). America was and is racist. That shouldn't be controversial but for some folks 👀 it is. America seems to flirt with Fascism every couple of generations. Usually America finally rights itself but each time it gets closer and closer to the point of no return.
Will Fascism win this time?
I sure hope not because as a Black woman I don't think I'd do well under Fascism. Hopefully America comes to its senses but right now it feels real bleak.
I "enjoyed" this book. Enjoy is a weird word to use to describe a book as dark as this but I did enjoy it. I learned alot and it made me angry.
For me it's a Must Read but tread lightly Black readers because this book is dark and very descriptive.
I've been in a horrible reading slump for the last month and half. I had basically given up even trying to read....but then came racism. I picked The Devil's Half Acre which is about a slave jail and the enslaved woman who was forced to have her enslavers children, inherited the jail and turned it into a school for Black children. I devoured that book and than immediately picked up this book A Fever in the Heartland which is about the 2nd rise of the Ku Klux Klan shortly before WW1. Two books about racism.
So did racism end my slump?
Maybe.
I feel like I don't need to give Content Warnings for a book about a terrorist organization but in this case I really really do.
Content Warnings: Racism(duh), Domestic Violence, Torture, Rape, Murder, and Suicide.
I don't always read the synopsis of books I read and I definitely didn't read this one. I saw the title and was like "Oh! This seems fun" I wrongfully assumed that the woman who stopped the Klan, did it through some well thought out plan....like some spy shit....
Oh God!
Was I wrong!
Had I read the dust jacket I would have known that it's her DEATHBED TESTIMONY that brings down the Klan. Imagine my surprise when I read page after page of descriptions of her horrific rape and beating. This woman died an unimaginable death. It was gruesome.
I probably don't have to tell you that The KKK are the worst...but when I tell yall that the man this book is about D.C. Stephenson was a literal demon from Hell. This man didn't have one redeeming quality and yet for over 5 years this man was one of the most powerful men in America. Had he not been stopped he really could have gone on to become President. He basically controlled every politician in the Midwest and several police departments nationwide.
As I read this book I found myself feeling a whole lot of similarities between America of the 1920's and America of the 2020's. The Klan supported alot of things that may sound very familiar if you watch the news.
- Book banning
- Teachers being told not to teach things that might "paint America in a bad light"
- Laws restricting the rights of minority groups
- States restricting women's rights
- Police murdering minorities and getting away with it
Its really fascinating to see how cyclical history is. The more advances we make, the more some people want to " Keep America Great"(Several Klan affiliated candidates used that as a slogan). America was and is racist. That shouldn't be controversial but for some folks 👀 it is. America seems to flirt with Fascism every couple of generations. Usually America finally rights itself but each time it gets closer and closer to the point of no return.
Will Fascism win this time?
I sure hope not because as a Black woman I don't think I'd do well under Fascism. Hopefully America comes to its senses but right now it feels real bleak.
I "enjoyed" this book. Enjoy is a weird word to use to describe a book as dark as this but I did enjoy it. I learned alot and it made me angry.
For me it's a Must Read but tread lightly Black readers because this book is dark and very descriptive.
October 1, 2023
Spanish philosopher George Santayana is credited with the aphorism, “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it." This is meant as a warning, issues in the past we are meant to avoid. After reading this book, however, I now realize that the Maga movement is using this time period as a guide, there is just too much glaring evidence not to detect a pattern.
Egan is one of my favorite non fiction writers, his books are, at least in my humble opinion, well written, well researched and interesting. I knew of the clans power and reign of terrorism after the Civil War but knew little of how widespread they were in the twenties. Indiana had more KKK members than another state, brought about by a terrible man named Stephenson. The Horrible things this man did, the power he and the KKK wielded is mind boggling. It was history and too many people caved,either out of fear or a mad quest for power. Tell me this doesn't sound like what is happening now. Just replace the red in the white robes with a red cap.
A fantastic read but terrifying in its content.
Egan is one of my favorite non fiction writers, his books are, at least in my humble opinion, well written, well researched and interesting. I knew of the clans power and reign of terrorism after the Civil War but knew little of how widespread they were in the twenties. Indiana had more KKK members than another state, brought about by a terrible man named Stephenson. The Horrible things this man did, the power he and the KKK wielded is mind boggling. It was history and too many people caved,either out of fear or a mad quest for power. Tell me this doesn't sound like what is happening now. Just replace the red in the white robes with a red cap.
A fantastic read but terrifying in its content.
June 21, 2023
Timothy Egan has written a fabulous nonfiction book that speaks to the darkness that gripped the US in the 1920s - the second rise of the Ku Klux Klan. If certain governors have their way, I’m sure it’ll be on the banned book list before the end of the year.
Fever In the Heartland tackles the rise of the KKK in Indiana in the 1920s, D. C. Stephenson, the Grand Dragon for the state and the woman who managed to stop them. Stephenson managed to rise to power on his charisma alone. Within four years, he had a stranglehold on Indiana politics and business - the governor, mayors, judges, prosecutors, sheriffs, city councils, bank presidents all answered to him. In a comment that might sound eerily familiar, he boasted that he “was the law in Indiana”. There were more Klansmen in Indiana than Texas and three times as many as in Georgia. At the height of his power, Stephenson gave the say on which legislative bills in Indiana would be approved. Stephenson, along with Daisy Douglas Barr, re-imagined the Klan to include women (Ladies of the Invisible Empire) and even children (Ku Klux Kiddies). His plan was to literally control the White House. And I question whether he might have succeeded except for poor Madge Oberholtzer, who literally gave her life to bring him down.
Lots of things about this book surprised me, from the affiliation with the Women’s Christian Temperance Union to the number of Protestant ministers (they even accepted bribes and were known as “subsidized evangelists") as members, and the fact that Harding and Coolidge were such racists. It was also surprising to learn that it was “the party of Lincoln”, the Republicans, that were controlled by the Klan. A surprise because the black vote still went overwhelmingly to Republicans. Which isn’t to say that the Democrats didn't have their fair share and the 1924 Democratic presidential convention was a zoo because of them. Others were a given, but no less upsetting - the links with eugenics, the violence (although I was unaware of the branding).
Anyone wondering how QAnon manages to convince some people of their idiot theories should listen to what the KKK dished out. For example, stories of young girls kidnapped by nuns - and this in the state where The Notre Dame University is located. Those who see similarities to Trump aren’t mistaken. Stephenson and the Klan “embraced the hate.” Stephenson saw himself as the embodiment of Napoleon. He was a drunk, an adulterer, a repeated rapist. As one of his body guards said, “it was the damnedest thing I ever saw, how this guy could spread the bunk and make those hicks eat it up.” If anything, Stephenson provided a playbook for how to get away with murder (or at least rape).
The book starts with an historical look at the origins of the KKK and how it moved into the north. But it quickly focuses on Indiana. As the book progresses, Egan brings enough national and other states’ politics to show Indiana wasn’t an isolated case. It is scary to see just how deep the Klan was involved in US politics in the 1920s.
This is not a book for the faint of heart. Descriptions of the violence the KKK wrought are given in depth. This is proof of just how ugly people can be. It’s also a reminder of what happens when you deal with crooks. It’s not your typical nonfiction. It’s gripping and I tore through this. Egan narrates the audiobook and does a fine job. But I’m almost sorry I didn’t read it because I would have been a highlighting fool.
Fever In the Heartland tackles the rise of the KKK in Indiana in the 1920s, D. C. Stephenson, the Grand Dragon for the state and the woman who managed to stop them. Stephenson managed to rise to power on his charisma alone. Within four years, he had a stranglehold on Indiana politics and business - the governor, mayors, judges, prosecutors, sheriffs, city councils, bank presidents all answered to him. In a comment that might sound eerily familiar, he boasted that he “was the law in Indiana”. There were more Klansmen in Indiana than Texas and three times as many as in Georgia. At the height of his power, Stephenson gave the say on which legislative bills in Indiana would be approved. Stephenson, along with Daisy Douglas Barr, re-imagined the Klan to include women (Ladies of the Invisible Empire) and even children (Ku Klux Kiddies). His plan was to literally control the White House. And I question whether he might have succeeded except for poor Madge Oberholtzer, who literally gave her life to bring him down.
Lots of things about this book surprised me, from the affiliation with the Women’s Christian Temperance Union to the number of Protestant ministers (they even accepted bribes and were known as “subsidized evangelists") as members, and the fact that Harding and Coolidge were such racists. It was also surprising to learn that it was “the party of Lincoln”, the Republicans, that were controlled by the Klan. A surprise because the black vote still went overwhelmingly to Republicans. Which isn’t to say that the Democrats didn't have their fair share and the 1924 Democratic presidential convention was a zoo because of them. Others were a given, but no less upsetting - the links with eugenics, the violence (although I was unaware of the branding).
Anyone wondering how QAnon manages to convince some people of their idiot theories should listen to what the KKK dished out. For example, stories of young girls kidnapped by nuns - and this in the state where The Notre Dame University is located. Those who see similarities to Trump aren’t mistaken. Stephenson and the Klan “embraced the hate.” Stephenson saw himself as the embodiment of Napoleon. He was a drunk, an adulterer, a repeated rapist. As one of his body guards said, “it was the damnedest thing I ever saw, how this guy could spread the bunk and make those hicks eat it up.” If anything, Stephenson provided a playbook for how to get away with murder (or at least rape).
The book starts with an historical look at the origins of the KKK and how it moved into the north. But it quickly focuses on Indiana. As the book progresses, Egan brings enough national and other states’ politics to show Indiana wasn’t an isolated case. It is scary to see just how deep the Klan was involved in US politics in the 1920s.
This is not a book for the faint of heart. Descriptions of the violence the KKK wrought are given in depth. This is proof of just how ugly people can be. It’s also a reminder of what happens when you deal with crooks. It’s not your typical nonfiction. It’s gripping and I tore through this. Egan narrates the audiobook and does a fine job. But I’m almost sorry I didn’t read it because I would have been a highlighting fool.
May 1, 2023
An eye-opening book for me! Mr Egan offers us a tragic history of a young woman, Madge Oberholtzer, who was brutally attacked and died in the aftermath of wounds inflicted during a kidnap and rape by a man who claimed to be the law and create the law in the state of Indiana through the influence he had achieved within the KKK in the early twenties. I never suspected KKK became such a power in this state and what I learnt was both gut-wretching and mind-blowing. D.C. Stephenson, the man who deserves the name of a con artist an a charlatan as well, rose to be a dark charismatic figure in Indiana leading those who hated anyone and anything not of a white Anglo-Saxon descent or heritage. Miss Madge Stephenson was kidnapped, raped and mutilated by Stephenson, and died 29 days later, leaving a testimony which resulted in the arrest and sentence delivered by the jury. She did a lot more: her tragedy was a wake-up call which suppressed the KKK's dominance in Indiana.
A terrific book!
OverDrive, thank you!
A terrific book!
OverDrive, thank you!
July 16, 2023
Egan gives us an account of an important chapter in American history highly relevant to events today. He describes the rise and fall of the Jim Crow Klan in the early 1920’s. He focuses on the Midwest Klan centered in Indiana where it took control of the state government under its pathological cult leader, David C. Stephenson. Stephenson’s blatant abuse of power and sexual predation of women led to his downfall in a dramatic trial. The revelations led to the Klan’s steep decline across the nation. It’s an engrossing story of how an individual can get away with so much evil, of how easily a massive white supremacy movement could flourish in America, and of how greedy and corrupt politicians embraced it for personal gain. The narrative is rich in personal detail keeping the reader engaged. My notes follow.
The Ku Klux Klan started immediately after the Civil War quickly growing to half a million members across the South murdering and threatening Blacks, depriving them of their civil rights. The Klan had free reign until Grant became president in 1869. Grant cracked down with federal troops and crushed the Klan. When Hayes became president in 1877, he withdrew federal troops from the South allowing white leaders to subjugate Blacks with local law enforcement.
The Klan was reborn on Thanksgiving night in 1915 in a cross-burning ceremony on Stone Mountain in Georgia. The original Klan did not burn crosses. The founder of the new Klan William Simmons was the son of an original Klansman. He was inspired by tales of the old Klan and a new movie, The Birth of a Nation which vilified Blacks and glorified the Klan. The new Klan expanded its targets from just Blacks to include Jews and Roman Catholics and regionally adapted to threaten Asians and Mexicans. It was anti-immigrant excepting those from the “Nordic” countries. Simmons booklet “A White Man’s Nation” laid it out. The Klan supported prohibition although Simmons himself was a heavy drinker and it railed against promiscuity to better align with evangelical Protestants. The Klan was a money-making proposition selling memberships, clothing, and gear. It started slowly but in 1920 the Klan grew to 100,000 and expanded nationwide thanks to a couple of very able recruiters who got substantial cuts.
Klan leaders brought in Stephenson in Indiana who like them had great ambitions and saw the wealth and power it would bring. Stephenson quickly went to work recruiting preachers and ministers bribing them to bring in their flocks. Stephenson promoted the Klan saying it stood for Christian principles, wholesomeness, and decency and that it protected Real (white Anglo) Americans from the threat of degenerate races. Stephenson came out in full support of the growing eugenics movement including forced sterilization for those deemed “mentally deficient.”
In October 2022 Stephenson convinced the Horse Thief Detectives Association to join the Klan. With automobiles taking over from horses The HTDA was in search of a new gig. The members were given tin badges and set out to enforce the Klan’s attack on the immoral. Within a year 14,000 badged enforcers in Indiana were smashing bars, breaking up parties, invading people’s homes, beating those they didn’t like with a focus on the uncorseted flappers with bobbed hair and short skirts who drank and danced to black jazz. The police looked the other way, many were in the Klan. The HTDA became the Klan’s military arm and began keeping files on Blacks, Jews, Catholics, Bolsheviks, bootleggers, and enemies.
Stephenson got Indiana judges, policemen, politicians, newspapermen and ministers to join the Klan including the chairman of the state Republican Party and Indiana’s Secretary of State. By 1923 Indiana had over 300,000 Klan members more than any other state in the country. Those who opposed him were intimidated or beaten up by his goons. Stephenson was both charming and violent. He repeatedly beat his second wife who finally left him. He had abandoned his first wife and child years earlier. Stephenson formed a women’s auxiliary which grew to a quarter of a million members in Indiana in its first year. He had found a charismatic female preacher to lead the auxiliary who was an effective recruiter. Lists of approved and unapproved stores were promulgated so the women would know where to shop. The unapproved stores were those owned by Blacks, Jews, Catholics, immigrants, and anyone opposing the Klan. Stevenson established a children’s Klan the Ku Klux Kiddies which taught the Klan’s creed.
Patrick O’Donnell formed the American Unity League to take on the Klan in the Midwest. He put out a weekly newspaper that reported the Klan’s activities. He had members infiltrate the Klan getting secret membership lists and inside information. He published the names of prominent members including the Indiana Chairman of the Republican Party who then publicly left the Klan. He exposed officials and ministers that took orders and bribes from Stephenson. While in the diverse city of Chicago he had success, in Indiana it backfired. Stephenson viciously disparaged O’Donnell and the Republican Chairman as unamerican and used the fight to rally his members adding even more. Stephenson expanded his Klan empire to Ohio, Michigan, and Wisconsin, with over 200,000 members each.
On July 4th 1923 the largest assembly of the Klan in history gathered in Kokomo Indiana. Well over 100,000 Klan men, women and children came from all over the Midwest. They held a parade with floats deprecating blacks as predators, Catholics as lechers and depicting the Klan as the way real Americans could defend themselves. Stephenson addressed the crowd basking in the adulation. The New York Times wrote “In no other state in the union, not even Texas, is the domination of the Ku Klux Klan so absolute as it is in Indiana.” The paper put the number of Indiana Klan members at 500,000.
Stephenson was a heavy drinker and womanizer. Not divorced he still entered into multiple engagements at the same time, breaking them when he tired of them. He repeatedly forced himself on unsuspecting woman raping some and sometimes drugging them. He would threaten or pay off those that he thought would talk. He held wild parties at his palatial home and on his yacht on Lake Erie. The yacht was a twin of the one Al Capone owned. Prominent people from the Governor of Ohio on down attended. The parties served liquor brought in from Canada. They had bands, dancing, naked girls popping out of cakes and descended into debauchery. Stephenson had photos taken. Never know when you need one. His security aide noted “These parties would have shamed Nero.” In an Ohio hotel in a drunken stupor Stephenson had a manicurist sent to his room. He demanded sex, offered to pay her then threatened to kill her when she refused. She ran out, sent up a bellman who Stephenson beat. He ended up in jail where he suffered severe alcohol withdrawal. His lawyers got him out of jail but the story revealing everything hit the Sunday morning Columbus newspapers. It didn’t matter to his supporters.
In 1924 the Klan was growing ever stronger across the nation, doing particularly well in Kansas, Colorado, and Oregon. In Indiana, Stephenson was ready to flex his political muscle. Rallying his members to vote for his picks and disparaging their opponents, doling out money and whatever it took paid off. His candidates filled the Indiana House and the governorship as well as local jurisdictions throughout the state. He took control of the state government. Nothing was legislated without his approval. He designated picks to appoint to state agencies that let contracts. Money was always a top concern. He expected the current US Senator to resign soon and the new governor to appoint him US Senator.
In March 1925 Madge Oberholtzer met Stephenson. Madge worked in state government and was interested in a nutrition bill passing. Stephenson was interested in Madge. After some more meetings, Stephenson had an aide call one night and asked Madge’s mother to have her call. She called Stephenson. He said he needed to discuss urgent state business that night. When she got there, he told her to get a drink. She said no. He had another man pour it and told her to drink it. She tried to make a call. It was cut off. She tried to leave. He grabbed her and told her she had to stay. With four drunk men standing around her she was forced to drink. She got dizzy and vomited. Stephenson told her he loved her and they were going to Chicago that night. They picked up their guns, showed them to Madge, and told her to follow. They drove to the train station. Terrified she tried to talk Stephenson out of it to no avail. Stephenson took her into a private compartment on the train where he raped her biting her all over her body including her breasts and thighs and chewing her tongue, things he had done to many other women. Bleeding all over she passed out. They got off the train in Hammond, Indiana, Stephenson deciding not to cross the state line. They checked into a hotel. Stephenson allowed Madge to go to a drug store under the supervision of an aide. She needed bandages and antiseptic, but also bought bichloride of mercury tablets, poison. She took it and soon felt very sick, moaning. Stephenson told her to stop it and she told him she had taken poison. Stephenson changed his plans. They got into a car and headed back to Stephenson’s home in Indianapolis. Stephenson found out Madge’s mother and an attorney had been there looking for Madge. Madge, in extreme pain, began screaming waking neighbors. Stephenson decided to have an aid take her home. The aid told a border who answered the door that he was from Kokomo and Madge had been in an auto accident and left.
Madge’s mother called a doctor who realized she was dying as did Madge. She told the doctor what had happened. Madge’s parents engaged an attorney who confronted Stephenson who denied any culpability. Knowing Madge was dying the attorney wrote a “dying declaration” he read to Madge in front of witnesses and a notary that she signed. He could use this in court after Madge died. The story leaked out and quickly spread. The county prosecutor knew the attorney and contacted him. Both despised the Klan. He quickly assembled evidence and took it to a grand jury getting an indictment on five felony counts. He had Stephenson arrested before he could leave town with the help of two Irish Catholic cops. Stephenson posted $25,000 bond to get out. In April Madge died. Days later Stephenson and two aides pleaded not guilty. Stephenson hired a prominent well-connected attorney. He got a Klan backed judge to move the trial to Noblesville, a Klan stronghold. In June the new judge decided that Stephenson could not stay out on bail. He was remanded to the jail next door. Since the court did not convene in the summer, he would be there until October when his trial was scheduled. The sheriff was in the Klan and gave Stephenson a private room and had his wife cook meals for him. He brought in the best liquor and whatever else Stephenson wanted. Visitation was very liberal. While in jail Stephenson met with reporters, some already in the Klan and others he bribed to run favorable stories.
From the court pleadings and leaks, details of the case spread quickly. People were shocked. His violent sexual appetite was one factor but equally damaging were revelations about his control of state government. Many women who had been assaulted and raped by Stephenson contacted the prosecutor telling their stories. These too leaked out. Stephenson in a fight over money had broken his Midwestern Klan away from the national Klan whose leader Hiram Evans was now an enemy who publicly attacked Stephenson. In August Evans led 50,000 Klansmen marching down Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington. 200,000 sympathetic onlookers packed the streets. President Coolidge left town making no comment. Evans then went to Indiana to make the case for the national Klan reminding people Stephenson was no longer a member in good standing.
In October the trial began with a jury of mostly farmers, some of whom were Klan members. The prosecutor brought in some high-powered volunteer legal help and presented the dying declaration and testimony from Madge’s mother, doctors, and other witnesses. The dying declaration laid out all the brutal details of what happened to her, showing Stephenson to be a monster. The defense presented Madge, who had a spotless reputation, as an impure party girl a flapper who went with Stephenson willingly for a good time. Bribed witnesses bolstered the defense with fabricated stories about Madge. What would sway the jury? Madge’s doctors testified Madge died from an infection due to the numerous deep bites Stephenson made all over her body. An autopsy confirmed infection as the cause of death. The defense said it was the poison. The distinction was key to the murder charge.
The jury took five hours to reach a verdict: Guilty of second-degree murder. Deciding between first and second degree took most of the five hours. The judge sentenced Stephenson to life. Although in prison, Stephenson still held power over those outside. He had kept records of his bribes and illegal deals with state officials including the governor. But it didn’t get him out of prison. Stephenson’s conviction was the tipping point for the Jim Crow Klan. It made national headlines with all the sordid details and newfound moralizing. Klan membership declined precipitously. The Klan’s Washington march in 1926 drew only 15,000 versus 50,000 in 1925. In 1927, Stephenson unloaded on the governor and other state officials, fed up with their failure to get him out of prison. He had two boxes of documents handed to the prosecutor. The governor and other top officials were charged with bribery. Stephenson’s former total control of state government was now on public display. Stephenson enjoyed testifying against his former allies. Investigative reporters had a field day. Klan membership nationwide declined to only 10% of its total three years earlier. In 1950 Stephenson was let out of prison. He would serve six more years for violating parole. He married again and in 1961 at age seventy was charged with attempting to abduct a young girl. He disappeared secluding himself in a private life in Tennessee where he took a fourth wife who had no idea who he really was. He died in 1967.
The Ku Klux Klan started immediately after the Civil War quickly growing to half a million members across the South murdering and threatening Blacks, depriving them of their civil rights. The Klan had free reign until Grant became president in 1869. Grant cracked down with federal troops and crushed the Klan. When Hayes became president in 1877, he withdrew federal troops from the South allowing white leaders to subjugate Blacks with local law enforcement.
The Klan was reborn on Thanksgiving night in 1915 in a cross-burning ceremony on Stone Mountain in Georgia. The original Klan did not burn crosses. The founder of the new Klan William Simmons was the son of an original Klansman. He was inspired by tales of the old Klan and a new movie, The Birth of a Nation which vilified Blacks and glorified the Klan. The new Klan expanded its targets from just Blacks to include Jews and Roman Catholics and regionally adapted to threaten Asians and Mexicans. It was anti-immigrant excepting those from the “Nordic” countries. Simmons booklet “A White Man’s Nation” laid it out. The Klan supported prohibition although Simmons himself was a heavy drinker and it railed against promiscuity to better align with evangelical Protestants. The Klan was a money-making proposition selling memberships, clothing, and gear. It started slowly but in 1920 the Klan grew to 100,000 and expanded nationwide thanks to a couple of very able recruiters who got substantial cuts.
Klan leaders brought in Stephenson in Indiana who like them had great ambitions and saw the wealth and power it would bring. Stephenson quickly went to work recruiting preachers and ministers bribing them to bring in their flocks. Stephenson promoted the Klan saying it stood for Christian principles, wholesomeness, and decency and that it protected Real (white Anglo) Americans from the threat of degenerate races. Stephenson came out in full support of the growing eugenics movement including forced sterilization for those deemed “mentally deficient.”
In October 2022 Stephenson convinced the Horse Thief Detectives Association to join the Klan. With automobiles taking over from horses The HTDA was in search of a new gig. The members were given tin badges and set out to enforce the Klan’s attack on the immoral. Within a year 14,000 badged enforcers in Indiana were smashing bars, breaking up parties, invading people’s homes, beating those they didn’t like with a focus on the uncorseted flappers with bobbed hair and short skirts who drank and danced to black jazz. The police looked the other way, many were in the Klan. The HTDA became the Klan’s military arm and began keeping files on Blacks, Jews, Catholics, Bolsheviks, bootleggers, and enemies.
Stephenson got Indiana judges, policemen, politicians, newspapermen and ministers to join the Klan including the chairman of the state Republican Party and Indiana’s Secretary of State. By 1923 Indiana had over 300,000 Klan members more than any other state in the country. Those who opposed him were intimidated or beaten up by his goons. Stephenson was both charming and violent. He repeatedly beat his second wife who finally left him. He had abandoned his first wife and child years earlier. Stephenson formed a women’s auxiliary which grew to a quarter of a million members in Indiana in its first year. He had found a charismatic female preacher to lead the auxiliary who was an effective recruiter. Lists of approved and unapproved stores were promulgated so the women would know where to shop. The unapproved stores were those owned by Blacks, Jews, Catholics, immigrants, and anyone opposing the Klan. Stevenson established a children’s Klan the Ku Klux Kiddies which taught the Klan’s creed.
Patrick O’Donnell formed the American Unity League to take on the Klan in the Midwest. He put out a weekly newspaper that reported the Klan’s activities. He had members infiltrate the Klan getting secret membership lists and inside information. He published the names of prominent members including the Indiana Chairman of the Republican Party who then publicly left the Klan. He exposed officials and ministers that took orders and bribes from Stephenson. While in the diverse city of Chicago he had success, in Indiana it backfired. Stephenson viciously disparaged O’Donnell and the Republican Chairman as unamerican and used the fight to rally his members adding even more. Stephenson expanded his Klan empire to Ohio, Michigan, and Wisconsin, with over 200,000 members each.
On July 4th 1923 the largest assembly of the Klan in history gathered in Kokomo Indiana. Well over 100,000 Klan men, women and children came from all over the Midwest. They held a parade with floats deprecating blacks as predators, Catholics as lechers and depicting the Klan as the way real Americans could defend themselves. Stephenson addressed the crowd basking in the adulation. The New York Times wrote “In no other state in the union, not even Texas, is the domination of the Ku Klux Klan so absolute as it is in Indiana.” The paper put the number of Indiana Klan members at 500,000.
Stephenson was a heavy drinker and womanizer. Not divorced he still entered into multiple engagements at the same time, breaking them when he tired of them. He repeatedly forced himself on unsuspecting woman raping some and sometimes drugging them. He would threaten or pay off those that he thought would talk. He held wild parties at his palatial home and on his yacht on Lake Erie. The yacht was a twin of the one Al Capone owned. Prominent people from the Governor of Ohio on down attended. The parties served liquor brought in from Canada. They had bands, dancing, naked girls popping out of cakes and descended into debauchery. Stephenson had photos taken. Never know when you need one. His security aide noted “These parties would have shamed Nero.” In an Ohio hotel in a drunken stupor Stephenson had a manicurist sent to his room. He demanded sex, offered to pay her then threatened to kill her when she refused. She ran out, sent up a bellman who Stephenson beat. He ended up in jail where he suffered severe alcohol withdrawal. His lawyers got him out of jail but the story revealing everything hit the Sunday morning Columbus newspapers. It didn’t matter to his supporters.
In 1924 the Klan was growing ever stronger across the nation, doing particularly well in Kansas, Colorado, and Oregon. In Indiana, Stephenson was ready to flex his political muscle. Rallying his members to vote for his picks and disparaging their opponents, doling out money and whatever it took paid off. His candidates filled the Indiana House and the governorship as well as local jurisdictions throughout the state. He took control of the state government. Nothing was legislated without his approval. He designated picks to appoint to state agencies that let contracts. Money was always a top concern. He expected the current US Senator to resign soon and the new governor to appoint him US Senator.
In March 1925 Madge Oberholtzer met Stephenson. Madge worked in state government and was interested in a nutrition bill passing. Stephenson was interested in Madge. After some more meetings, Stephenson had an aide call one night and asked Madge’s mother to have her call. She called Stephenson. He said he needed to discuss urgent state business that night. When she got there, he told her to get a drink. She said no. He had another man pour it and told her to drink it. She tried to make a call. It was cut off. She tried to leave. He grabbed her and told her she had to stay. With four drunk men standing around her she was forced to drink. She got dizzy and vomited. Stephenson told her he loved her and they were going to Chicago that night. They picked up their guns, showed them to Madge, and told her to follow. They drove to the train station. Terrified she tried to talk Stephenson out of it to no avail. Stephenson took her into a private compartment on the train where he raped her biting her all over her body including her breasts and thighs and chewing her tongue, things he had done to many other women. Bleeding all over she passed out. They got off the train in Hammond, Indiana, Stephenson deciding not to cross the state line. They checked into a hotel. Stephenson allowed Madge to go to a drug store under the supervision of an aide. She needed bandages and antiseptic, but also bought bichloride of mercury tablets, poison. She took it and soon felt very sick, moaning. Stephenson told her to stop it and she told him she had taken poison. Stephenson changed his plans. They got into a car and headed back to Stephenson’s home in Indianapolis. Stephenson found out Madge’s mother and an attorney had been there looking for Madge. Madge, in extreme pain, began screaming waking neighbors. Stephenson decided to have an aid take her home. The aid told a border who answered the door that he was from Kokomo and Madge had been in an auto accident and left.
Madge’s mother called a doctor who realized she was dying as did Madge. She told the doctor what had happened. Madge’s parents engaged an attorney who confronted Stephenson who denied any culpability. Knowing Madge was dying the attorney wrote a “dying declaration” he read to Madge in front of witnesses and a notary that she signed. He could use this in court after Madge died. The story leaked out and quickly spread. The county prosecutor knew the attorney and contacted him. Both despised the Klan. He quickly assembled evidence and took it to a grand jury getting an indictment on five felony counts. He had Stephenson arrested before he could leave town with the help of two Irish Catholic cops. Stephenson posted $25,000 bond to get out. In April Madge died. Days later Stephenson and two aides pleaded not guilty. Stephenson hired a prominent well-connected attorney. He got a Klan backed judge to move the trial to Noblesville, a Klan stronghold. In June the new judge decided that Stephenson could not stay out on bail. He was remanded to the jail next door. Since the court did not convene in the summer, he would be there until October when his trial was scheduled. The sheriff was in the Klan and gave Stephenson a private room and had his wife cook meals for him. He brought in the best liquor and whatever else Stephenson wanted. Visitation was very liberal. While in jail Stephenson met with reporters, some already in the Klan and others he bribed to run favorable stories.
From the court pleadings and leaks, details of the case spread quickly. People were shocked. His violent sexual appetite was one factor but equally damaging were revelations about his control of state government. Many women who had been assaulted and raped by Stephenson contacted the prosecutor telling their stories. These too leaked out. Stephenson in a fight over money had broken his Midwestern Klan away from the national Klan whose leader Hiram Evans was now an enemy who publicly attacked Stephenson. In August Evans led 50,000 Klansmen marching down Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington. 200,000 sympathetic onlookers packed the streets. President Coolidge left town making no comment. Evans then went to Indiana to make the case for the national Klan reminding people Stephenson was no longer a member in good standing.
In October the trial began with a jury of mostly farmers, some of whom were Klan members. The prosecutor brought in some high-powered volunteer legal help and presented the dying declaration and testimony from Madge’s mother, doctors, and other witnesses. The dying declaration laid out all the brutal details of what happened to her, showing Stephenson to be a monster. The defense presented Madge, who had a spotless reputation, as an impure party girl a flapper who went with Stephenson willingly for a good time. Bribed witnesses bolstered the defense with fabricated stories about Madge. What would sway the jury? Madge’s doctors testified Madge died from an infection due to the numerous deep bites Stephenson made all over her body. An autopsy confirmed infection as the cause of death. The defense said it was the poison. The distinction was key to the murder charge.
The jury took five hours to reach a verdict: Guilty of second-degree murder. Deciding between first and second degree took most of the five hours. The judge sentenced Stephenson to life. Although in prison, Stephenson still held power over those outside. He had kept records of his bribes and illegal deals with state officials including the governor. But it didn’t get him out of prison. Stephenson’s conviction was the tipping point for the Jim Crow Klan. It made national headlines with all the sordid details and newfound moralizing. Klan membership declined precipitously. The Klan’s Washington march in 1926 drew only 15,000 versus 50,000 in 1925. In 1927, Stephenson unloaded on the governor and other state officials, fed up with their failure to get him out of prison. He had two boxes of documents handed to the prosecutor. The governor and other top officials were charged with bribery. Stephenson’s former total control of state government was now on public display. Stephenson enjoyed testifying against his former allies. Investigative reporters had a field day. Klan membership nationwide declined to only 10% of its total three years earlier. In 1950 Stephenson was let out of prison. He would serve six more years for violating parole. He married again and in 1961 at age seventy was charged with attempting to abduct a young girl. He disappeared secluding himself in a private life in Tennessee where he took a fourth wife who had no idea who he really was. He died in 1967.
March 6, 2024
“Why are people drawn to demagogues? Why have millions of citizens of democracies chosen, from time to time over the centuries, to pledge fealty to leaders whose actions – political and personal – are obviously repugnant? What could possibly be the appeal?” – Richard Just – former Editor of The Washington Post
I felt Mr. Just’s quote was a perfect introduction to this book, because so much of what we are experiencing in today’s world fits with the message of this book, even if the plot deals with history. Still, Egan’s response could fit Mr. Just’s questions when he writes…
“A vein of hatred was always there for the tapping.”
It is not easy to read a book like this. Especially as we bear witness to our country TODAY being wooed by overt white supremacists in the guise of religious righteous folks.
And as a meticulously researched book, (the Notes section is 31 pages long), Egan strives to share a dark time in history.
Yet, reading it under today’s sharp and revealing light, it appears that this history is catching up to us, much too quickly.
As voters, we have a tremendous responsibility to pay attention and make sure these people are no longer attached or a part of our government offices, school boards, library boards, city councils and boards of supervisors, courts, and any other decision-making body that can take away our rights as citizens of this world.
In fact, reading this book, brings to mind a quote by Malala Yousafzai, a Pakistani female education activist and the 2014, world’s youngest Nobel Peace Prize laureate. She received the award at age 17. She said…
“We realize the importance of our voice when we are silenced.”
Hopefully, we will realize the importance of our voice much sooner than that! We can’t afford to have history repeating itself.
And that is why books like this, are important. They show the ugly truth of a way of life that impacts those that are underheard.
Still, even if Egan resists making parallels to the present in this book, they still lurk below the surface in this thoughtfully written story.
This is the story of the Ku Klux Klan (KKK) at the height of power. We knew the KKK mostly for their white hoods and robes and their banners insisting that “America is for Americans.”
Egan’s focus. in his book, is on D.C. Stephenson, an amoral drifter with an entrepreneurial streak. He becomes the central figure in the Klan’s expansion across the American Midwest of the 1920’s, when they believed they needed to defend white women against Black people, Catholics and Jews.
Egan presents the KKK quite graphically showcasing them as if we were watching a crime horror show, as opposed to reading a non-fiction story.
As readers we are witness to torture, beatings and horrific lynchings.
The author continues to share that the KKK saw themselves as racial purists, who stoked the fears of white persons against those that were “different” than them. He tells readers that in those days, it was okay to be outwardly Klan. Police and politicians were bribed, corruption was rampant; and, businesses owned by Jews, Catholics or Blacks were actively disrupted.
He also lets us know that Stephenson was a monster and a sadistic sexual predator. But people placed their trust and admiration in this self-evidently horrible man and his fellow terrorists. We can also surmise that anyone with these beliefs were monsters. But, because the Klan was powerful, at that time, they were untouchable.
Egan notes how Stephenson manipulated the public:
“He discovered that if he said something often enough, no matter how untrue, people would believe it.”
It was as if his horrific personality made him more popular.
Why does this sound familiar?
Because we are witnessing moral transgressions with a movement that begins with the unbalanced habitual liars who successfully blur truth and fabrication through endless repetition of falsehoods.
So how do we stop this movement? This person?
If we look at the title of the book it implies that it was one woman who stopped the KKK back then. But did she really?
Apparently, Stephenson abducted, raped and murdered a woman named Madge Oberholtzer. Before she died, she shared a “dying declaration” of who her murderer was, in the hopes that she would get justice.
But did she really stop the KKK?
In some ways yes – with his trial. But most likely there were other mitigating factors.
What readers get mostly is what the author gives us…
His skilled storytelling. There are villains and heroes alike. High stakes drama. Courtroom action.
Mostly, there is opportunity for readers to consider how this past plays out in present time. The unfortunate bigotry – antisemitism – racism – hatred that still exists.
Can we stop this movement again?
Is there a lesson to be learned…
If this looks distressingly familiar – it probably is. Unfortunately, extremism still exists.
And, because it does, we cannot afford to let this hatred walk the halls of government ever again.
Please also read my Goodreads friend, Liz's review here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
I felt Mr. Just’s quote was a perfect introduction to this book, because so much of what we are experiencing in today’s world fits with the message of this book, even if the plot deals with history. Still, Egan’s response could fit Mr. Just’s questions when he writes…
“A vein of hatred was always there for the tapping.”
It is not easy to read a book like this. Especially as we bear witness to our country TODAY being wooed by overt white supremacists in the guise of religious righteous folks.
And as a meticulously researched book, (the Notes section is 31 pages long), Egan strives to share a dark time in history.
Yet, reading it under today’s sharp and revealing light, it appears that this history is catching up to us, much too quickly.
As voters, we have a tremendous responsibility to pay attention and make sure these people are no longer attached or a part of our government offices, school boards, library boards, city councils and boards of supervisors, courts, and any other decision-making body that can take away our rights as citizens of this world.
In fact, reading this book, brings to mind a quote by Malala Yousafzai, a Pakistani female education activist and the 2014, world’s youngest Nobel Peace Prize laureate. She received the award at age 17. She said…
“We realize the importance of our voice when we are silenced.”
Hopefully, we will realize the importance of our voice much sooner than that! We can’t afford to have history repeating itself.
And that is why books like this, are important. They show the ugly truth of a way of life that impacts those that are underheard.
Still, even if Egan resists making parallels to the present in this book, they still lurk below the surface in this thoughtfully written story.
This is the story of the Ku Klux Klan (KKK) at the height of power. We knew the KKK mostly for their white hoods and robes and their banners insisting that “America is for Americans.”
Egan’s focus. in his book, is on D.C. Stephenson, an amoral drifter with an entrepreneurial streak. He becomes the central figure in the Klan’s expansion across the American Midwest of the 1920’s, when they believed they needed to defend white women against Black people, Catholics and Jews.
Egan presents the KKK quite graphically showcasing them as if we were watching a crime horror show, as opposed to reading a non-fiction story.
As readers we are witness to torture, beatings and horrific lynchings.
The author continues to share that the KKK saw themselves as racial purists, who stoked the fears of white persons against those that were “different” than them. He tells readers that in those days, it was okay to be outwardly Klan. Police and politicians were bribed, corruption was rampant; and, businesses owned by Jews, Catholics or Blacks were actively disrupted.
He also lets us know that Stephenson was a monster and a sadistic sexual predator. But people placed their trust and admiration in this self-evidently horrible man and his fellow terrorists. We can also surmise that anyone with these beliefs were monsters. But, because the Klan was powerful, at that time, they were untouchable.
Egan notes how Stephenson manipulated the public:
“He discovered that if he said something often enough, no matter how untrue, people would believe it.”
It was as if his horrific personality made him more popular.
Why does this sound familiar?
Because we are witnessing moral transgressions with a movement that begins with the unbalanced habitual liars who successfully blur truth and fabrication through endless repetition of falsehoods.
So how do we stop this movement? This person?
If we look at the title of the book it implies that it was one woman who stopped the KKK back then. But did she really?
Apparently, Stephenson abducted, raped and murdered a woman named Madge Oberholtzer. Before she died, she shared a “dying declaration” of who her murderer was, in the hopes that she would get justice.
But did she really stop the KKK?
In some ways yes – with his trial. But most likely there were other mitigating factors.
What readers get mostly is what the author gives us…
His skilled storytelling. There are villains and heroes alike. High stakes drama. Courtroom action.
Mostly, there is opportunity for readers to consider how this past plays out in present time. The unfortunate bigotry – antisemitism – racism – hatred that still exists.
Can we stop this movement again?
Is there a lesson to be learned…
If this looks distressingly familiar – it probably is. Unfortunately, extremism still exists.
And, because it does, we cannot afford to let this hatred walk the halls of government ever again.
Please also read my Goodreads friend, Liz's review here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
August 3, 2023
4+
Right up there with Freddy Kruger, Maurice Swift, Darth Vader, Captain Ahab, and Vladimir Putin, D.C. Stephenson, the main character, was a man without morals, evil to the core. (You may disagree with me on the malevolence of some of the above, but I think you would agree about Stephenson.) From poverty and obscurity, he became a Grand Dragon of the Ku Klux Klan. Wielding power over those who didn’t need much convincing to hate Blacks, Catholics, Jews, and immigrants, he was able to increase enrollment in the Klan to nearly four million with his ultimate goal the presidency of the country. Sworn members pervaded police forces, the government, and the church. Very few were courageous enough to fight them or resist membership. (Interestingly, Notre Dame’s “Fighting Irish” logo is the result of a hand to hand battle between hooded Klansmen and a group of N.D. students.) Ultimately, a court case involving a dead woman resulted in imprisonment for Stephenson and the collapse of the Klan with membership shrinking to below ten thousand.
Before the Unite the Right Rally in Charlottesville in 2017, this fever may have seemed like just another inhumane historical period. As alarming as the events in this book were, they didn’t unnerve me as much as white supremacists do in our society today. Like seeds that don’t germinate until provided with the right conditions, so it is with hatred. I can only hope the “vein of hatred” as Egan defines it, will not ooze forth its venom again.
I highly recommend this thoroughly researched and amazing book. It is probably the only nonfiction book I have ever read in three days. It is not far-fetched to say it is likely to add awards to Timothy Egan’s already impressive list.
Right up there with Freddy Kruger, Maurice Swift, Darth Vader, Captain Ahab, and Vladimir Putin, D.C. Stephenson, the main character, was a man without morals, evil to the core. (You may disagree with me on the malevolence of some of the above, but I think you would agree about Stephenson.) From poverty and obscurity, he became a Grand Dragon of the Ku Klux Klan. Wielding power over those who didn’t need much convincing to hate Blacks, Catholics, Jews, and immigrants, he was able to increase enrollment in the Klan to nearly four million with his ultimate goal the presidency of the country. Sworn members pervaded police forces, the government, and the church. Very few were courageous enough to fight them or resist membership. (Interestingly, Notre Dame’s “Fighting Irish” logo is the result of a hand to hand battle between hooded Klansmen and a group of N.D. students.) Ultimately, a court case involving a dead woman resulted in imprisonment for Stephenson and the collapse of the Klan with membership shrinking to below ten thousand.
Before the Unite the Right Rally in Charlottesville in 2017, this fever may have seemed like just another inhumane historical period. As alarming as the events in this book were, they didn’t unnerve me as much as white supremacists do in our society today. Like seeds that don’t germinate until provided with the right conditions, so it is with hatred. I can only hope the “vein of hatred” as Egan defines it, will not ooze forth its venom again.
I highly recommend this thoroughly researched and amazing book. It is probably the only nonfiction book I have ever read in three days. It is not far-fetched to say it is likely to add awards to Timothy Egan’s already impressive list.
April 8, 2023
I expect this book to be banned from Florida schools. It describes a history of overt racism, terror and intimidation throughout America that many people would like to forget.
In the 1920s the Ku Klux Klan had thousands of members in many American states, including the north. This book focuses on the man who organized the Klan in Indiana with great success, and placed his hand-picked governor in office as well as numerous other politicians and judges. Under his leadership, the Klan preached sanctimonious values (they were for Prohibition among other things) while using occasional violence to intimidate their foes. The Nazis admitted to studying the methods of the KKK. The KKK showed that most people (white people) would go along with which way the wind was blowing, not wanting to be seen as out of step with their neighbors.
What finally led to their demise was a sensational murder trial. The repugnant sex and violence described in the trial turned many people against them. The book also praises people who stood up to them when they were at the height of power, at great personal risk.
Egan is a journalist who uses a novelistic approach to storytelling. It's all backed up with research, though. He is sensitive to the impression that he couldn't possibly know some of the personal exchanges that happened, so he has a note up front that says that all dialogue and internal monologue are verbatim from cited sources. Otherwise it would be hard to believe.
The principal KKK organizer D.C. Stephenson is so repulsive that it is almost unbelievable, and Egan spends a fair amount of time detailing all Stephenson's horrible acts. While it makes his case, it feels like too much – we get it, already. It's probably not as startling to us today as it would have been in the 1920s.
I needn't point out the clear connections with today's events. They will be obvious to all readers.
In the 1920s the Ku Klux Klan had thousands of members in many American states, including the north. This book focuses on the man who organized the Klan in Indiana with great success, and placed his hand-picked governor in office as well as numerous other politicians and judges. Under his leadership, the Klan preached sanctimonious values (they were for Prohibition among other things) while using occasional violence to intimidate their foes. The Nazis admitted to studying the methods of the KKK. The KKK showed that most people (white people) would go along with which way the wind was blowing, not wanting to be seen as out of step with their neighbors.
What finally led to their demise was a sensational murder trial. The repugnant sex and violence described in the trial turned many people against them. The book also praises people who stood up to them when they were at the height of power, at great personal risk.
Egan is a journalist who uses a novelistic approach to storytelling. It's all backed up with research, though. He is sensitive to the impression that he couldn't possibly know some of the personal exchanges that happened, so he has a note up front that says that all dialogue and internal monologue are verbatim from cited sources. Otherwise it would be hard to believe.
The principal KKK organizer D.C. Stephenson is so repulsive that it is almost unbelievable, and Egan spends a fair amount of time detailing all Stephenson's horrible acts. While it makes his case, it feels like too much – we get it, already. It's probably not as startling to us today as it would have been in the 1920s.
I needn't point out the clear connections with today's events. They will be obvious to all readers.
August 23, 2023
5 ★★★★★
The 1920s in the USA. What pops into your mind? The Great Gatsby? Elliott Ness? Prohibition? Flappers and machine guns?
Think again.
That we don't seem to know or remember this part of our history is why it appears to be recycling.
One hundred years later in the 2020s and the the parallels are striking.
Perhaps I should re-shelve this to the Horror section.
This should woke everyone up.
The 1920s in the USA. What pops into your mind? The Great Gatsby? Elliott Ness? Prohibition? Flappers and machine guns?
Think again.
That we don't seem to know or remember this part of our history is why it appears to be recycling.
One hundred years later in the 2020s and the the parallels are striking.
Perhaps I should re-shelve this to the Horror section.
This should woke everyone up.
February 1, 2023
Historical books are typically not part of my “to be read” list. I expect them to be a dry reiteration of facts that drone on and on. For this reason, I have always turned to Historical Fiction.
However, this book is not at all what I expected - in a good way. Timothy Egan has retold history in such a way to make any genre reader sit up and take notice. As a Pulitzer Prize winning author, his writing is impactful, moving, and emotionally engaging. Although written about the 1920s, the reader will be shocked to find correlation to the politics, law, and legislative actions of today. I was so immersed in the pages, I didn’t want to put it down. I will surely be adding his other works to my “to be read” list!
However, this book is not at all what I expected - in a good way. Timothy Egan has retold history in such a way to make any genre reader sit up and take notice. As a Pulitzer Prize winning author, his writing is impactful, moving, and emotionally engaging. Although written about the 1920s, the reader will be shocked to find correlation to the politics, law, and legislative actions of today. I was so immersed in the pages, I didn’t want to put it down. I will surely be adding his other works to my “to be read” list!
April 17, 2023
2.5 on storygraph.
Consider this review purely subjective; I'm not entirely sure what to say about this. It's not badly written and it presents the facts fine. However, I am not sure why it was necessary as a contribution to any larger conversation about race. To me, it came off similar to one of the 'ripped from the headlines' Law & Order episodes that tries to tackle massive issues and ends up having entirely the wrong conversation. The problem here is that this story isn't ripped from the headlines, it's true.
I am not tagging spoilers in this review as this is a book of historical FACT, so continue knowing I am going to tell you the story:
Title - "A Fever in the Heartland: The Ku Klux Klan's Plot to Take Over American, and the Woman Who Stopped Them." One would think this would be a book that chronicles a woman's knock down, drag-out fight to oust the KKK from influential spots in the United States. It's not.
Story - Madge Oberholtzer, who is an independent women attempting to work with Indiana's KKK Grand Dragon (she's not KKK or even a racist, she is simply trapped in the system he controls), ends up being kidnapped, raped, and brutally tortured by this man and, as a result of his treatment/his lack of medical care given to her after she tries to commit suicide to escape his torture, she dies after giving a detailed account of his assault. Her family/attorneys/a journalist use her "dying declaration" to take down the Grand Dragon, and after he is convicted, the KKK disbands/falls apart in Indiana and all over because they are "embarrassed" by the scandal.
Not because anyone was actively combating their horrific racism and increasingly deranged political and social terrorism. Not necessarily even because Madge herself took a stand. Madge was a victim (a white woman) who was brutalized, and her trauma was too gruesome for anyone to ignore (one wonders what would have happened if Madge had been a Black woman, an Italian woman, etc., and so on). For most of this book, Madge is dead, so using her as a device as the "woman who stopped them" when she was only able to give a feeble deathbed declaration seems almost exploitative - so is implying this story is one that recounts a bold and valiant battle against the reign of the KKK.
There are other characters in this story who are actively, consistently, throughout the rise of the KKK, arguing against it and fighting the political takeover - journalists and citizens who are speaking against it because of their deep-seated beliefs in equality (including one Union Civil War veteran who was disgusted by the takeover of the KKK) - but for some reason these people aren't featured as heavily as brutalized Madge, who is portrayed as the 'hero' of this story because she had the misfortune of being the white woman who was so heinously assaulted that the citizens of Indiana could no longer put up with the Klan.
Egan writes well, but the only way he draws connections to Madge "taking down" the KKK is that they were all too mortified by the actions of the Grand Dragon to continue publicly being the way they were, so they disbanded - there was no ideological revolution, no reckoning, no true crusade here, just a devastatingly traumatized woman who died at the hands of a man who was a monster to women and a monster to men, and then his fellow white-capped club members just sort of said "shit, we aren't going to recover from this - back underground we go!" - if there is more to it than this, Egan doesn't make those connections or dig into it.
So what you have is a gruesome crime story that verges on exploiting the horror experienced by a young woman, but also again telling the story of some racists only "confronted" when they took one step far against a white person - never mind the hell they were raining down on the non white non protestant citizens of Indiana as a whole.
I just don't think I like the focus this story took, the story that was centered, or the way it was quite literally titled as if a female activist took it upon herself to fight back against hate speech and hate legislation and crush the KKK down to its pitiful bones. Instead this is just an awful, bloody tragedy that ends with the KKK slithering away underground, and no real confrontation of what the average citizen of Indiana allowed to happen with the political power grab.
My dissatisfaction with this book comes from the narrative Egan chose to shine a light on, the way it was discussed, and the tone of triumph that characterized the last chapter despite me finding it a cheap, paltry, and demeaning victory. A woman lost her life, people around her used her words to put a bad man in jail, and the Klan was embarrassed -- embarrassed being the key word here; not 'stopped.'
I felt horror for every victim in this book, but also shame that Egan evidently thinks what happened as a result of Madge's posthumous grant of justice was in anyway remotely a cultural repudiation of the ideology the Klan espoused.
Consider this review purely subjective; I'm not entirely sure what to say about this. It's not badly written and it presents the facts fine. However, I am not sure why it was necessary as a contribution to any larger conversation about race. To me, it came off similar to one of the 'ripped from the headlines' Law & Order episodes that tries to tackle massive issues and ends up having entirely the wrong conversation. The problem here is that this story isn't ripped from the headlines, it's true.
I am not tagging spoilers in this review as this is a book of historical FACT, so continue knowing I am going to tell you the story:
Title - "A Fever in the Heartland: The Ku Klux Klan's Plot to Take Over American, and the Woman Who Stopped Them." One would think this would be a book that chronicles a woman's knock down, drag-out fight to oust the KKK from influential spots in the United States. It's not.
Story - Madge Oberholtzer, who is an independent women attempting to work with Indiana's KKK Grand Dragon (she's not KKK or even a racist, she is simply trapped in the system he controls), ends up being kidnapped, raped, and brutally tortured by this man and, as a result of his treatment/his lack of medical care given to her after she tries to commit suicide to escape his torture, she dies after giving a detailed account of his assault. Her family/attorneys/a journalist use her "dying declaration" to take down the Grand Dragon, and after he is convicted, the KKK disbands/falls apart in Indiana and all over because they are "embarrassed" by the scandal.
Not because anyone was actively combating their horrific racism and increasingly deranged political and social terrorism. Not necessarily even because Madge herself took a stand. Madge was a victim (a white woman) who was brutalized, and her trauma was too gruesome for anyone to ignore (one wonders what would have happened if Madge had been a Black woman, an Italian woman, etc., and so on). For most of this book, Madge is dead, so using her as a device as the "woman who stopped them" when she was only able to give a feeble deathbed declaration seems almost exploitative - so is implying this story is one that recounts a bold and valiant battle against the reign of the KKK.
There are other characters in this story who are actively, consistently, throughout the rise of the KKK, arguing against it and fighting the political takeover - journalists and citizens who are speaking against it because of their deep-seated beliefs in equality (including one Union Civil War veteran who was disgusted by the takeover of the KKK) - but for some reason these people aren't featured as heavily as brutalized Madge, who is portrayed as the 'hero' of this story because she had the misfortune of being the white woman who was so heinously assaulted that the citizens of Indiana could no longer put up with the Klan.
Egan writes well, but the only way he draws connections to Madge "taking down" the KKK is that they were all too mortified by the actions of the Grand Dragon to continue publicly being the way they were, so they disbanded - there was no ideological revolution, no reckoning, no true crusade here, just a devastatingly traumatized woman who died at the hands of a man who was a monster to women and a monster to men, and then his fellow white-capped club members just sort of said "shit, we aren't going to recover from this - back underground we go!" - if there is more to it than this, Egan doesn't make those connections or dig into it.
So what you have is a gruesome crime story that verges on exploiting the horror experienced by a young woman, but also again telling the story of some racists only "confronted" when they took one step far against a white person - never mind the hell they were raining down on the non white non protestant citizens of Indiana as a whole.
I just don't think I like the focus this story took, the story that was centered, or the way it was quite literally titled as if a female activist took it upon herself to fight back against hate speech and hate legislation and crush the KKK down to its pitiful bones. Instead this is just an awful, bloody tragedy that ends with the KKK slithering away underground, and no real confrontation of what the average citizen of Indiana allowed to happen with the political power grab.
My dissatisfaction with this book comes from the narrative Egan chose to shine a light on, the way it was discussed, and the tone of triumph that characterized the last chapter despite me finding it a cheap, paltry, and demeaning victory. A woman lost her life, people around her used her words to put a bad man in jail, and the Klan was embarrassed -- embarrassed being the key word here; not 'stopped.'
I felt horror for every victim in this book, but also shame that Egan evidently thinks what happened as a result of Madge's posthumous grant of justice was in anyway remotely a cultural repudiation of the ideology the Klan espoused.
October 20, 2023
This was an excellent example of a book that’s researched well and should scare the hell out of a reader!
A Fever in the Heartland: The Ku Klux Klan’s Plot to Take Over America, and the Woman Who Stopped Them (yeah, I know…it’s a long title!) serves as a valuable historical record on how the dangers of extremism and bigotry will get its hooks into a society.
In this book, Timothy Egan shows the rise of the Ku Klux Klan during the 1920s and sheds light on how the organization attempted to infiltrate society and politics.
The organization was well put together with their repulsive agenda, and they almost succeeded due to social conditions happening in the United States at the time.
During the 1920s, prohibition was in full swing, and rampant racism was common.
People of color, immigrants, Jews, Catholics and anyone different is a threat, especially to fundamental white Christianity. The Ku Klux Klan tapped into this fear and showed that the "threat" needed to be exterminated.
The book also goes into the brave individuals who fought against this evil, and one such individual was Madge Oberholtzer. She was introduced to D.C. Stephenson, the Grand Dragon of the state of Indiana.
D.C. Stephenson was not only a con man but a misogynist and narcissist. He infiltrates the organization and pushed the Ku Klux Klan’s agenda to the local churches, judicial system, law enforcement and politics. They proudly promoted their message to anyone that would listen or be swayed by the bigotry.
Madge meets Stephenson one evening at an inauguration party. He asks her out several times for a date, but she refused. He eventually wears her down and she agrees to meet him for dinner.
He says he wants to "help her" with the adult literacy campaign for Indiana that she's involved with.
She's a bit naïve and wants the help, but his motive was more sinister.
He not only wants to rape and brutalize Madge, but he wants to influence the education in America by pushing fundamental Christianity and the agenda of the KKK on young minds with the excellence of being white.
One evening, she agrees to meet him so she can protect the reading program in Indiana. She's kidnapped that night and from the events of that evening, Madge’s life is drastically changed.
The scandal of this incident is a tipping point on the demise of the Ku Klux Klan and thank God for that!
The subject matter in this book can be distressing and disturbing to a reader but it serves to remind communities and individuals to stand up to prejudice and hate.
Definitely check this one out if you enjoy history and can handle the content. If you are like me, it will also piss you off.
Uh, good luck!
A Fever in the Heartland: The Ku Klux Klan’s Plot to Take Over America, and the Woman Who Stopped Them (yeah, I know…it’s a long title!) serves as a valuable historical record on how the dangers of extremism and bigotry will get its hooks into a society.
In this book, Timothy Egan shows the rise of the Ku Klux Klan during the 1920s and sheds light on how the organization attempted to infiltrate society and politics.
The organization was well put together with their repulsive agenda, and they almost succeeded due to social conditions happening in the United States at the time.
During the 1920s, prohibition was in full swing, and rampant racism was common.
People of color, immigrants, Jews, Catholics and anyone different is a threat, especially to fundamental white Christianity. The Ku Klux Klan tapped into this fear and showed that the "threat" needed to be exterminated.
The book also goes into the brave individuals who fought against this evil, and one such individual was Madge Oberholtzer. She was introduced to D.C. Stephenson, the Grand Dragon of the state of Indiana.
D.C. Stephenson was not only a con man but a misogynist and narcissist. He infiltrates the organization and pushed the Ku Klux Klan’s agenda to the local churches, judicial system, law enforcement and politics. They proudly promoted their message to anyone that would listen or be swayed by the bigotry.
Madge meets Stephenson one evening at an inauguration party. He asks her out several times for a date, but she refused. He eventually wears her down and she agrees to meet him for dinner.
He says he wants to "help her" with the adult literacy campaign for Indiana that she's involved with.
She's a bit naïve and wants the help, but his motive was more sinister.
He not only wants to rape and brutalize Madge, but he wants to influence the education in America by pushing fundamental Christianity and the agenda of the KKK on young minds with the excellence of being white.
One evening, she agrees to meet him so she can protect the reading program in Indiana. She's kidnapped that night and from the events of that evening, Madge’s life is drastically changed.
The scandal of this incident is a tipping point on the demise of the Ku Klux Klan and thank God for that!
The subject matter in this book can be distressing and disturbing to a reader but it serves to remind communities and individuals to stand up to prejudice and hate.
Definitely check this one out if you enjoy history and can handle the content. If you are like me, it will also piss you off.
Uh, good luck!
Read
July 16, 2023Forgive me if I've already commented on this book. If I have, I cannot find the review. Thus, I am writing this one. Timothy Egan's book is one that should be read by every voting American. Technically, it's about how the Ku Klux Klan took over the state of Indiana to such a degree that the organization owned the judicial system, the legislature at every level, city governments across the state, city councils, school boards, newspapers, and pretty much everything area of influence that you can think of. The Klan established this foothold through the machinations of D.C. Stephenson, a smooth-talking and charming charlatan who was, behind closed doors, a sexual predator, a rapist, an embezzler, a xenophobe, and a misogynist. Behind open doors, he was a racist determined to rid Indiana of Jewish, Catholic, and Black citizens. As he put it, "I am the law in Indiana." Ultimately, he was brought down through being convicted of second degree murder in the death of a young woman whom he kidnapped, raped, savaged around her genitals and breasts with his teeth, locked her up in a garage, and drove her to drink a deadly poison. When she begged him to call a doctor, he refused. Ultimately, he took her back to her home where she lived with her parents, and there she died. But before she died, she was able to dictate a lengthy chronicle of what had happened to her. Her body itself served as evidence. Stephenson was given a life sentence and from that moment, the Klan began to disintegrate in the state of Indiana. This happened in the 1920s, only 100 years ago. Egan's book served as a cautionary tale for politics in America today. He never mentions a current politican by name. But the reader would be a fool not to see the parallels between this louse of a human being--D.C. Stephenson--and Donald Trump. Truly and sincerely, I recommend this book. If you've never read Timothy Egan's non-fiction, this is an excellent book to start you out.
September 28, 2023
“Not everything that is faced can be changed, but nothing can be changed until it is faced.”
– James Baldwin
This book is about the rise and fall of the KKK leader David Curtis Stephenson who was appointed as the Grand Dragon of the Klan in the state of Indiana in the 1920s.
– James Baldwin
This book is about the rise and fall of the KKK leader David Curtis Stephenson who was appointed as the Grand Dragon of the Klan in the state of Indiana in the 1920s.
November 13, 2023
The title of this book is misleading. First, the woman did not stop the Ku Klux Klan’s plan. That makes it sound like she was an anti Klan crusader. She was just one of many victims of the leader of the Klan, who was a serial rapist and sadist. He was not condemned for his Klan activities. Second, the Klan didn’t go anywhere. It just changed its name and stopped wearing the white robes. A Klan member from the 1920s would feel right at home at Trump’s political rallies. In 1924, a vile, narcissistic, racist, xenophobe plotted to win the presidency. And his besotted followers did his every bidding. So what has changed?
The book will inform people, who did not already know, that the Klan was active (even most active) outside the Southern states. So it serves a purpose. The description of the murder trial went on too long and the author lingered a little too long on the debauchery of the Klan leader.
The book will inform people, who did not already know, that the Klan was active (even most active) outside the Southern states. So it serves a purpose. The description of the murder trial went on too long and the author lingered a little too long on the debauchery of the Klan leader.
December 10, 2023
12/2 - Buddy read with Simon. We started it while sitting on our couch practicing the art of Swedish death cleaning by listing items for sale online.
The introduction includes the following description regarding David C. Stephenson, "Charm oozed from him like grease from a sizzling sausage."
12/4 - So far this story is providing a diversion for us of sorts. Each passage seems more shocking than the last in the suffering the Ku Klux Klan members inflict on anyone they deem less than. We are finding we can only listen to a bit at a time before becoming overcome with strong emotions.
I think I was most surprised by the women who supported the Ku Klux Klan and most particularly women we might think of as progressive. For example, Daisy Barr was chosen by Stephenson in 1923 to lead the women of the Ku Klux Klan.
"Her belief in voting rights and temperance had evolved into a broader vision of white supremacy maintained by the rising political strength of women. In public the big heart that had once brimmed with benevolence for fallen humans had shriveled into a raisin of racial animus."
12/5 - to quote Simon, "We keep hoping there's a positive outcome."
Today, we learned that Henry Ford was anti-semitic. "A new Model T came with an owner's manual and a tract on the imaginary power of Jewish financiers. Ford saw Jewish tentacles extending to every aspect of life."
12/8 - Today, we were surprised by the sheer numbers of people, men, women and children that bought into the beliefs of the Ku Klux Klan and the level to which society had been infiltrated and controlled by Klansmen including police and government officials.
"It was the averageness of Kokomo - the dead level typicalness of the town, as one native son on that day recalled that made it an ideal host for the hate group that had taken over the Heartland."
"The Klan made life less dull; it gave meaning, shape, and purpose to the days. Folks got their news from editors loyal to the Klan, or from a gossip chain that started with a Klan poison squad plant. They took their moral guidance from preachers in the pocket of the hooded order."
Basically, they believed they were good people. However, in fact, they were "pilgrims of prejudice."
"These people needed to hate something smaller than themselves as much as they needed to have faith in something greater than themselves."
12/9 - Finally, David C. Stephenson is on trial. He is described as a "thug in a fancy suit."
David C. Stephenson had a duel personality, on the one hand he "was a magnetic sympathetic cultured attractive man of the world,"[...] "an impassioned orator," and he possessed a charisma that "enabled him to attract and dominate better men and good women."
On the other, he "was a violator of the law, a drunkard, and a persistent seducer and destroyer of women's chastity." His crimes against women and Madge Oberholtzer in particular were horrific and hard to listen to. Madge Oberholtzer showed incredible courage and resourcefulness. Her actions resulted in justice being served against all the odds, especially when you consider the far reaching tentacles of the Klan.
12/10 - We are relieved to have come to the end of the story. Here are some of our final thoughts:
The income received from Klan members totaled a staggering twenty-nine million dollars. "Isn't it strange that with all our educational advantages, noted the Hoosier writer Meredith Nicholson, that so many Indiana citizens could be induced to pay ten dollars for the privilege of hating their neighbors and wearing a sheet."
Stephenson had realized "that he could make far more money from the renewable hate of everyday white people than he could ever make as an honest businessman or member of congress."
What we found the most chilling is the similarities between Stephenson and our previous president. It truly feels like history repeating itself.
Finally, THIS:
"About seventy thousand Americans who were deemed a threat to the national gene pool, the deaf, the blind, ethnic minorities, people with epilepsy, homosexuals, poor people, and promiscuous women were sterilized against their will. Nazi Germany defended its own 1936 eugenics law by pointing to the United States as a role model."
The introduction includes the following description regarding David C. Stephenson, "Charm oozed from him like grease from a sizzling sausage."
12/4 - So far this story is providing a diversion for us of sorts. Each passage seems more shocking than the last in the suffering the Ku Klux Klan members inflict on anyone they deem less than. We are finding we can only listen to a bit at a time before becoming overcome with strong emotions.
I think I was most surprised by the women who supported the Ku Klux Klan and most particularly women we might think of as progressive. For example, Daisy Barr was chosen by Stephenson in 1923 to lead the women of the Ku Klux Klan.
"Her belief in voting rights and temperance had evolved into a broader vision of white supremacy maintained by the rising political strength of women. In public the big heart that had once brimmed with benevolence for fallen humans had shriveled into a raisin of racial animus."
12/5 - to quote Simon, "We keep hoping there's a positive outcome."
Today, we learned that Henry Ford was anti-semitic. "A new Model T came with an owner's manual and a tract on the imaginary power of Jewish financiers. Ford saw Jewish tentacles extending to every aspect of life."
12/8 - Today, we were surprised by the sheer numbers of people, men, women and children that bought into the beliefs of the Ku Klux Klan and the level to which society had been infiltrated and controlled by Klansmen including police and government officials.
"It was the averageness of Kokomo - the dead level typicalness of the town, as one native son on that day recalled that made it an ideal host for the hate group that had taken over the Heartland."
"The Klan made life less dull; it gave meaning, shape, and purpose to the days. Folks got their news from editors loyal to the Klan, or from a gossip chain that started with a Klan poison squad plant. They took their moral guidance from preachers in the pocket of the hooded order."
Basically, they believed they were good people. However, in fact, they were "pilgrims of prejudice."
"These people needed to hate something smaller than themselves as much as they needed to have faith in something greater than themselves."
12/9 - Finally, David C. Stephenson is on trial. He is described as a "thug in a fancy suit."
David C. Stephenson had a duel personality, on the one hand he "was a magnetic sympathetic cultured attractive man of the world,"[...] "an impassioned orator," and he possessed a charisma that "enabled him to attract and dominate better men and good women."
On the other, he "was a violator of the law, a drunkard, and a persistent seducer and destroyer of women's chastity." His crimes against women and Madge Oberholtzer in particular were horrific and hard to listen to. Madge Oberholtzer showed incredible courage and resourcefulness. Her actions resulted in justice being served against all the odds, especially when you consider the far reaching tentacles of the Klan.
12/10 - We are relieved to have come to the end of the story. Here are some of our final thoughts:
The income received from Klan members totaled a staggering twenty-nine million dollars. "Isn't it strange that with all our educational advantages, noted the Hoosier writer Meredith Nicholson, that so many Indiana citizens could be induced to pay ten dollars for the privilege of hating their neighbors and wearing a sheet."
Stephenson had realized "that he could make far more money from the renewable hate of everyday white people than he could ever make as an honest businessman or member of congress."
What we found the most chilling is the similarities between Stephenson and our previous president. It truly feels like history repeating itself.
Finally, THIS:
"About seventy thousand Americans who were deemed a threat to the national gene pool, the deaf, the blind, ethnic minorities, people with epilepsy, homosexuals, poor people, and promiscuous women were sterilized against their will. Nazi Germany defended its own 1936 eugenics law by pointing to the United States as a role model."
February 7, 2024
It has been said that one person can change history, and history certainly has many examples of that. Take, for example, the story of D.C. Stephenson.
A rather cherubic young man, Stephenson wasn’t particularly intelligent. He wasn’t a doctor or a lawyer. He wasn’t a politician or a man of letters. He never served in any capacity as an elected official. He didn’t invent anything, and he didn’t discover anything of any significance. And yet, in the early- to mid-1920s, Stephenson somehow became one of the most powerful and influential men in the United States.
Timothy Egan, in “A Fever in the Heartland”, tells the ugly and brutal tale of Stephenson’s horrifying rise to fame and infamy as the Grand Dragon of the Ku Klux Klan. Through sheer charisma alone, Stephenson managed to attract hundreds of thousands of men, women, and—-sadly—-children to join the Confederate-era white supremacist organization bent on the eradication of Jews, Catholics, blacks, and immigrants that didn’t fit into a strict white Anglo-Saxon Protestant mold.
Stephenson “owned” whole police departments, city councils, and mayors throughout Indiana, where he was settled. He had at his constant beck and call teams of doctors, lawyers, newspapermen, school superintendents, teachers, and business owners. He began to build connections with state officials and governors. Eventually, he would have connections with U.S. Senators, Congressmen, and even Presidents.
Many years later, a man named Adolf Hitler would take pages from Stephenson’s playbook in his own attempt to rule the world.
But if one person can change the world for the worse—-and Stephenson was clearly on that path—-then one person can change it for the better.
Madge Oberholtzer was, by all accounts, a beautiful young woman with the kindest of hearts and a friend to many. She did not particularly like the direction her home state was going in, especially with the rise of the Klan, but she was not particularly politically-active or aggressive. She believed in simply doing the right thing and being a good example to others.
How she got on Stephenson’s radar is rather simple: she was an attractive young lady that he saw around town, and he was a notorious ladies man. That description is being too nice, however, as anyone who knew him well knew that Stephenson was a brutal sexual aggressor and violent rapist, who often left a trail of bloodied and traumatized women in every city he visited. These women could often find no redress as Stephenson bought off local police officers and judges so that none of the women could even file rape charges, let alone convict him of anything.
One night, at gunpoint, two of Stephenson’s henchmen kidnapped Madge and brought her to Stephenson, where Madge’s story suddenly turned dark and tragic. It would, however, lead to a criminal trial that would turn the general public against Stephenson and reveal him as the monster that he was, thus leading to a domino effect in which the public would begin to regard the Ku Klux Klan with disfavor and disgust. In a few short years following, the once-majestic Grand Dragon would be in a prison, and the once-powerful hate group would lose much of its momentum and political power.
Egan’s story is frighteningly well-told, but it highlights an even scarier truth: awful people like Stephenson are not isolated incidents, as our previous president, Donald Trump, proved. The fact that a cretin and sleazebag like Trump could become president and retain loyal followers—-even after two impeachments, leading an insurrection, and facing 91 indictments—-shows how lemming-like many Americans still are. It also shows the just-beneath-the-surface racism and xenophobia that extremists like Stephenson and Trump use to their advantage.
A rather cherubic young man, Stephenson wasn’t particularly intelligent. He wasn’t a doctor or a lawyer. He wasn’t a politician or a man of letters. He never served in any capacity as an elected official. He didn’t invent anything, and he didn’t discover anything of any significance. And yet, in the early- to mid-1920s, Stephenson somehow became one of the most powerful and influential men in the United States.
Timothy Egan, in “A Fever in the Heartland”, tells the ugly and brutal tale of Stephenson’s horrifying rise to fame and infamy as the Grand Dragon of the Ku Klux Klan. Through sheer charisma alone, Stephenson managed to attract hundreds of thousands of men, women, and—-sadly—-children to join the Confederate-era white supremacist organization bent on the eradication of Jews, Catholics, blacks, and immigrants that didn’t fit into a strict white Anglo-Saxon Protestant mold.
Stephenson “owned” whole police departments, city councils, and mayors throughout Indiana, where he was settled. He had at his constant beck and call teams of doctors, lawyers, newspapermen, school superintendents, teachers, and business owners. He began to build connections with state officials and governors. Eventually, he would have connections with U.S. Senators, Congressmen, and even Presidents.
Many years later, a man named Adolf Hitler would take pages from Stephenson’s playbook in his own attempt to rule the world.
But if one person can change the world for the worse—-and Stephenson was clearly on that path—-then one person can change it for the better.
Madge Oberholtzer was, by all accounts, a beautiful young woman with the kindest of hearts and a friend to many. She did not particularly like the direction her home state was going in, especially with the rise of the Klan, but she was not particularly politically-active or aggressive. She believed in simply doing the right thing and being a good example to others.
How she got on Stephenson’s radar is rather simple: she was an attractive young lady that he saw around town, and he was a notorious ladies man. That description is being too nice, however, as anyone who knew him well knew that Stephenson was a brutal sexual aggressor and violent rapist, who often left a trail of bloodied and traumatized women in every city he visited. These women could often find no redress as Stephenson bought off local police officers and judges so that none of the women could even file rape charges, let alone convict him of anything.
One night, at gunpoint, two of Stephenson’s henchmen kidnapped Madge and brought her to Stephenson, where Madge’s story suddenly turned dark and tragic. It would, however, lead to a criminal trial that would turn the general public against Stephenson and reveal him as the monster that he was, thus leading to a domino effect in which the public would begin to regard the Ku Klux Klan with disfavor and disgust. In a few short years following, the once-majestic Grand Dragon would be in a prison, and the once-powerful hate group would lose much of its momentum and political power.
Egan’s story is frighteningly well-told, but it highlights an even scarier truth: awful people like Stephenson are not isolated incidents, as our previous president, Donald Trump, proved. The fact that a cretin and sleazebag like Trump could become president and retain loyal followers—-even after two impeachments, leading an insurrection, and facing 91 indictments—-shows how lemming-like many Americans still are. It also shows the just-beneath-the-surface racism and xenophobia that extremists like Stephenson and Trump use to their advantage.
June 9, 2024
Riveting account of the growth of the Ku Klux Klan in the Midwest & Northwestern states in the 1920s with emphasis on the role of a sexual predator as the head of the Indiana KKK and his assault upon a young, well respected woman in the state, resulting in her death.
It will fill the reader with outrage and horror.
Approach it as an immensely interesting history and cautionary tale of a time when hatred of fellow citizens was as American as a Ford Model T.
Depressing but impossible to forget.
It will fill the reader with outrage and horror.
Approach it as an immensely interesting history and cautionary tale of a time when hatred of fellow citizens was as American as a Ford Model T.
Depressing but impossible to forget.
July 22, 2023
When I was growing up in Fort Wayne, Indiana, I took a school field trip (in maybe the third grade?) to the Fort Wayne Historical Society. The building itself made the trip memorable, but what seared that field trip into my brain is the recollection of turning the corner on one of the floors and discovering a glass display with a dummy inside (which, dude, scary already) WEARING A FULL KU KLUX KLAN COSTUME***.
I thought a lot about that trip (which gave me nightmares for months after) as I read Tim Egan’s new book A Fever in the Heartland—a work of nonfiction that hits *too* close to home given its examination of that dark period in American history when WAYYYYYYY more Americans were members of the KKK than our history books led us to believe. (In Indiana, the heart of Klan activity at the time, ONE IN THREE Hoosiers were members of the Klan in 1923. ONE. IN. THREE.)
It’s easy 100 years on to romanticize the ‘20s as that roaring era of flappers and jazz and the Charleston, but peel back the Gatsby-colored curtain and pick up a book like this (or watch Ken Burns’ “The US and the Holocaust”) and you can realize this was also the same terrifying decade when xenophobia reigned supreme, the KKK was hosting parades like they were going out of style (not just in the Midwest …. apparently the organization was so deep in the pockets of Anaheim, the city was dubbed ‘Klanaheim’), and eugenics was a global movement.
To say this book—which details the rise and fall of the terrible DC Stephenson, grand dragon of the Indiana KKK—was eye-opening is like saying water is wet. I learned SO much from this read—about my home state, about tolerance, and (sadly) about how we are doomed to repeat history if we do not take the time to learn from it. (To say DC would be friends with Donald Trump today is like saying …. well, you know where I’m going with that analogy).
What made this book a 5-star read for me was that *very* rare experience where the topic being covered becomes personal in an unexpected way.
Throughout Fever, Stephenson chronicles the pervasiveness of the KKK in the lives of everyday citizens (you could shop at Klan-approved stores! enroll your children in the Ku Klux Kiddies!) but he *also* shares the stories of the individuals who put up a fight against the terrorist organization. One of those individuals was George R. Dale, a rabble-rousing newspaper editor from Muncie (the city I’ve called home for the past 20 years).
Dale has been described as “Indiana’s Jazz Age version of a Stephen Colbert or Jon Stewart,” and I absolutely RELISHED every moment he was on the page of this book, raising hell against the Klan.
You want to know why?
Because my husband and I bought our home 17 years ago from George's great-grandson, Andrew Dale, who lives in Muncie and, like his family members before him, is involved in community building and local politics.
So yeah, forget Kevin Bacon, with this book it was ALL about “Six Degrees of George Dale” for me.
***Sadly, seeing that Klansman as a kid feels like the most I recall learning about the KKK in grade school history. We as a society are WAY overdue both for how we talk about slavery and racism in our texts as well as white nationalism, which, as we ALL know, is on the rise again in this country.
I thought a lot about that trip (which gave me nightmares for months after) as I read Tim Egan’s new book A Fever in the Heartland—a work of nonfiction that hits *too* close to home given its examination of that dark period in American history when WAYYYYYYY more Americans were members of the KKK than our history books led us to believe. (In Indiana, the heart of Klan activity at the time, ONE IN THREE Hoosiers were members of the Klan in 1923. ONE. IN. THREE.)
It’s easy 100 years on to romanticize the ‘20s as that roaring era of flappers and jazz and the Charleston, but peel back the Gatsby-colored curtain and pick up a book like this (or watch Ken Burns’ “The US and the Holocaust”) and you can realize this was also the same terrifying decade when xenophobia reigned supreme, the KKK was hosting parades like they were going out of style (not just in the Midwest …. apparently the organization was so deep in the pockets of Anaheim, the city was dubbed ‘Klanaheim’), and eugenics was a global movement.
To say this book—which details the rise and fall of the terrible DC Stephenson, grand dragon of the Indiana KKK—was eye-opening is like saying water is wet. I learned SO much from this read—about my home state, about tolerance, and (sadly) about how we are doomed to repeat history if we do not take the time to learn from it. (To say DC would be friends with Donald Trump today is like saying …. well, you know where I’m going with that analogy).
What made this book a 5-star read for me was that *very* rare experience where the topic being covered becomes personal in an unexpected way.
Throughout Fever, Stephenson chronicles the pervasiveness of the KKK in the lives of everyday citizens (you could shop at Klan-approved stores! enroll your children in the Ku Klux Kiddies!) but he *also* shares the stories of the individuals who put up a fight against the terrorist organization. One of those individuals was George R. Dale, a rabble-rousing newspaper editor from Muncie (the city I’ve called home for the past 20 years).
Dale has been described as “Indiana’s Jazz Age version of a Stephen Colbert or Jon Stewart,” and I absolutely RELISHED every moment he was on the page of this book, raising hell against the Klan.
You want to know why?
Because my husband and I bought our home 17 years ago from George's great-grandson, Andrew Dale, who lives in Muncie and, like his family members before him, is involved in community building and local politics.
So yeah, forget Kevin Bacon, with this book it was ALL about “Six Degrees of George Dale” for me.
***Sadly, seeing that Klansman as a kid feels like the most I recall learning about the KKK in grade school history. We as a society are WAY overdue both for how we talk about slavery and racism in our texts as well as white nationalism, which, as we ALL know, is on the rise again in this country.
April 2, 2024
A Fever in the Heartland by Timothy Egan. This was a rough read for me. Uncovering the triple K (I won’t give trash credit by writing it out) This group was responsible for most of the crime against all races and religions in 1920s that were not White male and Protestant in American. The top man made a mistake. Be left his girlfriend on her deathbed still alive. In doing this Madge Oberholtzer unveiled what this group was about , who they are , and spilled all she knew in order to bring them down.
As always Timothy Egan did an amazing job researching this very dark time in American History The title was misleading. By bringing out this dark period of time it keeps readers apprised of history. History that will hopefully never be repeated!!
As always Timothy Egan did an amazing job researching this very dark time in American History The title was misleading. By bringing out this dark period of time it keeps readers apprised of history. History that will hopefully never be repeated!!
June 4, 2023
Remarkably gripping and sobering. D. C. Stephenson is one of the evilest men I’ve ever read about. I didn’t realize just how entrenched in American life—especially in the north—the KKK was a mere century ago. It wasn’t fringe at all. This book is an unsettling exposé of political conspiracy and systemic injustice at the highest levels—especially in Indiana but all through our “civilized” land. Highly recommended.
January 30, 2023
My deepest gratitude to the Publisher for allowing me the distinct privilege of reading an advanced copy of the soon to be public historical account: A Fever in The Heartland. I allowed myself a 24 hour period after finishing the book to let my thoughts on this compilation simmer. One cannot criticize the story of the book because it is a chronicle based in fact, not fiction. However, one can critique the depth of the authors research, and how Timothy Egan presents the story to the reader. Egan’s writings of the historical events that occurred across Indiana and the rest of the country during the 1920’s clearly show a deeply rooted passion and dedication to historical accuracy and proper messaging. It is immediate to the reader that Egan spent years delving into the breadth of evil history that is the Ku Klux Klan. His commitment to provide a collection of historical events and how he webbed them together telling the story of a one Mr. D.C Stephenson deserves nothing but respect. I must admit, though, I had times during the book where I needed to turn back a page and ensure Egan the writer and I the reader were thinking about the same person. This does not mean that certain persons appearing in the story don’t hold significance to the entirety of the historical account, but that there were moments where I found myself struggling to keep track of characters storylines. With that being said, that is my sole criticism of the book. Everything else I experienced while reading this excellent account kept me beaming with astonishment and surprise. I was often on the edge of my seat, eager for the next chapter. In the end, I found myself crying tears of joy and sadness as Timothy Egan provided an excellent compendium about a horrifically dark time in our nations history, when Americans across the United States found themselves bowing to the Ku Klux Klan. To Timothy Egan I say thank you.
January 17, 2024
Hands down, the best book I read in 2023.
If this book were published ten years ago, many of us would have read it, thought it was good, and set it aside, gratefully thinking that it was good to live in a country where such things no longer happen. In light of recent events, though, the book’s impact is chilling.
The 1920s America that Timothy Egan describes sounds more like a fantasy akin to PKD’s The Man in the High Castle than a serious work of American history, but it really happened, however much our parents and grandparents would like to pretend that it didn’t.
After World War One, a host of changes threatened to undermine the stability that many white Americans across the country believed they were entitled to. Immigrants from Europe were pouring into the country. Added to that, millions of black families were fleeing north to escape Jim Crow oppression in what would come to be called the Great Migration. Added to that, the whole world was changing. Women’s dresses and hairstyles were getting shorter and the music, well, enough about that. America needed someone who could stand up and defend good old white protestant family values. Enter the Ku Klux Klan. Crushed and outlawed by President Grant, the Klan reappeared in 1915 and quickly became a political powerhouse with membership as high as 6 million. The Klan boasted 15 senators in its ranks, as well as three governors (Oregon, Colorado & Indiana).
Much of the credit for the Klan’s rapid growth was attributed to a charismatic flim-flam artist from Texas, D.C. Stephenson, who settled in Indiana and realized early on “that he could make far more money from the renewable hate of everyday white people than he could ever make as an honest businessman or a member of Congress”. With that thought in mind, he joined the Klan and in no time at all was appointed Grand Dragon of the Indiana Klan. Soon, an estimated 400,000 Hoosiers were “induced to pay $10 for the privilege of hating their neighbors and wearing a sheet.” $4 out of every ten went straight into Stephenson’s pocket, along with a substantial profit from sheet sales. His political power was such that he hand-picked Klansman Ed Jackson to be elected governor. Jackson promised to appoint Stephenson to a soon-to-be-vacant senate seat but Stephenson set his sites even higher, on the White House. He often boasted “I am the law in Indiana,” and few doubted that it was true.
Then he met Marge Oberholzer, a bright, quick-witted and strong-willed young woman who was well-known and liked throughout Irvington. This meeting set off a tragic chain of events that led to one of Indiana’s most notorious murder trials and changed the lives and fortunes of millions.
What shocked me the most about this book is how much it reminded me of recent events. That anyone could boast that they would face no consequences for crimes they could or did commit tells me that they have no moral compass. Furthermore, to build one’s political power on hatred, bigotry and intolerance is unconscionable. Finally, when Stephenson said “He believed the trial was a hoax and a witch hunt. The only way they could bring down this giant of a man was…to entrap him,” I couldn’t help but think of someone else who has said the same thing, and that person actually did make it into the White House.
I cannot recommend this book highly enough. W.E.B. Du Bois wrote that behind "the yelling, cruel-eyed demons who break, destroy, maim, lynch, and burn at the stake is a knot, large or small, of normal human beings, and these human beings at heart are desperately afraid of something." We all need to face our fears like civilized human beings and not cave in to the baser instincts that some would use to control us.
…
FYI: On a 5-point scale I assign stars based on my assessment of what the book needs in the way of improvements:
*5 Stars – Nothing at all. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.
*4 Stars – It could stand for a few tweaks here and there but it’s pretty good as it is.
*3 Stars – A solid C grade. Some serious rewriting would be needed in order for this book to be considered great or memorable.
*2 Stars – This book needs a lot of work. A good start would be to change the plot, the character development, the writing style and the ending.
*1 Star – The only thing that would improve this book is a good bonfire.
If this book were published ten years ago, many of us would have read it, thought it was good, and set it aside, gratefully thinking that it was good to live in a country where such things no longer happen. In light of recent events, though, the book’s impact is chilling.
The 1920s America that Timothy Egan describes sounds more like a fantasy akin to PKD’s The Man in the High Castle than a serious work of American history, but it really happened, however much our parents and grandparents would like to pretend that it didn’t.
After World War One, a host of changes threatened to undermine the stability that many white Americans across the country believed they were entitled to. Immigrants from Europe were pouring into the country. Added to that, millions of black families were fleeing north to escape Jim Crow oppression in what would come to be called the Great Migration. Added to that, the whole world was changing. Women’s dresses and hairstyles were getting shorter and the music, well, enough about that. America needed someone who could stand up and defend good old white protestant family values. Enter the Ku Klux Klan. Crushed and outlawed by President Grant, the Klan reappeared in 1915 and quickly became a political powerhouse with membership as high as 6 million. The Klan boasted 15 senators in its ranks, as well as three governors (Oregon, Colorado & Indiana).
Much of the credit for the Klan’s rapid growth was attributed to a charismatic flim-flam artist from Texas, D.C. Stephenson, who settled in Indiana and realized early on “that he could make far more money from the renewable hate of everyday white people than he could ever make as an honest businessman or a member of Congress”. With that thought in mind, he joined the Klan and in no time at all was appointed Grand Dragon of the Indiana Klan. Soon, an estimated 400,000 Hoosiers were “induced to pay $10 for the privilege of hating their neighbors and wearing a sheet.” $4 out of every ten went straight into Stephenson’s pocket, along with a substantial profit from sheet sales. His political power was such that he hand-picked Klansman Ed Jackson to be elected governor. Jackson promised to appoint Stephenson to a soon-to-be-vacant senate seat but Stephenson set his sites even higher, on the White House. He often boasted “I am the law in Indiana,” and few doubted that it was true.
Then he met Marge Oberholzer, a bright, quick-witted and strong-willed young woman who was well-known and liked throughout Irvington. This meeting set off a tragic chain of events that led to one of Indiana’s most notorious murder trials and changed the lives and fortunes of millions.
What shocked me the most about this book is how much it reminded me of recent events. That anyone could boast that they would face no consequences for crimes they could or did commit tells me that they have no moral compass. Furthermore, to build one’s political power on hatred, bigotry and intolerance is unconscionable. Finally, when Stephenson said “He believed the trial was a hoax and a witch hunt. The only way they could bring down this giant of a man was…to entrap him,” I couldn’t help but think of someone else who has said the same thing, and that person actually did make it into the White House.
I cannot recommend this book highly enough. W.E.B. Du Bois wrote that behind "the yelling, cruel-eyed demons who break, destroy, maim, lynch, and burn at the stake is a knot, large or small, of normal human beings, and these human beings at heart are desperately afraid of something." We all need to face our fears like civilized human beings and not cave in to the baser instincts that some would use to control us.
…
FYI: On a 5-point scale I assign stars based on my assessment of what the book needs in the way of improvements:
*5 Stars – Nothing at all. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.
*4 Stars – It could stand for a few tweaks here and there but it’s pretty good as it is.
*3 Stars – A solid C grade. Some serious rewriting would be needed in order for this book to be considered great or memorable.
*2 Stars – This book needs a lot of work. A good start would be to change the plot, the character development, the writing style and the ending.
*1 Star – The only thing that would improve this book is a good bonfire.
April 19, 2023
I'm a fan of Tim Egan's writing, so I came into this expecting a compelling read. His storytelling ability shines and he aptly applied his skills in crafting the narrative in this book. It was hard to put down.
The book centers on the reemergence of the Ku Klux Klan in the upper Midwest in the golden age of the early 1920s. D. C. Stephenson was a charismatic drifter and grifter who found an opportunity to gain wealth and power by establishing a chapter of the Klan in Indiana. He exploited fear among the poor and powerless by convincing them that their lot in life was threatened by anyone who was not a white protestant, convincing them to pledge their allegiance to the version of 'Americanism' that aligned with the hate spewed by the KKK directed not only at blacks but also Catholics, Jewish, and immigrants. Stephenson was relentless in his thirst for power and quickly expanded his reach into Ohio and other midwestern states. He manipulated the KKK leadership in the South who were all too eager to support his efforts. Stephenson quickly became the Grand Dragon of his burgeoning group, numbering into the hundreds of thousands. Stephenson took a financial cut from every membership fee and brought in, every white robe he sold.
Much of the plank in Stephenson's platform was based on purity, including observing the sanctity of marriage. But in his personal life it was another story. He drank to an extreme, and his charm turned into predatory sexual behavior in his approach to women. He was able to get away with his debauchery. He threw lavish parties for the politicians and the powerful who he had enlisted into the Klan. It was a cycle of the powerful protecting each other in their quest for control.
What goes up must come down. It would all lead to Stephenson's undoing. One pivotal event involving the death of a young woman, Marge Oberholtzer, would lead to his downfall, and contribute to the eventual fall of the Klan.
The story and the events are horrific. Egan weaves together a lot of detail in this story, and clearly draws a picture of the personalities and environment of the times. This is not fabricated. The dialogue, descriptions, events, were all drawn from extensive source material including a lot of press reports, letters, courtroom testimony, and other records. There are even some chilling photos. Tim Egan brings the receipts!
This book also succeeds in leading the reader to clearly see how these events parallel modern day extremism. It's a remarkably similar path of separatism, driven by a leader in the relentless search for power and who sells division. And for $10 you can buy a hat!
In the epilogue Egan urges us to think about how this came about. Was it Stephenson and his charismatic ways? If he'd never set foot in Indiana would this have happened? But then, "What if the leaders of the 1920s Klan didn't drive public sentiment but rode it? . . . It's entirely possible that the Klan fell apart not just because of scandals and high-level hypocrisy, but also because it had achieved all of its major goals - prohibition, disenfranchisement of African Americans, slamming the door on immigrants whose religion or skin color didn't match that of the majority. Long after Stephenson was put away, the ideas that his followers promoted while marching in masks behind a flaming cross prevailed as the law of the land."
There is a lot to absorb. It may not be a well known story, but it should be. Egan did a magnificent job bringing this to life and showing us all bluntly why we should care. Highly recommend.
The book centers on the reemergence of the Ku Klux Klan in the upper Midwest in the golden age of the early 1920s. D. C. Stephenson was a charismatic drifter and grifter who found an opportunity to gain wealth and power by establishing a chapter of the Klan in Indiana. He exploited fear among the poor and powerless by convincing them that their lot in life was threatened by anyone who was not a white protestant, convincing them to pledge their allegiance to the version of 'Americanism' that aligned with the hate spewed by the KKK directed not only at blacks but also Catholics, Jewish, and immigrants. Stephenson was relentless in his thirst for power and quickly expanded his reach into Ohio and other midwestern states. He manipulated the KKK leadership in the South who were all too eager to support his efforts. Stephenson quickly became the Grand Dragon of his burgeoning group, numbering into the hundreds of thousands. Stephenson took a financial cut from every membership fee and brought in, every white robe he sold.
Much of the plank in Stephenson's platform was based on purity, including observing the sanctity of marriage. But in his personal life it was another story. He drank to an extreme, and his charm turned into predatory sexual behavior in his approach to women. He was able to get away with his debauchery. He threw lavish parties for the politicians and the powerful who he had enlisted into the Klan. It was a cycle of the powerful protecting each other in their quest for control.
What goes up must come down. It would all lead to Stephenson's undoing. One pivotal event involving the death of a young woman, Marge Oberholtzer, would lead to his downfall, and contribute to the eventual fall of the Klan.
The story and the events are horrific. Egan weaves together a lot of detail in this story, and clearly draws a picture of the personalities and environment of the times. This is not fabricated. The dialogue, descriptions, events, were all drawn from extensive source material including a lot of press reports, letters, courtroom testimony, and other records. There are even some chilling photos. Tim Egan brings the receipts!
This book also succeeds in leading the reader to clearly see how these events parallel modern day extremism. It's a remarkably similar path of separatism, driven by a leader in the relentless search for power and who sells division. And for $10 you can buy a hat!
In the epilogue Egan urges us to think about how this came about. Was it Stephenson and his charismatic ways? If he'd never set foot in Indiana would this have happened? But then, "What if the leaders of the 1920s Klan didn't drive public sentiment but rode it? . . . It's entirely possible that the Klan fell apart not just because of scandals and high-level hypocrisy, but also because it had achieved all of its major goals - prohibition, disenfranchisement of African Americans, slamming the door on immigrants whose religion or skin color didn't match that of the majority. Long after Stephenson was put away, the ideas that his followers promoted while marching in masks behind a flaming cross prevailed as the law of the land."
There is a lot to absorb. It may not be a well known story, but it should be. Egan did a magnificent job bringing this to life and showing us all bluntly why we should care. Highly recommend.
September 9, 2023
When most people think of the 1920’s, they associate it with “the Roaring Twenties” or “the Jazz Age”. However, A Fever in the Heartland sheds light on another, darker, aspect of the 1920’s in America -a time when the Ku Klux Klan was at the pinnacle of it’s power.
Egan’s meticulously researched, outstanding, and informative book traces the history of the secret society from its formation in 1866 by disgruntled Civil War Veterans who were determined to assert their authority as white supremacists to its fall from favor by the end of the 1920’s. The decline in the Klan’s power was surprisingly brought about because of a sensational trial which was conducted after the death of an Indiana woman.
In his author’s note at the beginning of the book, Timothy Egan states, “The following story is true. Dialogue and internal monologue are verbatim from court testimony, oral histories, autobiographies, letters, diaries, and newspaper quotes”.
Egan’s masterful writing makes you feel as if you are there to witness the events. The book is an outstanding contribution to the historical record of life in America during the post Civil War era through the mid twentieth century. It is thought provoking, engrossing, and is also a cautionary tale which resonates to present times. It’s a book that should be read by all college students as well as adults interested in American history.
Egan’s meticulously researched, outstanding, and informative book traces the history of the secret society from its formation in 1866 by disgruntled Civil War Veterans who were determined to assert their authority as white supremacists to its fall from favor by the end of the 1920’s. The decline in the Klan’s power was surprisingly brought about because of a sensational trial which was conducted after the death of an Indiana woman.
In his author’s note at the beginning of the book, Timothy Egan states, “The following story is true. Dialogue and internal monologue are verbatim from court testimony, oral histories, autobiographies, letters, diaries, and newspaper quotes”.
Egan’s masterful writing makes you feel as if you are there to witness the events. The book is an outstanding contribution to the historical record of life in America during the post Civil War era through the mid twentieth century. It is thought provoking, engrossing, and is also a cautionary tale which resonates to present times. It’s a book that should be read by all college students as well as adults interested in American history.
July 1, 2023
Let's start with the worst thing about this book - the title is misleading. When I picked up this book I was hoping for a story of an Iron Lady that will tackle heinous hate group that was Ku Klux Klan but... that's not the case here. The woman from the title was simply a victim of the Grand Dragon of Indiana and her case fought by the legal team in court finally put one of the Kluxer leaders behind the bars. So if you are looking for a story about plucky lady fighting for tolerance and constitutional rights for all US citizens, this ain't it.
But the book is still hard to put down. Descriptions of how Ku Klux Klan rose to power, all the hate crimes they were committing without any consequences, brutality, bribery and debauchery happening with the silent approval from the whole communities and towns were almost unbelievable. And on top of that the reader gets introduced to D.C. Stephenson - a repulsive, power-thirsty man that got very successful selling memberships to his hate group. It's a very baffling part of american history, Im still scraching my head how someone can call himself "Imperial Wizard" or "Grand Dragon" and take it absolutely seriously. If those who don't remember the past are condemned to repeat it then I think everyone should read this book. I would recommend it to anyone especially now when the hate groups are again starting to gain some prominence.
But the book is still hard to put down. Descriptions of how Ku Klux Klan rose to power, all the hate crimes they were committing without any consequences, brutality, bribery and debauchery happening with the silent approval from the whole communities and towns were almost unbelievable. And on top of that the reader gets introduced to D.C. Stephenson - a repulsive, power-thirsty man that got very successful selling memberships to his hate group. It's a very baffling part of american history, Im still scraching my head how someone can call himself "Imperial Wizard" or "Grand Dragon" and take it absolutely seriously. If those who don't remember the past are condemned to repeat it then I think everyone should read this book. I would recommend it to anyone especially now when the hate groups are again starting to gain some prominence.
August 2, 2023
Finally back from my travels and the time for a review of this exceptional book has come!
When most people think of the Klan their minds immediately go to the deep South, and as a person who lived perhaps 20 minutes from Stone Mountain for 15 years I was part of that group. Though the Klan of furtive middle of the night lynching did in fact come to life in the South, the second wave Klan of the early 20th century, a sort of public fraternal organization looked at by many as no different from the Elks or the Knights of a Columbus but founded on White Supremacy, came into being in both the South and in the Midwest. The membership of the Klan was, for a good long time, larger (both in number and in percentage of the White population) in Indiana than in any other state. (It was also huge in Oregon for some reason.) In many places the Klan was the center of government and everyday life for the majority of White people. Egan includes info and pics featuring the Ku Klux Kiddies that are chilling. In this book we see how the Klan installed Chiefs of Police, Attorneys General, Mayors and other leaders in towns throughout Indiana and beyond. This power move made the people in positions of power in the Klan untouchable. The explosive growth of the Midwest branch of the Klan was led by a depraved narcissist named David (or DC) Stephenson. Stephenson was evil at the level of a Marvel villain, His crimes, and really his daily behavior, boggle the mind. His cruelty and dishonesty reaped no penalty for a long time, those things in fact helped him grow richer and more powerful. Stephenson was eventually brought down by his own actions, in this case the kidnapping, rape, maiming, ongoing assault, and eventual murder of a young woman named Madge Oberholzer (not his first) but only due to the brave work of journalists and lawyers who risked their own livelihoods, and sometimes their own lives to get justice for Madge. This book tells that story -- the rise and the fall -- and it is both gripping and surprisingly currently relevant.
The book is a clever blend of history and procedural. The author provides a riveting history of the rise of this branch of the Klan and the exploits of Stepheson but he switches to procedural mode to explain how this miscreant was brought down. The account is meticulous but never so detailed that I felt at all bored. (I am not much of a crime procedural fan most of the time -- I believe I am the only living non-Amish American in my age group to have never seen a full episode of Law & Order, CSI or NCIS.)
In addition to the meticulous history and the gripping procedural, Egan also provides a resonant object lesson. As I mentioned there are a lot of parallels between the actions and words of Stephenson and those of current criminal narcissists so this book feels instantly relatable in terrifying ways.
July 19, 2023
Written by the same author who wrote an excellent biography of Thomas Frances Meagher, this book has been extensively researched what happened in the 1920's in Indiana where the Ku Klux Klan gained a foothold on power, controlling the governors office, the legislature, sheriff and police departments throughout much of the state, and began to impose their will over the people- with the support of the people. One man was instrumental in bringing much of this about. He was a brute who married and abused women and raped women when the notion struck him. He was a sick, sadistic brute whose role only became clear when the dying statement of a woman led to his arrest and conviction.
It chronicles how easily Americans were taken in by these people and how racist they needed to be in order to support them. It is yet another forgotten page of American history that needs to be read.
It chronicles how easily Americans were taken in by these people and how racist they needed to be in order to support them. It is yet another forgotten page of American history that needs to be read.
August 1, 2023
As someone who grew up in Texas, went to college in North Carolina, grad school in Mississippi, and had my first job in Georgia, I was very very very aware of the Klan and its role in southern states. I was not very aware, however, of how the Klan in the 1920s spread, and spread fast and voraciously, to the midwest and North. This book is a riveting exploration of that time period in Indiana and expertly weaves together the man who stoked the fires, DC Stephenson, his crimes against Madge Oberholtzer and the subsequent trial, and the Klan culture surrounding all of these events.
It's a remarkably contemporary story, with a terrifying, cult-like, hate-filled group being led by a corrupt but charismatic leader with political ambitions who has convinced all of this followers that he is a pillar of society while actually being the lowest piece of scum on the earth. In some ways it's depressing to see how history repeats itself and in some ways hopeful to see that we have been here before and ultimately the monster did not prevail. (Although he ruined and ended plenty of lives before his reign of terror was stopped.)
It's a remarkably contemporary story, with a terrifying, cult-like, hate-filled group being led by a corrupt but charismatic leader with political ambitions who has convinced all of this followers that he is a pillar of society while actually being the lowest piece of scum on the earth. In some ways it's depressing to see how history repeats itself and in some ways hopeful to see that we have been here before and ultimately the monster did not prevail. (Although he ruined and ended plenty of lives before his reign of terror was stopped.)
April 25, 2023
Timothy Egan tells a detailed account of the prevalence of the Klan networks in the Midwest and North. The important thing is the hideous, utter normality of Klan membership in Indiana and other non-southern states in the 1920s. And that alone is shocking. Upon finishing, however, I'm reeling from the centerpiece account of the depraved rape and murder of a white woman (Madge Oberholtzer) by the psychopathic sexual predator and "Grand Dragon" (David Stephenson). This story is told in excruciating and appalling detail. Oberholtzer's story should be known (!), but she didn't really "stop" the Klan, and Stephenson's evil was catching up with him. For me, this distracted from the important historical account of the Klan's ubiquity. Which is frightening enough.
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