Indiana Klan

==Scandal==
In 1925, Stephenson, the head of the Indiana Klan, met [[Madge Oberholtzer]], the head of the state's commission to combat illiteracy. During the night of the inaugural ball of [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]] [[Governor of Indiana|Governor]] [[Edward L. Jackson]], she was abducted from her home, taken to the [[Indianapolis]] train station, and held in a private railroad car. On the train to [[Hammond, Indiana|Hammond]], Stephenson repeatedly [[rape]]d her and bit her. In Hammond, she pleaded the need to get to a drug store, where she secretly ate [[mercury (element)|mercury]] tablets and [[chloride|bi-chloride]].<ref>Gray, p. 304</ref>  Using the illness which was brought on by the poisons as an excuse, she begged Stephenson to release her.  He took her back to Indianapolis and held her at his place.  After Oberholtzer refused to marry him several days later, he had her returned to her home and secretly placed in bed.  When her parents found her, the young woman was nearly dead.  Taken to the hospital, Oberholtzer died about a month later. She told her story in detail to several witnesses.<ref>Gray, p. 305</ref> Stephenson was immediately arrested and charged with second-degree murder.  The attending doctor, who testified during the trial, said that Oberholtzer's wounds appeared as if a [[Human cannibalism|cannibal]] had chewed her.  The prosecution claimed that the wounds and the mercury had both caused the death of Oberholtzer.<ref name = nicfh/> Stephenson was convicted and the State Supreme Court upheld the decision in ''[[Stephenson v. State]]''.  He was sentenced to prison, serving time until 1956, when he was granted parole.<ref name = nicfh/>

[[File:EdwardLJackson.jpg|thumb|upright|[[Edward L. Jackson]], the 32nd [[Governor of Indiana]], who had the strong support of the Indiana Klan in the 1920s]] 
Denied a pardon by Governor Jackson, who he had supported during his campaign for governor, Stephenson began to talk to reporters for the ''[[Indianapolis Times]]'' and expose many of the high-profile members of the Klan in 1926. Stephenson gave the reporters the names of politicians and officials who the Klan had bribed, and the names of politicians and officials who had accepted money from the Klan. The mayor of Indianapolis, [[John Duvall (mayor)|John Duvall]], was jailed for thirty days and later, he was convicted of bribery. Numerous commissioners and other local leaders across the state were charged with bribery and forced to resign, stemming from their acceptance of support from the Klan. Governor Jackson was charged with bribery for his role in attempting to influence McCray. The court found that the charges against Jackson were true, but it judged him not guilty, because the statute of limitations on his crimes had expired. He ended his term and did not seek re-election. He was disgraced and never held public office again. Many other leaders of the Klan were arrested and tried on charges of conspiracy to bribe public officials.<ref name = nicfh/>