A Fever in the Heartland: The Ku Klux Klan's Plot to Take Over America, and the Woman Who Stopped Them

by Timothy Egan

Now, back in Indiana in mid-1923 for one last attempt at reconciliation, she realized too late that this man she’d pledged to spend her life with would never change. Again, he berated Violet in front of his friends and openly cheated on her. He seemed to revel in her humiliation and her fear of him. His explanation, without apology, was that he was “not cut out to be a husband.” If she wanted to stay alive, Violet would have to leave him once and for all—maybe hide somewhere in a different city. He said good riddance and threw her against the wall. He would not let her go without one more beating. She sobbed and tried to defend herself, putting her arms around her head. He slapped her hands away and punched her in the face—a blow nearly strong enough to knock her out. With women, Stephenson never lost a fight. She tumbled to the ground, her vision blurred, her face bloodied. He kicked her in the ribs as he had done in Evansville, putting hard-tipped shoes to flesh, and told her to get out. She grabbed a few possessions and fled. They never saw each other again.