Not long after the 1924 general election, Remy had been at an opulent dinner inside the Severin Hotel—a ritual of Stephenson to consolidate his power. It was all men, all white, all in bow ties and tuxes, all officeholders who’d just won. In Marion County, every major elected official but two was a Klansman. The Grand Dragon sat at the head of a long, U-shaped table with the politicians circled around him. At the end of the repast, Steve clinked his glass, rose, and congratulated his supplicants on their victories.
