Five Ideal Opening Day Crowds Exceeded Expectations

From The Indianapolis News, Monday, November 23, 1925:  Yesterday, a crowd of 15,000 descended upon Williams Creek Estates, a Washington Bank & Trust Co development, to see the five Indianapolis News ideal homes.  Interested visitors from throughout Indiana and neighboring states swarmed across the grounds and through the homes open for inspection.  The “homes of the future” constructed over the last several weeks by Ralph S. Brydon Co, are houses of Spanish, Italian, American Colonial, French, and English styles designed by architects Pierre & Wright include every possible modern convenience.  The five houses are built entirely of noncombustible materials with interior and exterior walls of cinder blocks, and facades of either stuccoed or brick.  The floors and stairs are reinforced concrete, and the roof is slate.   Nearly 100,000 visitors are expected to view the houses in the next ten days.

“Five Ideal Homes Opening Day Crowds Exceeded Expectations,” The Indianapolis News, 23 November 1925, p. 1:2

Stephenson Guilty, Aids Free

From The Indianapolis Star, Sunday, November 15, 1925:  Late yesterday afternoon after deliberating five hours and 35 minutes a Hamilton County Circuit Court jury found former Indiana Ku Klux Klan Grand Dragon D. C. Stephenson guilty of second-degree murder in the death of Madge Oberholtzer.  A handful of spectators, including Madge Oberholtzer’s only brother Marshall Oberholtzer, were in the courtroom during the reading of the verdict; Stephenson, pale but smiling, listened intently.  Shortly after the verdict was read, Stephenson made the following statement, “Surrender, hell, we’ve only begun to fight….This has not been a law suit, but has been an expression of envy, jealously and malice interwoven with a campaign of propaganda which was pursued with feverish intensity and was designed for no purpose except to wield an unsavory influence upon the public mind”   Two of Stephenson’s aides were acquitted.

“Stephenson Guilty; Aids Free,” The Indianapolis Star, 15 November 1925, p. 1:2

Klan Scores Heavily in Political Passing

From The Indianapolis Times, Monday, November 9, 1925:  Mayor-Elect John Duvall has named the first eighteen members of his administration, and the Ku Klux Klan has scored heavily in the appointments.  The Klan organization maintained a Duvall campaign headquarters in the City Trust Building and there has been considerable speculation in political circles as to whether the Klan or the Republican Party would receive the greater recognition when appointments were made.  Among positions favored by the Klan are three top positions in the police department - police chief, police inspector, and traffic inspector – two assistant fire chiefs, park superintendent, assistant park superintendent, corporation counsel, a board of safety member, and city controller.  The appointment of city controller is one of the most important because, under the law, the city controller would become mayor in the event of a mayoral vacancy

“Klan Scores Heavily in Political Plum Passing,” The Indianapolis Times, 9 November 1925, p. 1:1

"John L. Duvall Names Eighteen City Appointees,” The Indianapolis News, 9 November 1925, p. 1:1