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Clarence Darrow Signature

The Clarence Darrow Letters

D. C. Stephenson to Clarence Darrow, June 10, 1930

Image provided by the Indiana State Library.


Click on the image to view as a PDF. A transcription of the letter is on the right.

11148

June 10

1930


Hon. Clarence Darrow, Atty.,

1537 East 60th Street

Chicago, Illinois.


My Dear Mr. Darrow:


I have along letter from my faithful friend, Mr. L.G. Julian - a thoroughly trustworthy citizen - and he commented at great length, but in general terms, upon a recent visit he made to a friend of my cause of action. There is no doubt, of course, but what you are as fully advised- or you will be - regarding this matter as I am. Mr. Julian tells me someone visited this gentleman and claimed to be not only my agent, but also represented that he was in communication, and had conferred personally with me. That man, whoever he is, I here and now brand an imposter and a fraud. His conduct is typical of the whole scheme which resulted in my elimination and has continued to defeat the law of the land in preventing me from producing evidence in open court to prove H.W. Evans, et al., murdered Madge Overholtzer and framed me.


A Mr. Slenker will call on you and he will explain to you matters which will be illuminating beyond any hint of information heretofore given you.


It is my guess that the "Mystery Man" who has been going about passing as my agent is in fact interested only in creating the public impression that the Kiplinger appeal — filed in my name — is really in my behalf, instead of a perfidious and high-handed perversion of the record in order to betray me, and bolster up those points which were overlooked in the original school of perjury. This is merely indicative of the frantic desperation of the criminal faction of the Klan and the unconvicted felons who profit financially from protected crime under Evans leadership.


On Monday, June 16, 1930, I will request permission from the officials of Indiana State Prison to write you another letter, and enclose therewith a long statement. The reason I do not endeavor to send this statement with my regular Sunday letter (Sunday is a "regular" writing day) is because I have promised to write to another gentleman on Sunday, June 15th, and there is no way to cancel that agreement, or ask to be relieved from it. I believe permission will be given me to mail that statement to you. Anyway, when your Tuesday mail is delivered you will know what the facts developed into.


This "Mystery Man", to whom reference is made in the foregoing, is going to develop into a distinct boomerang. This sort of thing has been going on for a long time. I have not heretofore stopped it by exposure of the man's employers because I have believed that next to knowing when to sieze an opportunity the most important thing in life is to know when to forgo an






advantage. In the plain language of my childhood "give a calf enough rope and he will hang himself."


Yours truly,


D. C. Stephenson


P.S. Please say to Merrs. Wm. H.Mitchell, James C. Hutchins, Charles Glore, John Wentworth, Charles Cushing, Weymouth Kirkland, Lawrence Stern, E.A.Cudahy Jr., Stuyvesant Peabody, Lester Armour, and their associates, that if one so unfortunate as I may be permitted to do so, heartiest congratulations are extended to them with my best wishes for their success in their courageous championship of the most precious ideal of American citizenship: the right of self-determination. A glorious victory is within their almost immediate grasp if there is one among them skilled in that highly specialized knowledge so essential to success in the arena where stark necessity will finally force the fight.


S.


Please excuse "blots". I have only one sheet of paper.