E. R. Stephenson
Encyclopedia
Reverend Edwin R. Stephenson (1870 - August 4, 1956) was a minister of the now extinct Methodist Episcopal Church, South
and a member of the Ku Klux Klan
. He shot and killed Catholic priest James Coyle
in 1921 in Alabama
, but was acquitted of the murder. His main lawyer was Hugo Black
.
Rev. Stephenson was a son of W. F. Stephenson, a Confederate Army veteran. A part-time clergyman. Stephenson worked as a barber and married people for the county. In 1921, six months after his father died, he became incensed when his daughter converted to Catholicism. A known member of the Ku Klux Klan
, he could not restrain himself when his daughter married a Catholic immigrant named Pedro Gussman from Puerto Rico
. The marriage ceremony had been performed by Father Coyle. On the evening of August 11, 1921, the enraged Stephenson fired three shots at Father Coyle as the priest sat on the porch of St. Paul's rectory. There were many witnesses/ Stephenson turned himself in to the authorities.
Stephenson's preliminary hearing held was on 24 August. His daughter testified that he had often made threats against Coyle's life. Coyle's sister and housekeeper testified that there had been no raised voices or scuffling prior to the shooting, contradicting Stephenson's claimed that he had fired in self defense after the priest threated and assaulted him).
The trial started October 17, 1921. The defense entered a dual plea of "not guilty and not guilty by reason of insanity", arguing that Stephenson had acted both in self defense and had been temporarily insane at the time. His daughter Ruth was not called as a witness in the trial.
Stephenson was acquitted and released. He died in 1956 at the age of 86.
Methodist Episcopal Church, South
The Methodist Episcopal Church, South, or Methodist Episcopal Church South, was the so-called "Southern Methodist Church" resulting from the split over the issue of slavery in the Methodist Episcopal Church which had been brewing over several years until it came out into the open at a conference...
and a member of the Ku Klux Klan
Ku Klux Klan
Ku Klux Klan, often abbreviated KKK and informally known as the Klan, is the name of three distinct past and present far-right organizations in the United States, which have advocated extremist reactionary currents such as white supremacy, white nationalism, and anti-immigration, historically...
. He shot and killed Catholic priest James Coyle
James Coyle
James Edwin Coyle was a Roman Catholic priest who was murdered in Birmingham, Alabama.-Early life:James Coyle was born in Drum, County Roscommon to Owen Coyle and his wife Margaret Durney. He attended Mungret College in Limerick and the Pontifical North American College in Rome...
in 1921 in Alabama
Alabama
Alabama is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama ranks 30th in total land area and ranks second in the size of its inland...
, but was acquitted of the murder. His main lawyer was Hugo Black
Hugo Black
Hugo Lafayette Black was an American politician and jurist. A member of the Democratic Party, Black represented Alabama in the United States Senate from 1927 to 1937, and served as an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States from 1937 to 1971. Black was nominated to the Supreme...
.
Rev. Stephenson was a son of W. F. Stephenson, a Confederate Army veteran. A part-time clergyman. Stephenson worked as a barber and married people for the county. In 1921, six months after his father died, he became incensed when his daughter converted to Catholicism. A known member of the Ku Klux Klan
Ku Klux Klan
Ku Klux Klan, often abbreviated KKK and informally known as the Klan, is the name of three distinct past and present far-right organizations in the United States, which have advocated extremist reactionary currents such as white supremacy, white nationalism, and anti-immigration, historically...
, he could not restrain himself when his daughter married a Catholic immigrant named Pedro Gussman from Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
. The marriage ceremony had been performed by Father Coyle. On the evening of August 11, 1921, the enraged Stephenson fired three shots at Father Coyle as the priest sat on the porch of St. Paul's rectory. There were many witnesses/ Stephenson turned himself in to the authorities.
Stephenson's preliminary hearing held was on 24 August. His daughter testified that he had often made threats against Coyle's life. Coyle's sister and housekeeper testified that there had been no raised voices or scuffling prior to the shooting, contradicting Stephenson's claimed that he had fired in self defense after the priest threated and assaulted him).
The trial started October 17, 1921. The defense entered a dual plea of "not guilty and not guilty by reason of insanity", arguing that Stephenson had acted both in self defense and had been temporarily insane at the time. His daughter Ruth was not called as a witness in the trial.
Stephenson was acquitted and released. He died in 1956 at the age of 86.
Literature
- A novelized account of the murder, by Joe Schrantz, was published by Infinity in 2004 as The Reverend's Revenge.
- A historical study by Sharon Davies was published by Oxford University PressOxford University PressOxford University Press is the largest university press in the world. It is a department of the University of Oxford and is governed by a group of 15 academics appointed by the Vice-Chancellor known as the Delegates of the Press. They are headed by the Secretary to the Delegates, who serves as...
in 2010 with the title Rising Road: A True Tale of Love, Race, and Religion in America.