Dan Moody vs. the KKK: The Texas Case That Led to the Klan's Demise
In the summer of 1919, the emergence of the second wave of the Ku Klux Klan (KKK) marked the resurgence of white supremacy in Texas. Their targets expanded beyond African Americans to include immigrants, Jews, Catholics, and generally anything they considered "anti-American". But the efforts of one man – District Attorney Dan Moody – helped trigger the KKK’s downfall and spelled the beginning of the end for the KKK in Texas, and eventually, the U.S. Read more about Dan Moody, the KKK, and the trial that dealt them a death knell in our first installment of "Undertold History," a new blog series that sends you to the real places where real stories took place, so you can see for yourself where history happened.
An Unstoppable Force
The control that the KKK exerted in every realm of Texas politics and policing made it seemingly impossible to punish the violent actions that defined their activity in the early twentieth century. Indictments, let alone convictions, were rare, which is why Dan Moody's courageous prosecution of the KKK in Williamson County was covered so widely in statewide press during the trials. When the prosecution lead to the first-ever convictions and sentencings of KKK members in the United States, it didn't just make the news. It made history.
This landmark case is commemorated throughout Williamson County and the City of Taylor. Keep reading to learn more about this surprisingly little-known but pivotal moment in state and national history, or scroll to the bottom to add related historical sites to your travel itinerary.
The Easter Sunday Attack
In the spring of 1923, Robert W. Burleson, a White traveling hosiery salesman and World War I veteran, visited and boarded with longtime family friend Fannie Campbell in Taylor, Texas. Fannie was a widow who ran a boarding house to support herself, but this didn't stop local Klan members, who were emboldened by post-war patriotism and Prohibition-era moralizing, from declaring the boarding arrangement an act of immoral behavior and accusing the two of engaging in an affair.
Burleson ignored the Klan's intimidation tactics that followed his stay, including a letter written by a local Klan preacher accusing him of the affair and ordering him to leave town. But their threats proved sincere on Easter Sunday, April 1st, 1923, while Burleson was out for a drive with Fannie Campbell and two others. A carful of local Klansmen brandishing guns ambushed the Burleson party's car, forcing them to pull over. They abducted Burleson and ordered Campbell and company to drive away. Then they subjected Burleson to a severe beating and whipping, before dumping creosote, a tar-like substance, over his body and padlocking him to a tree in front of Taylor City Hall. Burleson managed to escape and seek help, eventually spending a week in the hospital due to his injuries. These depths of violence weren't unheard of, but the severity of the beating and perhaps the fact that Burleson was White caught the attention of local District Attorney, Dan Moody, who pursued assault charges against the men who had dared sully his community's good name.
The Trial Begins
On May 7th, 1923, the first of several court proceedings commenced as each participant in the brutal beating of Burleson stood trial. Initially, securing testimonies proved challenging as community members were either frightened, or in some cases, hesitant to implicate fellow Klansmen. Even so, Moody was able to convince an equally courageous jury after just seven days of arguments to convict the ring leader of the gang, Murray Jackson, creating a ripple effect that would lead to the convictions of Jackson's accomplices. The seeming invincibility that had always protected Klan was now gone. The next domino to fall was the testimony of a high-ranking figure in the Klan hierarchy, known as the Cyclops, against his fellow Klansmen, leading to even more convictions. Eventually, the trials that took place between May 1923 and 1924, resulted in five convictions: four assault convictions for the Klansmen who beat Burleson on Easter Sunday 1923, and one perjury conviction for the preacher who delivered the first threat to Burleson ahead of the beating.
It was the first time the Ku Klux Klan was successfully prosecuted for their crimes in the United States, and so began the decline of Klan activity in Travis and Williamson County. Dan Moody's prosecutorial victories ultimately resulted in the downfall of one of the most menacing and violent organizations of the 1920s in the United States.
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Who Was Dan Moody?
Dan Moody's upbringing was rooted in a familial culture that emphasized the importance of education. Surrounded by a large family, dinner discussions often revolved around law cases as his uncles were practicing lawyers. Inspired by these conversations, Moody pursued his education at the University of Texas Law School, although he never graduated, he took the State Bar and passed. Moody went to serve in the National Guard, and during the First World War. Later in his career, Moody's dedication caught the attention of Governor Neff, who handpicked him to fill the role of District Attorney after the previous incumbent failed to prosecute the Klansmen effectively. Moody’s new appointment put him into the spotlight and into the midst of a critical legal battle against the Klan's influence and violence. Today, Moody's legacy lives on in Taylor, Texas, where his family home has been lovingly preserved and transformed into a museum. There, visitors have the opportunity to explore the rich history and accomplishments of this influential figure, offering a glimpse into the life and times of one of Texas' most esteemed legal minds. To this day, Moody still holds the title of the youngest Attorney General and Governor of Texas.
History in Person
Explore the real places associated with the famous Moody trial in the towns of Taylor, Georgetown, and Austin.
Day 1: Taylor
Day 2: Georgetown
Day 3: Austin
Remember to check opening hours and any potential reservations required for attractions and enjoy your adventure exploring these historical locations in Texas.
More Undertold History coming soon!
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