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Domestic News
November 10, 1859
Wheeling Daily Intelligencer
Wheeling, Ohio County, West Virginia
What is this article about?
Mr. Purple, a Democratic Iowa legislator and railroad conductor, describes rigging an early election by taking voters from Iowa to Washington County, falsely claiming it as Burt County, and securing unanimous votes for himself as representative.
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OCR Quality
95%
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Full Text
A Mr. Purple, conductor on one of the Western Railroads and a Democratic member of the Legislature of Iowa, soon after the State was admitted, relates his experience in Western politics. He says one of the United States officials said to him one morning, "Purple, we want a member from Burt county." So I harnessed up and took nine fellows with me from Iowa, and we started for the woods, and when we thought we had got far enough for Burt county, we unpacked our ballot box and held an election (in Washington county.) canvassed the vote, and it was astonishing to observe how great was the unanimity at the first election ever held in Burt county. Purple had every vote. So Purple was declared duly elected.
What sub-type of article is it?
Politics
What keywords are associated?
Iowa Politics
Election Fraud
Burt County
Washington County
Vote Rigging
What entities or persons were involved?
Mr. Purple
Where did it happen?
Iowa
Domestic News Details
Primary Location
Iowa
Event Date
Soon After The State Was Admitted
Key Persons
Mr. Purple
Outcome
purple was declared duly elected
Event Details
A United States official instructed Mr. Purple to secure a member from Burt county. Purple took nine fellows from Iowa to the woods in Washington county, held a fake election claiming it as Burt county, canvassed the vote, and received every vote unanimously.