Thieving Thirteenth

Descriptive

Alternate Event NameBloody ThirteenthFighting ThirteenthEvent Date1885Date Range1880s (1880-1889)LocationPrescott, ArizonaDescriptionThe "Thieving Thirteenth" is a name that applies to the Thirteenth Legislative Assembly of 1885.

Political historian Jack August Jr. explained, "It was an issue of mileage, paying clerks that did no work and also overcharging for printing costs and mailing ... They were kind of like thieving from the federal government.”

“So those were the three excesses and ultimately the session cost $47,000, much of it going into the pockets of the house members and the council members."

Newspapers from the time also accused members of the Assembly of taking bribes to influence their vote on legislation like the bill to create Sierra Bonita County.More InformationDid You Know: 13th AZ Territorial Legislature Known As Thieving Thirteenth

Newspaper

Arizona Republican, 1910-07-29

Graham Guardian, 1897-10-29

The Daily Tombstone, 1886-10-01

The St. Johns Herald, 1885-06-18

The St. Johns Herald, 1885-07-09

Event

1885, Thirteenth Legislative Assembly

https://azmemory.azlibrary.gov/nodes/view/209410

CollectionArizona Research TopicsEvent1885, Thirteenth Legislative AssemblyTopicGovernment and Politics

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Thieving Thirteenth