Donnelly, Ignatius

Ignatius (1831-1901), an American politician and author. He was born in Philadelphia. He was educated for the law. In 1857 he removed to Minnesota, where he figured in politics for many years, representing a district of the state in Congress and taking a prominent part in the Populist movement. He was known as a powerful orator. He was the author of a number of works. Atlantis, the Antediluvian World, Ragnarok, Caesar's Column, and The Great Cryptogram are among them. In the latter work, he attempted to prove that Francis Bacon was the real author of Shakespeare's plays.