The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1871-04-29
RuIIoG, the Learned Murderer.

The visit was not Of Idle curiosity, i0l
one Of my colleagues in the college hNt
shown me, some months since, q criticism
OF Rnlloil's-writtGn years ago, when lie
was in the State prison at Auburn, New
York, upon parts Of Professor Taylor
Lewis new edition Of one Of PlatO's dia
logues, which had warmly interested me
in his scholarship.
The next morning, about nine o'clock
the advocate and went down to the
prison, and the gentlemanly high Sheriff
ut once consented to the interview, If Ru-
llof was willing. The doomed man at
first refused, as he had done Of late to all
visitors, but when told that was q stu.
dent and teacher of Greek he at once con.
sentcd. He approached the heavy lat.
ticcd iron door and asked very politely ,if
could remain long enough to learn
something OF the beauties of his theory OF
language. Without replying, turned TO
the officer and asked i'll might be permit.
ted TO go into the cell. He said yes and pro.
Ceededto unlock the massive padlocks. 1t
was long, narrow, granite built room, but
high and furnished with plenty Of light
and pure air. AS VIC entered, Rulloff ap-
preached with two dilapidated chairs,
and with tile most winning courtesy,
asked us TO bC seated and offered 10 re.
lieye nc Of my hat He sat down on his
rude pallet opposite me, and ! told him
that l had seen the critism referred to
above, and desired TO learn how he had
acquired his knowledge Of the old Ian.
guagCs. lie replied with q smile, that lie
had obtained It all by honest work; that
lie had never been in q college or univer.
sity, but that from bOyhoOd he had u
most intense interest In the beauty and
strength Of the Greek tongue. He com.
planned that he had been laughed at by the
public MS o superficial scholar, and wanted
me 10 satisfy myself on that, and then hear
what he had 10 say about the formation Of
language. | replied that as we had no
text books ! could not examine him, TO
which he rejOined that many OF the elias.
sical authors he knew by heart, and would
try and repeat portions If ! would suggest
where he should begin. Thinking that
something from the Memorabilia might be
appropriate 10 the present needs, ! sug.
gestcd the third chapter, first book, where
the sentiments Of Socrates with reference
10 God and duty In their purity and exal.
tatiOn approach so nearly TO Biblical reve.
lation; and he ut once gave me the Greek.
Other parts Of the same work, as well as
the lliad Of Homer and some of the plays
oil Sophocles, he showed great familiarity
with. Then In order TO show his thor.
oughness, lie criticised the common rcn.
dering Of certain passages, and he did il
With such sublCty and discrimination and
elegance as TO show that his critical study
Of these nicer points was more remarkable
than his powers OF memory; in fact, |
should say that sublety ofanalysis and of
reasoning was the marked characteristics
Of his mind. On ono or two passages of
Homer, in particular, he showed great
acutenesS Of criticism, and most tho.
rough appreciation Of the grandeur of
the sentiment, Ono or two renderings Of
President FELTON, he opposed most v1gor.
ously, and when ! suppoIted the common
version lie quoted from vast range of
classics TO confirm his view.
His theory Of language | can not enter
upon here, for Il Is too subtle for tho gen.
eral reader. It Is very original, Is quite
contrary TO the established views upon
comparative philology, and probably will
never be Of any practical use. Most per.
sons think him mOnomaniaC upon this,
and certainly his enthusiasm Is most re.
markablG.
lie sat there in his chains, Just sentenc-
ed by the highest court to die on the
gallows, and without word, or apparent
ly q thought. about his doom, he argued
and plead for his favorite theory us
though he was wrestling for his life, and
was determined 10 win.
lie was anxious TO have philolOgists eX-
anime the manuscript OF his work. He
urged me to conc with several such men
and take time TO see whether his theory
Is true. He asked my pardon for the up.
parent dogmatism Of the statement, hut
said he felt convinced that his theory of
language was special revelation to him,
and that perhaps a hundred years might
elapse ere 1t would be known again, and
then added, significantly" ,"And you know
that whatever is done must be done
quickly"
In person, this strange man is about
middle height and of robust build, and Is
apparently verging on fifty years Of age,
not ut all the broken old man he has
been represented. He has singular
face, not vlllainous or grossly sensual, nor
Is It scholarly. The features are strongly
marked and full of sinister meaning. It
is face you could not forget, and yet
would not care to think about. Ills eve,
which Is dark hazel, had heard was the
striking feature, but 1t did not impress
me so, perhaps because it showed slrug.
gle and suffering, The bad lines in his lace
TO me. were about his chin and forehead,
and his neck is very short and stout and |
heavy.
In manners lie is very urbane and nat.
ural, and he converses with great facility
and elegance. His voice Is mellow and
pleasant, and occasionally showed tones
Of tenderness. But, for all that, l don't
believe the man has any tenderness save
for language. In looking ut him you
would never imagine him Us loving any
human being, and you would be sure that
his hatred would be implacable. He is
certainly an enigma, and offers in himself
u powerful argument against the theory
that education is alone sufficient to lead |
to true manhood those who would
throw out moral and Biblical teaching
from our system Of culture hnvea difficult
task to harmOnize their theory with such |
character as this Here Is profound and |
student Of all that is beauti.
full and glorious in classical learning,
working for years as q philOlogist and
with zeal rarely equaled, and yet all the
time living alife Of crime as dark and ter.
rible as any criminal in our land. He
shows that true culture and true manhood
can only be by q development Of the NOR
al sense, and that we must educate the
heart as fast Us we educate the head, or
our knowledge may only increase our sin.