Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1871-05-30
EXECUTION OF RULOFF.

EXECUTION OF RULOFF.
Scene at the Scafold-Sketch of the Con
demned, &c.
BINGHANIPTON, N. Y, May l8.-At pre-
cisely 1l:38 this morning, Edward Fl. Ruloff
the pbilologist and thief, was hanged in tht
yard of the Binghampton Jail, for the murder
of Frederick A. Merrick, on the 18th of Au
gust. He died with the same frmness he ha.
exhibited from the hour of his arrest. His
last night was somewhat restless, and he slept
but little, At six O. clock this morning he was
removed to room on the second floor of the
jail, so that he might not see the final prepar-
ations. This room had a window opening on
the bill outside, on which hundreds of people
| were gathered, and he frequently during the
morning exhibited himself at the window, and
was seen by the multitude but was in no way
discouraged by the publicity. Many incidents
which happened during the five hours he was
there showed him to be as good as his word,
and that he would die as he had lived, without
whining. At ll:20 he was requested to pre-
sent himself to be dressed for the final scene,
but he did it himself, declining all assistance.
Meantime those holding permits TO enter the
yard, about two hundred, were admitted and
placed in order.
At 1l:20 the condemned entered the yard,
attended by Sheriff Martin, Sheriff Root, of
Tomkins, and Deputy Sheriff Brown. The
prisoner walked without support under the
moose. which having been arranged, Sheriff
Martin read the death warrant, which occu-
pied some minutes. He then asked Ruloff,
have you anything to say why the sentence
OF the law should not now be carried into eff
feet {" The prisoner answered in a natural
voice, mot anything" The sheriff then
asked him if he desired any further delay. and
received negative reply by shake of the
head of the condemned All this time the
prisoner was standing unsupported, and gave
no sign OF emotion except gentle swaying of
the body. At 1887 the sign was given, and
he was jerked up with tremendous force, but
his neck was not broken. The instant the
body settled down upon the rope the spectators
were horrlfed at seeing the right hand natur-
ally raised, and thrust into the pocket of his
pantaloons;; There was no other movement,
except slight muscular contractions, and after
hanging fifteen minutes his heart ceased to
beat. Death was by strangulation, The body
will be buried by the Sheriff beside those of
the burglars. Jarvis and Dexter, his associates,
in Potters Field.
SKETCH OF RULoFF's CAREER.
Ruoff was In the 50th year of his age, and
was native Of New Brunswick. After sew
eral years schooling he was placed in a law
yer's office, where he studied Greek aud Latin,
and also famliiarized himself with botany and
chemistry. Here he took up his linguistic
hobby, the idea of discovering the ''rudiments
OF phllol!gy." He was subsequently a mer-
chants clerk, then studied medicine, mixed
up with metaphysics, and got some acquain-
tance with divers modern languages. He
seems to have given up business at home, how
ever, some time later, and turned up in 1S42,
twenty-five years of age, at Dryden, Tompkins
county, N. Y, as a canal driver, but subse-
quently became school teacher, and married
one of his pupils, girl of l6, daughter of
Well-to do people. He next set up for ply
slcian, and though he had every encourage
ment to become good man, he made his
home unhappy by ill-treatment Of his wife,
and 1t has been rendered morally certain that
three months after his first child was born he
murdered it and his wife, placed their bodies
in a chest, and sunk them in Cayuga lake.
He escaped conviction for their murder be-
cause the bodies could not be found, but was
tried for the abduction of his wife" and SEN
fenced to ten years hard labor, which term ex-
pired in 1856. While in Tompkins county Jail
he corrupted Albert L. Jarvis, the jailor's son,
who subsequently accompanied him in his
wanderings and assisted him in his villainies.
In 1861 Rulotf was sent to Sing Sing for bur-
glary IN Dutchess county, where he became ac-
quainted with VIM. T. Dexter Rulof, Jarvis
and Dexter subsequently made their head
quarters In New York city, committing various
crimes and assuming various names and char
acters. During all this time he was working
away on his great pathological discovery,
On the 18th of August, 1870, about 2
o'clock In the morning, the three men broke
into the dry goods store of Halbert Brothers,
at Binghampton, and were removing goods to
the yard, when the two clerks, Gilbert S. Bur-
roughs and Frederick A. Mirrick, who were
asleep on the premises, suddenly awoke, and
instantly struggle took place. Neither of
the clerks was over swenty years of age, but
the disfgured and hardly recognizable bodies
Of two of the burglars. who afterwards were
found dead in the Chenango river, which
flowed near the store, showed how terribly well
they fought In the struggle Mirrick mas
tered one of the burglars and was choking him,
when another, afterwards shown to be Rulof,
crept up behind him and blew his brains out
The three then retreated, and Burroughs, rush
ing into the street, gave the alarm.
According to Ruoff' statement, his accom-
plces were drowned attempting to swim the
river. He escaped. On his first arrest, some
days after, he maintained his innocence and
was dismissed by the coroner. He was subse-
quenty arrested, tried and convicted, and ad-
mitted the Decd but denied the responsibility
of the murder. For this terrible crime he has
to-day suffered the extreme penalty of the law.
He has manifested perfect stoicism through
out, and yesterday, In response to questions by
the Sheriff, expressed utter Indifference as to
the disposition of his body after death. You
can do what you d-n please with it, he said.
In his last interview with his counsel, how
ever, he expressed wish for the latter to take
charge of his body, to await the orders of bis
brother. The body was accordingly delivered
to Mr.. Becker after it had been placed in the
coffin provided by the sheriff.
In person Ruloff was five feet eight inches
In height, broad shoulders, thick, bull neck,
compaotly built, square jaws thin lips, dark
gray eyes, small and wide apart. His face was
fiabby, dull and heavy looking, rather cunning
in expression, and but slightly intellectual. He
had powerful constitution, which has kept
him up we'll in his long confinement.
The Versailles Government secured the funds
in the public Offices in Paris by an ingenious
stratagem. These funds, which amounted to
SIS, 900, 600 in specie. bonds, and bank bills,
were placed in a wagon used for conveying
bread and potatoes from the Charity Hospital
to the Almshouse at Issy. The evening before
attempting to pass the vehicle through the Issy
gate similar one was sent by the hospital man
ager by way of trial, and to disarm suspicion.
The guard allowed it to pass, while, at the
same time, the driver secured pass for the
next day, written in the usual unofficial style
of the Commune: ''Open the gate, even if
there are orders to keep it closed. . Next day
the wagon, containing the treasure hidden un-
der sacks Of potatoes and loaves Of bread, ar
rived at the same gate, and was stOpped des-