The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1871-05-12
A SINGULAR CRIMINAL.
The Murderous Philologist-He Peti-
tions for a New Trial.

A contribution to permanent crimi-
nal literature is furnished in the petit
tion just addressed by Edward II. Rul-
loft, now, commonly called the
"learned murderer" to Governor Aoff.
man, of New York, written from the
cell wherein he is confined, under con.
viction of murder ia the first degree.
The man himself is permanent Grim
inaI curiosity. He is of marked intel
lcclual power, lying especially in the
direction OF acute, if not profound
analysis, and ingenious, if sometimes
perversc, induction. His utterances
are characterized BY skill and artistrs
finish. His linguistic attainments,
too, are of the highest character in
point of range and thoroughness
Upon these he has constructed the
ory Of the progression and perfection
ing Of language which is subtle and
ingenious 1t runs counter TO the es-
tahlished views upon comparative
phiiology. He enterta ne unaffected
iy all entire faith in the soundness aud
fierce zeal for ut least its perpet,la-
tion. In prison he has been visited
by gentlemen Of professional scientific
attuinmrhts. who have beer uniformly
dazzlcd by the man's exhibition Of in
tellcctuaI power aud minute: various
and special linguistic knowledge.
Professor Mathe,, of Amberst College,
thus describes Rulloff's appearance =
"1n person this strange man il
about middle height. aud IF robust
build, and is apparently verging on
fifty Year. Of aye. he has singular
f.co, not vilainous or grossly sensual,
nor is it scholarly. The features are
strongly marked and full of sinister
meaning In manners he is very1ur-
bane and natural, and he converses
with great facility and clega' ce. His
voice is mellow and pleasant, and oc-
casionally showed tones of tender
ness But for aIl that. I do not be-
lieve the man has any tenderness save
for language" .> ..r.-..... .-.,..,
A significant feature Of this singu-
lar character is the apparent absence
of what is understood by the term
"mvral sense" and he has endeavored
to solve the problem Of life as u pro-
iessionaI criminal. Accordingly we
find him pursuing the calling Of sys.
tematic burglary for q number of
years, during which, on several separ.
ate occasions, he was overlafeu Dy
misfortune i'll the shape of legal COLI
viction, to which he has arisen supe-
rior by ingeniously y breaking JAIL. and
succ sssluIIy maintaining q disguise
which prevented recuptare. lie has
been suspected of comprising the
death of his wife, but the proofs justi.
fv no more than tho Scotch verdict OF
:not proven" Once moro he is now
struggling with adversely in the guise
Of a death sentence, after conviction
for murder, and once more his intel.
lectual nature stands hira in stead, by
intcrposing the remarkable petition
above referred to.
Last summer Rulloff and two
Others entered store in which two
clerks named Myrick and Burrows,
were sleeping. The clerks aw"ke and
the burglars fed. One Of them, how
ever, was struck down by Burrows.
Myrck following up the advantage
1 he PROSTATE burglar cried cried for
assistance, bis two companions return
cd, aud FIVE pistol shots were fired, by
one Of which Myricl was wounded
and died. The three burg lars at
tempted to swim Chenango River
All had been wounded and two sank
end were drowned. Rnlloff reached
tho opposite bank exhausted, wa:
identified captured and convicted
lie is under sentence to be hanged
May 18th. In his petition to the Gov
ernor he makes two points:
| I. He will be able to show or
another trial that he did not fire thu
fatal shot. 1t is shown that thu
two burglars had abandonet
tho commission of the larceny
before the fatal conflict. The violence
shown by the clerks toward thei
omrade Che holds was an unlawtu