Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1871-01-13


The CASE OF EDWARD RULLoFF, who was
on Wednesday, convicted of murder in the first
degree at Binghamton, New York, is one of the
most remarkable in the annals of crime, not
only for the murderer's extraordinary character
and history, as revealed at the trial, but also
for the curious net work Of circumstances which
entaDgled him and, in the absence of direct cvi-
dence, secured his conviction. Rulloff is about
fifty years old. He has been a druggist, a
teacher and lawyer. and maintained a certain
appearance Of responsibility in each occupation.
in the intervals of these employments he has
several times been charged with crimes and once,
in 1s43, was committed to the state prison. After
every exposure of his villainy, he would
adopt a new alias and a new occupation, and,
so great were his adrotness and versatility, that
he succeeded, though frequently engaged in
crime, in avoiding the notice of the police, and
was never included in any of their lists of "pro-
fessiona" criminals. Crime of any sCrt that
promised to be profitable seemed to be his bust
ness, and strange contrastl- the study of
phiology his recreation. The extent of his
attachments in this direction is not known but
it is Known that the preparation of work on
language was the fayorte amusement of his
leisure, and the manuscript was one of the proofs
that established his identity.
Generally Rullof laid the plans for the gang
Of robbers with whom he was in league, and
was their legal adviser if any were detected; but
on the morning Of the nth of last August he
went in person with two associates to plumber a
store in Binghamton. Two clerks sleeping in
the store were alarmed by the noise, and at
tackled the two burglars whom they discovered
One of the villains was knocked down, and the
clerks seemed likely to get the better of them,
when third burglar came suddenly from his
hiding place, shot one of the young men who
were struggling with his confederates, and the
three made their escape. The next day TWO
bodies, bearing marks of a violent conflict were
found in the Chenango river near the town, and
were identified by the surviving clerk as the two
robbers with whom he and his companion had
the struggle. In the course of the next night
Rullof was found secreted in an Clubhouse not
far away. There was at first no evidence to i'm
plicate him, and he was detained only as sus
pieious character against whom something
might turn up. II was not long before some
thing did turn up, and from day to day new
NhNuhiatahNeS appeared 10 1A Inc crime more
surely upon him. First, a peculiar delormity of
one Of his feet was observed to resemble closely
a mis-shapen shoe left behind by the robbers.
This was tried and fitted his foot exactly.
AT the trial, among other evidence tending to
prove his guilt, was the production of a copy OF
the New York Times, found in carpet bag,
which the robbers had left in the store From
this paper an article had been cut. In Rullof's
desk, which was searched, slip was found, evi
IDENTIFY cut from the Times, which, when applied
proved to it the vacant place in the paper the
uneyenly cut edges matching exactly. The ar
ticle was a translation from the French of NJ
Cherbulez, on Prussian policy, from the ReUu,
des DeU1 Aondes. Another link in the fats
chain was the Identification Of one Of the dead
robbers as the son Of the jailor in whose charg'
Rnllof was during his Imprisonment twenty
seven years ago. The prisoner had seemed t.
take fancy 10 the boy and hat
given him lessons with his fathers per
mission. The lessons were not all useful or in
noeent as 1t proved; the boy, guieless ant
eager for knowledge, was corrupted and led intt