Iowa voter. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1867-1874, 1871-06-01

SWOre Qcunltcly 10 nlm In court as the
man that shot Myrick.
Rulloff was tried, in the first instance,
for this crime, before Judge Hogeboom, of
the Supreme Court, January Of this year.
He was ably defended by George Becker,
Esq, of BinghamtOn, and his own legal
knowledge and acquaintance with the
quirks of the bar were brought into full
play, but there could be no doubt Of his
guilt, and he was sentenced to be hung
March 3. An appeal was heard before a
full bench in February, and the order Of
the lower court affirmed. Subsequently,
stay Of proceedings was granted and the
case taken to the Court Of Appeal, but
this tribunal of last resort acquiesced in
the justice Of the sentence, and the only
effect of the motion was to postpone the
fatal day until the 18th of May. There
after the only hope lay in Governor Hoff-
man, and the executive was approached in
every possible way with view to obtain
a pardon OF Communication. The Governor
gave the case most thoughtful attention,
regarding the evidence in all its bearings,
and sending commission of experts to
report upon the sanity of Rullof. But
those matters are fresh in memory. and
our readers well know that the efforts in
his behalf made it only more clear that
there was no loop-hole of escape for the
condemned man. He had, however, cheat
ed the gallows SO many times, that those
cOnversant with his career had an almost
superstitious belief that he would never
become its victim, and some of the spec
tators of the execution scarcely believed
their eyes"
Concerning the execution of this
wretched man, the Courier says:
1T was at this time that our reporter
first had q view Of the criminal, while
walking as it were into his grave. He
saw q man whose physiognomy by no
means confirmed imaginings. They were
neither the brutal look to be expected in
one who has finched at no atrocity, nor
the indications Of Intellectual activity to
bear out reports of his extraordinary tai
emf. The face, indeed, could not be called
striking one. The countenance was
large; the breadth between the cheek
bones being unusually great, and the fore
head broad and high. The chin was
covered by heavy grayish whiskers, some
what unkempt The aspect of the man
was sluggish, and betokened Emphatic
temperament He was shabbily dressed in
a suit of threadbare black, patched and
scanned and wrinkled, and wore on his
head cap of dark-blue cloth. His ell
bows were strapped to his sides, but SO as
to allow him to place his hands in the
pockets Of his pantaloons, and he carried
them there as he slouched along, with his
sleepy eyes fixed upon the ground, and
these were not raised for one glance of
curiosity as he passed through the corridor,
by his own coffin, and through the crowd
in the jail-yard, at this juncture breathless
with absorbing interest. There was so
little in him to betoken the desperate or
the student, that the general feeling Of
those who saw him for the first time was
can this be Rulloffy
"At twenty-four minutes past II o'clock
he came under the gallows, and without
further ceremony the attendants bound his
arms more tightly, and strapped his legs
together. During the process he stood
like dazed man, his eyes set upon the
ground, his hands nervously twitching in
his pockets, and his legs quivering under
him. Never was a ghastlief and more
pitiable spectacle seen than that of this
poor wretch, who had not scrupled in cold
blood to take the lives of his fellow-creat.
ures, standing shivering there in mortal
terror for his own, but with a terrible
struggle going on within him TO appear
composed, to achieve the last ambition Of
the murderer, that Of dying game
"At twenty eight minutes after IL
o'clock the Deputy Sheriff commenced to
read the warrant for the execution. 1t oc-
cupied several, minutes, and, of course, no
one paid the least attention to II, all eyes
being concentrated upon the unhappy be-
ing upon whose dangling corpse the bril-
liant sun of May would be shining in
brief few minutes. He maintained the
same attitude and down-cast look, being
supported by two men behind him, to
whom he said soto pOce that he could not
stand still.
1.-THE reading of the warrant finished,
Sheriff Martin said, in clear voice, though
shaken by emotion: / would ask you,
Mr.. Rulloff, If you have anything to say
why you should not be executed according
to the sentence of the law The wretched
man replied by shaking his head, without
raising his eyes, and mumbled out the
words, Nothing, sir The Sheriff waited
q few seconds, as If surprised at this re-
sponse, and then said: 1T is now about
twenty six minutes before the time had
fixed in my mind for your execution. Have
you anything to say?' Rullof simply
shook his head.
1.-THE Sheriff then stepped around to
the left side and rear of the criminal,
where he could reach the fatal cord, and
said: 1t is not your wish then to say any,
thing, or that there should be any delay 2
Again the reply was a shake. Of the head
in the negative. 1t was then thirty six
minutes past eleven O'Clock. In thirty sec
onds the white cap was drawn over the
face of Rulloff, and Immediately the Sheriff
Embossed the small rope which held up the
heavy weight. There came hurting
sound as the unseen weight rushed down,
and with bound the body Of the doomed
man rose in the air As the shock came
upon the neck and the knot of the moose
rushed to the fatal place under the left
ear, there was heard from Rullof s throat
the fearful cluck which Is almost invaria
bly, produced. His right hand had been
withdrawn from his pocket an instant be
fore the rope was slipped, but even while
rising, the man, already dead to all intent,
for his neck was broken by the shock,
thrust it back, with a nervous, twitching
action that had a most horrible effect:
While the hearts Of those inside sickened
at the spectacle, the outsiders OWNED that
all was over, as If by instinct and a great
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