Nebraska advertiser., 1871-06-15

The case or RulOn, VINO dleQ last
week on the scaffold, Is one of the
most remarkable in criminal records.
The history or bis wickedness, 80 far
as it is known, is In itself most extra
ordinary. Some twenty-five years
ago this man was indicted for the
murder of his young wife and infant
child. The circumstantial evidence
educed In the trial created univeH-
sal conviction of his guilt. But as
no lifeless bodies could be found this
moral conviction could not issue le-
gal verdict. Subsequently Rulof
was tried u second time on the same
indictment, and on the ground Of
new evidence he was pronounced
guilty and was sentenced to death.
While laying in Jail awaiting execu-
ton he succeeded in corrupting
young Jarvis, the jailor's son, and
through him effected his escape.
Forming then partnership of crime
with his deliverer, he perpetrated a
long series of burglaries and thefts.
1t was in one of these inquitous oper-
atjons that the chap, ter of his crimes
found its end. With this same Jar
Wis and another confederate he broke
into q store in BinghamtOn, N. Y.
The two clerks who slept in the
building were aroused. In the strug-
gle which followed Rulof drew a pis-
tot and shot dead one of the brave
clerks. In the retreat which follow
ed, the two associates of RulOff lost
their way in the darkness, and fall
ing into the river, were drowned.
Ruloff was captured on the following
day. The evidence brought against
him In the trial which followed was
unanswerable. He was again con-
demned to death. Last week he met
this sentence on the scaffold, in Bing-
hamton.
But extraordinary as Is this career
of crime in itself, it ia even more ex-
traordinary in view of the character
of the man. This RulOf was among
the most intelligent and cultivated
men in the land. According to his
own statement he entered school at
the age of five years, and soon became
proficient in all the English branch
es. When a young man he began
the study of law, aud yet at the Eame
time he pursued the study of botany,
chemistry, Greek anu Latin. After
ward he set himself to acquiring q
knowledge of medicine. While en-
gagged in some of his most desperate
burglaries he was hard at work in
perfecting science of language. In
1869 he appeared in the Pathological
Convention which sat at Poughkeep-
sic, and astounded the learned savans
with his linguistic knowledge and
his acute reasonings. During these
months in which he has been await
ing in Jail the day of his execution he
has been visited by many scholars
who have come away astonished at
his varied intellectual requirements.
The man pursued his researches un-
der the very shadow of his gallows.
1t all scenes too strange for belief.
And yet the whole case as it stands
before us-this bright intellect Joined
to this career of crime-is only an
affirmation of the truth which the
Bible every way asserts. Education
is not redemption. Culture Is not
grace. Learning Is no security
against temptation. Esthetical ac-
comphishment and fine literary taste
are not essential qualities of chsrac-
ter, insuring to the possessor a pure
life and holy heart. This case of Ru
loft shows the utter incorrectness of
the present thinking in regard to edu
cation.
1t is getting to be thought and as
serted that all t hat is needed to save
men is to fill them with school
Paul, long ago, showed
the unsoundness of this theory when
he said that the world through its
ViSdOn aama IN fo0u God The
The world needs to be convinced that
scholarship is not going to redeem It;
that for the world at large and for
each individual in it Divine power
is necessary to restore and save them.
Even above the doors of our schools
and colleges it needs to be written
that there is no other name under
heaven given among men whereby
they must he saved than the name Of
Christ, neither Is there salvation in
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