The Morning herald., 1876-02-24
Rub0uvtlon'O Devotion.
THE SINGULAR ACTIONS OF THE xuR'
DERER IN HIS CELL. ~7e2a


THE SINGULAR ACTIONS OF THE MUIR
DERER IN HIS CELL. s7ass
"Rube," as Pesach Rubenstein Is famil-
iarly called by the inmates of the Ray.
mond street Jail, sat on the steam pipe in
his cell yesterday, bound in his straps, in
toning his prayers and reading his Bible.
At 7 A. N. he bound himself, wrapping
the thin, narrow leathern straps, one
around his right arm, beginning at the
large muscles above the elbow, and wind
ing it around and around his arm until it
reaches his finger nails, and the other
about the upper part of his head. On his
forehead and on the inside of the arm, at
the elbow, are firmly fastened two ssaall
cubes Of wood about two aid half inches
thick, with a margin at the bottom Of half
an inch, and covering or case fitting
over the cube and resting on the margin.
On each Of these cubes arc written in He
brew the Ten Commandments. The
straps are bound SO firmly as to interfere
somewhat with the circulation Of the blood,
but the devoted Hebrew endures ii az a
duty. He says ii is neccssa y to rid him
self Of a certain amount of animal force,
and that the muscles being the seat Of that
force, he begins to strap himself at the
place OF greatest muscular development,
above the elbow. The finger nails. he
says, are lone Of the essences of religion"
and this vital force leaves the muscles and
enters the strap at the end and travels it's
entire length, escaping through the nails
of the fingers, where the other end of the
strap terminates. He presented a curious,
srQtesane. aagIaasseasa Hisl ,lvau.' ~ rI,s race
is pale, his neck extremely small, and his
body small. lie possesses much cunning,
and shows it in his face. 90
No one is permitted within the gate that
separates Murderers Row from the other
cells of the Jail unaccompauied by dep
uty sheriff. Watchman Richard Howard
who attends Rubenstein by day, says he
lets no one inside the gate, not even the
prisoners own relations, and no one is
allowed to approach nearer than six feet
of the prisoner.
Rubenstein shook hands with Colonel
stesemen, and scanned with caution tht
other visitor. Not recognising him as {
reporter he was contented to allow him tt
remain. He drives reporters from hi
cell. He took the Sheriff into his eel
and sat down at the extreme end Of it
: as far away as he could get, and in muf1e'
a German asked him to use his inAuenc
e with the Judges and tie District Attorne
n to obtain stay or reprieve for thre
r. months. He said he could not get read
If to die by the 24th of March; and urged tt
Sheriff to get him time enough to prepal
70 to die. At times he put his lips to tt
o. Sheriff's ear, and looking to see wheth'
,c any one was listening, whispered somethiI
;. very confidential. The Sheriff would n
"A say what it was. At times he smiled a,
=. Sc med in good spirits. He says he wi
W not be hanged because he is innocent al
~ in the hands Of God, who will not alle
D him to be hanged. On account Of his co
40 6denee of escaping the gallows the stri
.a est possible watch is kept over him. T
=. Bible that his father sent him was +
he given TO him, for fear that. the leaves W
oh poisoned. Twelve dollars, sent him
to friends through the "Sun," was not Civ
Nc to him for the same reason. The shel
,er took the bank notes sent and gave h
os others in their place. The wary Rub
,.1 stein hesitated some time before accept
the the money. The Sheriff, after consid
able talk, persuaded him that it was Ri
the and safe 10 take it, and explained tha
an. was from his friends to aid him in obta
can ing a new trial. Rubenstein took
60 money and signed receipt.
.om He afterward prayed with his face
the the east, rocking his body to and fro
in shifting his breast. he moved his lip
= Of smothered utterances, placing at times
his unstrapped hand over his eyes. Then
fol. read his Bible, intoning a short pra
before beginning. After this was gone
=, rs unbound his arm and forehead, kiss
be-. repeatedly the Ten Commandments on
able cubes az he carefully wound the stl
ever about them and placed them in bag.
sul, He asked the Sheriff to let him 9