Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1890-02-05

". Y, more than twenty years before, and
had been sentenced to be hanged, but had
escaped, and for half n lifetime led the life OF
n slSulking criminal Finally, after numer-
Gus desperate crimes, he committed n murder
that drew him into the meshes OF the law in
Broome county, adjoining the county where
he had committed his first known murder,
and, by a singular circumstance. was identi-
hed by Judge who had seen him at the bar
In Ithaca long before This Identification
placed him under grave suspicion, and he
was guarded and watched until evidence
could be secured to punish him.
The crime for which Rulof was hanged
sas the murder OF +. A. Mirick, clerk In
the dry goods store Of d. N. & Z. G. Hal.
lock, Of Binghamton. The store was enter
cd one night In August, 1870, by three men,
and Mirick and n companion clerk attacked
them. The burglars were intoxicated and
the clerks were getting the better OF them,
when ono burglar drew pistol and shot Mir
lex dead. Then the three left the store with
out plumber, and attempted to escape in row.
boat on the Chenango river that ran near the
store Two bodies were afterward found in
the river that proved TO be those of well
known New York burglars, Albert Jarvis
and William T. Dexter. The surviving clerk
gave the alarm, and pickets were at once
thrown around the town. The watch was
kept up for two days and nights, and on the
second night n man was seen leaving
the town along the Erie railroad track
towards New York. He could give
no satisfactory account of bimself and
was taken before the coroners jury. He
claimed to be innocent, and explained his situa-
ton by saying that he had BEEN put of from
an Erie train at place west OF Binghamton
and was going TO New York, where he lived
While he was under examination Judge Bal
com, of the supreme court, happened to look
In and he recognized Rulofr and accused him
TO his face of his old crimes. However, as
there was no evidence TO hold him on the
new case he was permitted to leave the jury
room. In a short time Judge Balcom's dis
covery was current gossip on the street. and
an old resident of the county, A. c. Math-
ews, secured a buggy and some assistance and
started to hunt him up He was overtaken
i've miles from town going toward New
York. He had made the distance in less than
one hour.
The escaped burglars had in their flight
left behind shoe made for n deformed foot,
and the fugitive was compelled to exhibit his
foot, which proved to be deformed in the ex-
act place indicated by the shoe On this clew
be was taken back and placed in Jail Several
very straight clews were found associating
Ruloff with the men who had been drowned
from the boat In the Chenango and again
connecting these men with the burglary and
murder. The surviving clerk, Burrows, was
able 70 identify the statures Of the three men,
and Ruloff answered to his description of one
Of them, and that, too, as the one who fired
the fatal shot. Ruloff was soop indicted, and
It was found that he had a criminal record in
New York city and was the associate and
counsel of thieves and burglars. He was tried
and sentenced, but procured a stay of pro-
ceedings and passed several months In Jail
under sentence OF death.