The Portland daily press., 1890-05-31
SEQUEL OF A HANGING.
A Reporters Experience with Two
Brothers, One Of Whom was
Hanged.
CChieago Hereld.1

CChieago Hereld.1
In the days when Horace Greeley was
booming The New York Tribune, Fred.
Harriott was reporter ON that paper.
In Binghamton, N Y, burglary was
committed by three men. Two Of these
entered q store to secure the booty, while
the third was left outside as guard
This guard was vigilant and he saw by
the movements of a young man who APP
peared on the scene that the burglars
had been discovered. Prompt action was
necessary and the guard was the man
for the situation. Before the young
man could give the alarm the guard had
grappled with and killed him. Hiding
his victim in a dark corner he waited
until his accomplices finished their work
and then, without word of the deed he
had committed, repaired with them to
rendezvous where the spoils We're to be
divided. While thus engaged the muir
derer managed to start quarrel and in
the scrimmage that followed he killed
his two confederates in crime and took
all the booty himself.
The murderer, however, was not cum
ming enough to elude the officers of JUS
tice. He was arrested, tried and SEN
fenced to be hanged. A few days be-
fore the hanging Harriott was sent by
Mr.. Greeley to report the affair. HAIR
riott interviewed the condemned, and
found him to be in many respects won
derful man. He was crank Of the first
water, and was thoroughly unbalanced
in mind He was scholar of wonder
full attainments, and as acquaintance
progressed Harriott learned he had some
manuscript works in original Greek that
any college or institution of learning
would be delighted to possess.
Upon his arrest tho man had given the
name of Rulof, and that was all the pub
lie knew of him, but Harriott found
more than that in the man, and he be-
came so interested in him that he also
interested Mr.. Greeley, and by their
combined efforts respite was obtained
for the prisoner. Harriott worked hard
to secure the mans pardon, but he did
not succeed, and Rulof was hanged. The
newspaper man was the last one with
whom he spoke before the cap was pulled
over his head.
Harriott quit the newspaper business
and married Clara Morris. He became
her manager and in that capacity found
himself some years ago in San Francisco.
While there the actress wished to have
some pictures taken, and Mr.. Harriott
went to the well know2 photographers
Of San Francisco, Bradley & RulofSon.
After a few moments talk with one Of
the firm the thought that he had seen
him before arose in his mind, and he d.
rected questions that in turn caused
questions to be asked. The photographers
appearance, manner and speech brought
to his memory the hanging of Rulof in
Binghamton, and when he found he was
talking to Mr.. Rulofson his wonder grew
greater than ever at the similarity of the
name. Mr.. Rulofson drew from him the
whole story of the triple murder and the
hanging. He told how he had labored
for the condemned man and the interest
he had taken in him.
The proprietor listened intently all
through and noted down in book Of
orders the appointment for Miss Morris
for the next day. They parted and Mr..
Harriott began stroll through the gal
lery, looking at the pictures. He had
not been long thus engaged when he be-
came aware of commotion down on
the street below. He looked out Of the
window and saw crowd. Presently it
parted and some policemen emerged
bearing the form Of man. Even at
that distance Mr.. Harriott recognized it
hs liiS man ne tlau DuJ a rev minutes De-
fore been talking with. 1t was Rulof-
son. He had left the gallery and gone
to the roof of the building and DELHI
erately thrown himself to the pavement
below
Rulofson was brother of the murder
er hanged in Binghamton. He had not
heard from his brother for years, as was
learned a little later. The brother had
been the black sheep of the family and
had caused no end of trouble. He had
been all over the world and had travelled
under many aliases. His last one was
Rulof-he had merely dropped the last
syllable. The story Harriott told was
the first knowledge Rulofson had had of
his brothers fate, and it affected him so
that he committed suicide.