Episode 325: Edward H. Rulloff was a 19th-century Canadian-born serial killer renowned for his exceptional intellect and heinous crimes. Rulloff exhibited prodigious intellectual abilities from a young age. He was a polymath with expertise in various fields, including linguistics, where he made significant contributions, proposing theories on the origin of languages. Despite his scholarly achievements, Rulloff’s life was marred by a series of crimes that began with the mysterious disappearance of his wife, Harriet Schutt Rulloff and their young daughter, Priscilla Charlotte Rulloff, in 1845, which many suspected to be his doing. His erudition earned him a reputation as one of the most learned men of his time, even while he was incarcerated.
Rulloff’s criminal activities were as notorious as his intellect was celebrated. He was involved in a string of burglaries and was eventually implicated in multiple murders. His undoing was the killing of a store clerk, Frederick Merrick, during a robbery attempt. His two accomplices, Al Jarvis and Billy Dexter, also died while fleeing the crime scene. Rulloff was suspected of doing away with them.
He was soon captured and held for trial. Despite attempts to use his intellectual prowess as a defence, Rulloff was convicted and sentenced to death. His execution in 1871 was a significant event, as many viewed his death as the tragic end of a brilliant yet malevolent mind.
Sources:
Murder by Gaslight: The Man of Two Lives.
Edward Rulloff | Murderpedia, the encyclopedia of murderers
The Life and Madness of Edward H. Rulloff | Victorian Gothic
Edward H. Rulloff: The Veil of Secrecy Removed: Freeman, E H: 9781461142751: Books – Amazon.ca
Rulloff’s Restaurant | The Story
The Internal Narcissist: Why Your Ego Wants You To Suffer
What the new science of narcissism says about narcissists | Psyche Ideas
Ithaca history: What do you know about Edward Rulloff?
Mark Twain Day By Day: The Day Mark Twain Defended A Serial Killer
The Life and Death of Edward H. Rulloff by Herbert A. Wisbey, Jr.
Edward H. Rulloff | Newspapers.com
ABOUT MARK TWAIN: BIBLIOGRAPHIC ISSUE NUMBER 5 on JSTOR
Rulloff’s Restaurant | The Story
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