Clay County AlArchives News.....Trial and Execution of Blake Ruff March 28, 1935 ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/al/alfiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Linda Ayres http://www.genrecords.net/emailregistry/vols/00031.html#0007674 February 13, 2023, 5:59 pm Ashland Progress March 28, 1935 Jul 14, 1932, Lineville Headlight: Reports from Delta Sunday afternoon that the negros had quite a commotion at their church near Delta late Sunday. One negro bought a box of ammunition and borrowed a gun to go out and look for him a man. He couldn't find him but fired the gun several times in disgust while angered. Previous to this an affray frightened the church assemblage and disbanded the services. One negro, Blake Ruff was carried to jail while the other. Slim Adams was held under bond to the County Court. Aug 2, 1933, Our Mountain Home: A Miller-paroled negro convict Thursday night killed four negroes, one of them the girl he sought to marry, near Delta in Clay County. After the shooting, which occurred at a tenant house on the G. S. Jones farm near Delta, the paroled convict, Blake Ruff, age 25, gave himself up to Deputy Sheriff J. L. McCollum of Lineville who placed him in me county jail at Ashland. In addition to Killing four persons, Ruff allegedly fired at a negro woman the bullet making a flesh wound in the ear of a child she held in her arms. He also is said to have fired at a negro known as "Slim" who lived it the Boyd home. The dead are: Eva Boyd, age 20, the girl he sought to marry. Walter Boyd, age 50, her father. John Henry Boyd, age is, her brother. Roy Henderson age 22, her alleged lover. According to information gathered by Deputy Sheriff McCollum, Ruff went to the Boyd home at night in an effort to get the Boyd girl to marry him and to get her parents consent. When he could not get consent to marry her, he pulled out a pistol and fired on Eva, the bullet striking her in the heart. He then fired at her father, two bullets entering his forehead. Her brother was the next victim, one bullet striking him in the back and two in the head. He fired at the girl's mother after the other three were felled, and then walked a mile to the Smith's farm where the Henderson negro was killed, a bullet being fired into his head. As he left the Boyd home Ruff fired on a negro known as "Slim" who said he was given 25, cents to get Eva away from the Boyd home for the Ruff negro. He made no attempt to do so, however, he said. The weapon used to do the shooting was said to have been stolen from Dock Upchurch's automobile which was parked in Lineville Thursday morning. Ruff had bought the marriage license at Ashland several days ago. He tore the license to pieces during the conversation which, preceded the shooting at the Boyd home. He told Deputy McCollum that he had bought some clothes for the Boyd girl to wear at their wedding, and that she wanted to marry him, but that her folks objected. Ruff was paroled by Governor Miller a few months ago. He was convicted several years ago on a charge of slaying his *brother-in-law. [*Note: These is no Court record in Clay/Randolph County charging Blake Ruff with murder. He was convicted on Aug 3, 1932, and sent to prison for the disturbance at the church listed above] Oct 12, 1933, Ashland Progress: The first murder trial in Clay County ever to result in a verdict calling for electrocution as far as this writer remembers, was held in the Circuit Court here Tuesday when Blake Ruff, negro who killed four other negros near Delta late in July was, after pleading guilty, tried by a jury as the law provides, found guilty of murder in the first degree and given the death penalty. He had been indicted in four cases but was tried in only one case that of killing Eva Boyd, the girl whom he had tried to induce to marry him but had failed to get hers and her parents consent. The evidence brought out in the trial was in the main about the same as was reported at the time of the killing. Feb 1, 1935, Dothan Eagle: The Supreme Court, in reviewed the case yesterday held there was no reversible error in the records. Blake Ruff, Clay County Negro, went to the home of Eva Boyd with marriage license and new clothes for his prospective bride. Angered when she changed her mind and refused to marry him. the records showed, Ruff ran amuck and shot and killed her, her brother and father. The mother of the family saved her life by fleeing to the swamps behind the home, although Ruff fired several shots at her. The Supreme Court again held there was no reversible error, and sentenced Ruff, to die on March 22nd. Mar 22, 1935, Anniston Star: Blake Ruff, Clay County negro, died in Alabama's electric chair at 12:21 a. m. today for the murder of four. He claimed self-defense Ruff bought a marriage license, then killed his sweetheart when she refused to go through with the ceremony. Then he killed her father and brother, went to the home of his rival and killed him. Ruff attempted suicide in the death cell late yesterday by slashing his wrists with a sharpened spoon, but doctors bound his wounds. Mar 28, 1935, Ashland Progress: Blake Ruff Clay County negro paid the penalty of his crime in the Alabama Eclectic chair Friday, March 28, he being the first person from Clay County, ever to meet such a fate. It will be recalled that he is the negro who, after that he had bought a marriage license and been jilted by his sweetheart, ran amuck and killed her. her father, her brother and a negro youth whom he considered his rival. His unerring aim in killing four rivaled the legendary accuracy of Wild West desperadoes. Ruff sought to dodge the chair by an appeal to the pardon board and the Governor, but after hearing his plea they refused to interfere and allowed the law to take its course according to schedule. Additional Comments: Death Cert: Name Blake Ruff Sex Male Age 20 Death Date 1935 Death Place Montgomery, Montgomery, Alabama, United States Birth Year (Estimated) 1915 Marital Status Single Race Black Ethnicity American Mother's Name Mary Ruff [Son of Wm Ruff & Mary Threats] Mother's Sex Female Event Type Death Source Details cn 13988 [It is unknown if the body was returned to Clay County, or he was buried in the prison cemetery] In 1930 the family was living the Fox Creek District just over the county line in Randolph County near Ofelia. 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