Allow me to introduce you to Julius Rufus. He took up residence in San Quentin on November 12, 1901 for a 6-month sentence.
Julius’ crime was fairly minor, especially when compared to many of the characters we cover here. According to the San Francisco Examiner, Superior Judge Cook sentenced the 29-year-old barber to six months in prison for entering the residence of A. Heynemann at 2508 Fillmore street and stealing “several razors.”
This seems like quite a harsh sentence for stealing razors, at least when other criminals were getting a year or two for assault with a deadly weapon or manslaughter.
Some other factor must have been at play. It’s possible Julius Rufus had a terrible personality and he annoyed the judge. But my theory is that Rufus got the sentence he did because of how he looks. Nobody would trust a guy who looks like him.
I looked into this a little and there’s a 2010 study from Cornell that showed unattractive defendants typically serve 22 months longer than good-looking defendants. This may not apply: I wouldn’t say Rufus is unattractive, he just looks really dodgy.
He favors Charlie Sheen a little, another person who is not to be trusted. I’m not sure they look enough alike to be another doppelgänger example, but there is something around the eyes.
old spirituals 
I think the authorities probably knew Julius had committed other crimes, but only had evidence for the theft of the razors, therefore receiving a harsher sentence. Definitely a Charlie Sheen double in all aspects.
LikeLiked by 2 people
That’s true! As a barber, he used razors a lot.
Ok, we’ll add Julius to our celebrity doppelgängers!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I say that’s a great point. Not every crime is the same.
I don’t know what the judge must take into account but if I applied my own standards and I had the power of a judge, I’d consider things like, Did this person hurt someone? If so, did they understand they could or would hurt another person? Were they acting out of malice? I’d also consider the victim and why they were selected. I’ve heard some judges take things like being high or drunk as a mitigating factor but for me, that is an aggravating factor. Fortunately for these guys, I’m only responsible for correcting myself!
As someone who actually did do work that involved making judgements, I’m curious what factors carried weight with you?
LikeLike
Breaking and entering is a serious crime. Why didn’t he steal these razors from a store? I just think the authorities suspected he was behind other crimes and couldn’t prove it. Sometimes the police feel the need to get a dangerous person off the streets.
LikeLiked by 2 people
That makes a lot more sense than just busting him for stealing razors!
LikeLike
Pingback: 3 Photos from the US in the Great War (and a new doppelgänger!) | old spirituals