I agree that Rudolph appears to be both a religious zealot and a murderous bigot, at least if he is guilty of what the FBI says he did. Of course, he is assumed innocent until proven guilty, or we should assume this until the evidence is presented.

In those mountain communities, everyone is related by blood or marriage, and I imagine that the locals would tend to regard anyone who turned him in in the same way that good union men regard a scab or churchpeople regard a madam or the owner of a honkeytonk.

Back in the 1880's, Frank James, the bankrobber, was tried three times and acquitted all three of robbing banks and killing bank employees. The juries hated banks, city slickers and Yankees, and this was their only chance to express these thoughts.


To the local yokels, Rudolph is a relative, friend and fellow Christian first and what the FBI says he is only if and when they manage to prove their case.

Note that they are trying him in Alabama first, then in Georgia.

Still, collecting the reward money and perhaps donating it to the victims all or in part would seem to be the most sociable thing for a person to do.

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Semibodacious Transmogrifications a Specialty

1990 300D 2.5 Turbo sedan 171K (Rudolf)
1985 300D Turbo TD Wagon 219K (Remuda)

"Time flies like and arrow, yet fruit flies like a banana"
---Marx (Groucho)