The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1902-02-01
WIFE OF A WARDEN TRIES
TO Die WITH GUILTY LOVER
Infatuated Woman Stands Up in the Sleigh and
Shoots at the Officers.
When the Desperate Battle Was Over She and Her Companions
Were Wounded

1t IS the intention Of the authorities
to prosecute Mrs. Soffel when she re-
covers, although there are many per-
sons who contend she was either hyp-
Noticed or insane
Story of the Detectives.
The story Of the fight as told by one
Of the detectives follows:
The Biddles were sitting on the right
side Of the cutter. Mrs. Sofel was
on the left side. When Detective Nc
Govern called to them to hold up their
hands and surrender Ed Biddle jumped
up and, raising shotgun, fired at
McGoyern. He aimed badly and the
shot scattered alongside the road.
Almost simultaneously Detectives
MCGOvern and Roach discharged their
Winchesters at Ed Biddle. Both shots
( took effect Jack Biddle raised from
the seat and discharged his revolver at
I ne three officers. Detective Swine
/ heart steadied himself and fired his
45-calibre Colt revolver at Jack The
bail took effect in Jacks arm. Then
! the detectives opened rapid fire on
the escapes. The shots knocked them
out Of the sleigh. Ed fell spraying
on the snow and Jack fell on top of
him. their firearms falling from their
hands.
The Woman Collapses.
The Blddles horse then became
frightened and ran away across a field.
1t was at this time that Mrs SOffeI
was seen to collapse in the sleigh The
detectives approached the wounded
men. and Detective Swlneheart was
rushing in on them, when Detective
McGovern called to him to stay back,
that the Biddles were only feigning.
Detective Roach saw Ed Biddle
reach IN his coat pocket as if for a
gun, and the detective shot him again.
Then Detective McGOvern ran up
within five feet of the boys and emp
tied his Winchester into them. The
Biddles then yielded. and Roach and
McGOvern handcuffed their hands and
feet, and they were taken to Butler.
Mrs. Soffel who had fallen from the
sleigh when the horse ran away. was
picked up and placed in the detectives
large sleigh with her companions and
taken to the hospital at Butler.
Edward Biddlc's Statement.
At the Jail tonight Ed Biddle called
for a priest and made the following
statement:
Il have been accused Of a great many
Ierious crimes. I admit that could
| uave eonnnitteu many. as the oppor-
tunities for them presented themselves.
want 10 say now that / did not kill
Detective Fitzgerald, nor did 1 shoot
Thomas Kahney, nor was my brother
implicated in the latter affair Mrs
Soffol aided US in getting out of the
/ county Jail, and had il not been for
her we would have made on. escape
/ &c 'ay- She gave up everything for us
and l was bound to back her I did
not shoot her. She shot herself. Oh
father, bless me and tell me that nv
sings are forgiven
Although l have been pictured to
you as desperate man, I still have
some heart and gratitude for the wo-
| man who helped us to escape. She
merely did il out Of good sympathy
| for US. I persuaded her to do it. i
/ told her ! was guiltless of the crime
for which ! was about to be executed
and she was impressed and yielded 20
my suggestion. 1 planned it all"
Woman's Sympathy For Prisoners
Father Walsh administered the last
! rites Of the dying, and Biddle rolled
/ over on his face and sighed. He was
asked II he wanted any word taken 10
MS brother, and he shook his head.
The entire party, officers and prison.
/ erS. are expected to arrive in this civ
| tonight on a special train. Mrs. Soffel
made statement after her capture. in
which she said she became involved in
the affair through her sympathy for
Ed Biddle. She said she now realized
her mistake and wished she was dead
She said she did not shoot herself. but
was the first one shot by the detec-
tives. The officers say the woman was
/ armed but don't think she fired any
shots.
DR.. J. Z. Ayres. who examined the
Biddles and Mrs. SoffeI as soon as the
prisoners were taken into the county
jail made the following statement to-
night: THE wounds OF all three
prisoners are exceedingly grave and
may re ult fatally before another twen-
ty-four hours
The bullet which struck Mrs. SoffeI.
and which appears to be elf-inhicted.
entered her left breast, going through
the nipple and passing back about six
/ inches through her chest. It lodged
under the skin of the back. almost or
pOsite its point of entrance From nv
examination of Mrs. Soffel's wound. l
think she may live, but her exposure to
the cod and the excitement and nerv-
Gus shock of this affair may so COM
plicate matters that her wound may
prove fatal"