The sun., 1902-02-01
WARDEN'S WIFE And MEN SHOT
Riddle MURDERERS AND WOMAN
WHO FREED THEN CAUGHT.

WHO fhEED f"E" SHSU"A'
After She Had Liberated the Convicts
in the Allegheny JAN She Joined Them
IN Flight, in 4 stolen sieigh-AiI.Day
Pursuit by Omcers in Another Sleigh
so shots Fired in the Encounter
Ed BiddIc Dying. Ills Brother Jack
Emil OF shot-Mrs. sorel VIII Recover.
RITTER. Pa, Jan. 3i-The Biddle broth
.rs who escaped from the'Allegheny county
,sl in Pittsburg yesterday morning, and
Mrs Kate DIETRICH Soffel wife of Warden
peter soffel. we're captured this afternoon
near Prospect, about nine miles west OF
here. after a bloody conflict, by Detec-
,ives Charles McGovern, John Roach and
Albert II. Swinehart. Edward Biddle Is
living in the Butler county jail in dying
condition: Jack Bddle, his brother, 10 in
an adjoining cell. riddled with buokshot.
His condition is not considered serious
Mrs. Sotfel according to first reports, shot
herself In the battle, placing a revolver
10 her left breast and driving the ball clear
M the back, but her condition is not serious
She told Detective Roach. however, that
she did not shoot herself but was wounded
at the first volley fired by the detectives.
She is now in the Butler County General
Hospital. The detectives are uninjured.
There were about thirty shots exchanged
IN the fray. The capture was completed
about one and half miles from Prospect.
The Biddle brothers, who were under
sentence Of death for the murder Of Thomas
D. Rabney. escaped from the Allegheny
County Jail in Pitt sburg yesterday morn
ing, after saving their way through the
bars Of their cell. throwing one guard over
the railing to the stone floor, sixteen feet
below. Mrs Soffel, the wife Of the warden.
had furnished them saws and revolvers.
and the men escaped through the warden's
house. which adjoins the Jail. Mrs. Sofiel
left with the Biddles.
The three remained hidden In Allegheny
during the day and left In the evening.
walking on the plank road toward Butler
Late at night they stole a horse and sleigh
from a farmer living near Perrysville.
The fact that a sleigh had been stolen was
telephoned TO Pittsburg and the officers
we're thus put on their track. To-day
word was telephoned to Pittsburg that a
sleigh containing two men and woman,
road near Prospect.
THE CHASE BEGINS.
Detectives John Roach, Albert SWINE
hart and Charles McGovern were ordered
out from Pittsburg TO Butler. Here they
got a telephone message saying that the
party Of fugtives had been at Coopers-
town. twelve miles from Butler. The
detectives took a two-horse sleigh driven
by James Snyder and started out on the
road toward the Newcastle pike, and at
a farmhouse they learned. In an hour,
that the sleigh containing the men and
woman had passed. They got the same
information at a grist mill further on.
and at Mount Chestnut they learned that
the sleigh had gone through there. Here
they received telephone message that
the party had taken dinner at a hotel and
were hitching up to depart. The detec-
tlvee hurried ON and were Joined by sleigh
containing a number of Butler citizens,
among them the Chef OF Police OF Butler
Half way between Mount Chestnut and
Prospect the Detectives saw their quarry
on a little rise In the road coming toward
them. McGovern and Roach got their
rifles ready and swineiart pulled his
dies when the two sleighs were 100 yards
apart. and at the same moment the desper-
ste fugiiives saw that they were eornered
and prepared for battle 20 the death.
so sURhENDEB-A RATTLE.
The dclectiyes sprang from their sleigh
and called on the Biddles 90 surrender
ID Blddle rose In HE seat and taking care
ful and deliberate aim with his shot, gun
fired at McOoyern, but the load scat tered
hafmlessly on the road alongside the de-
tectiye Mctioyern aud Roach fired at the
men. who sat together. Whilo Mrs. SOnol
sai on one side
Jaok B.ddle sprang 10 an upught posl-
tion and fired throo slots at the ds,cctiy.s
b'r sninehar. steadying himself and
aiming fired bullsi from .is-t'ult's
Ie,ol,er that disabl.d Jacks arm. McGoy-
sh nlshed forward and literally rhD, tho
tvo men oul Il tlo sleigh. "a hidde
siunliad oui ga tho Iusd, and Jact, who
had to-n trying o. IrJirH tlo WOMAN
BY HisrposiAE his hody l--i ~r'n hrr and
ils ram IT uull'ts fruiu tils oniorfr' g,H,s
fsl of top Il his br0Lrf. Il.eif Noalioif
fsli alui. .Esids ~ thsir
Me- nunrl noliap-ud in tlis fir.gl. and
th' hufls ian sHay, boz sas oausld ~ ~"
nsi ip ii.s oii.sf firigb - lilIsunir. siho
hAd oufno ~ ~ tlis lasi nansm iu tiulr
a. ~, . sol."y il,Ai y sfi aid 81 tls h.4al,s
Tic nrin'tlisr Aplifsari,sd ii,o aouusi,d
me- .aaiiuarIB> iaaHl eco ~ hiallr
is@nH H.iH ls r.a laHhri. slsfs o..
soiNs nsa aiisfs safd f.....t and ai.ui i.n
AssH lIsn ltrinfIif Aaistsin fsn up
siii"i itf i.ri 90 nIti 3D. unf .. tlr
LniiH .f hlnin bir.isl aNH tl.o
a'ls''liff l.aHa Hin.I.g uafa ~ j ai.at slli.s
49, - iHHsfNH NfH A. huI.rl NuT
AN 80 iHHaI e. fsIHfalIs sl Il - ftifI
- Il saifh ssl b r. biuusll H. 10
ssfffti hi Ittts is ahf asFFfi.n e. hsnt
fH. frisfiHH AL .HlF.H I.af Ne r.nr.
~ IIf H..I....fH. H ed II.I a..
49, tI Hsf H.sH IHH I.s .n.sI. ~,
ii.s' iflH H. uhs - isi 49, ii
tfH iHI tI HH unssls slf ii
ii.f as'rfIfsf FI.. i.rasHF fI.f a.
49, HH. ifH Fl f.II..s.. alHH ~.
- e. 10 800 I.fF FlI. ai.f Hil I.aI
80 rais hHr iri.Hf sHH 81 b.. I
sfiitH |.HrfH flsHH I,a Il
sflaalFaf lf H| a. NaI NJ h.ai'. 49,
see iai f.fa.s HaH naf faf
80 g. % 80 a. IT. aIi.flt.s ~ tsil
so i'f ii'ii Dee 80 faaf L .Il ~