Fort Mill times. [volume] (Fort Mill, S.C.) 1892-current, 1902-02-05
JAIL BREAKERS SHOT DOWN
3iddle Brothers and Mrc. SoTel Cap
tured After Desperate Fight.
0VERTAKEN ON SNOWCLAD ROAD
Shots Were Exchanged Sixty Yards Apart
tally, and the Woman Turned Revol-
vcr on IIerscif-Nonc OF tho Pursuers
Injured-Statement OF u ying Outlaw.

Hersclf-Nonc OF tho Pursuers
Injured-Statcment OF Dying Outlaw.
| Butler Penn. After IN exciting
chase through the snowclad hills and
valleys os Butler County. Edward and
.Iohn B!ddlc. the condemned murder-
crS. who escaped from Jail in Pittshurg
on Thursday morning, aided by Mrs.
Kate SoIcl, wife OF Tie Warden. wero
brought 10 bay by two slcighloadS OF
| officers. Mrs. SoC'cl was with the out.
laws
! As q result of the battle. Edward
Eddie was wounded mortally. being
SHOT in the left breast and in one leg;
John Biddlc was riddlcd with buck
shot in the breast and head. and Mrs.
| SOifel, seeing that roCapture was incv-
liable. turned one OF her rcvolvcrs on
| herself and fred into her breast
The story Of the close of the Biddle
tragedy is a thrilling one. The sccne
| was 4 snow-covcrcd road two miles
east of Prospect, Huilcr County. near
Mount Chestnut. and INC exact place
was ut McClurcs barn. Here two
double team slei%hS. filled with eight
| officers. three OF them Pittsburg dctec-
tives-Johl Roach. Albert Swinehart
and Charles McGovcrn-mct the two
biddles and Mrs. So1cl IN 4 onc-horse
sleigh stolen Mt Perrysville. The short
| but decisive battle followed.
Trace of the fugitivcs was obtained
| when they stole the sleigh in PcrryS-
| Vile. They drove il the direction OF
SL-onburg. and local officers ilnmcdi-
| DtnlN n1 l., IN,
OF the Identity or the party. Word also
was sent to PittsbLrS for aid.
The Pittshurg police were met In
Butler by Deputy Sherints Eaincy and
! lioon ana Frank Holiday and Aaron
| Thompson. Local p~licemen under com
mand OF Chief OF Police Robert Ray.
of Butler
The Biddles and Mrs Soffcl ate din
ner in the home of j. ]. Stephens. in
Mount Chestnut, five miles east OF
Butler. They had made detour of
the town of Butler. and after going
several miles east turned north and
then west The Pittsburg officers, only
Il few miles In the rear. took the wrong
read for about eight miles, but when
they found their mistake they made up
for lost time by telephoning and tele-
graphing ahead for fresh horses.
| AfhNh'u SHcStHut uOl
less than half an hour after the Bid
dies and Mrs. Soffel At this point
William Watson. n storekeeper. had
fresh horses awaiting them, and the
chase for life began anew
| The two sleighs with the eight Cffl-
GERS aboard started westward and met
the Biddles and Mrs. Soffcl ut Nc
| Clure's barn, two miles from Mount
! Prospect. the Biddles having learned
that they were almost overtaken, and
taking what they considered the only
chance they had drove eastward and
met their doom.
The PittsDurg and other officers were
armed with Winchester rifles and re-
volvers Of large calibrc. They shot to
! kill. and their aim was perfect The
Blddlos also were heavily armed. but
not one of the ght officers has n
wound rs the result OF the battle.
| When the detectives got within about
sixty yards OF the fugitives they opened
! fire. The BiddlcS promptly answered
with shotgun and revolver
| When Ed Fiddle fell and Mrs SoTel
saw she was about to ne captured sho
/ fred Il bullet into her breast. An eX-
animation by physicians shows that
| shc Will recover. rs the bullet was de-
! iloctCd by her corset, ana the wound
! is comparatively slight
| Ed Biddlc got bullet in the breast
which penetrated his right lung. John
| Eddie may recove", his wounds,
| though numerous, falling to reach vi
tai spot.
After the Eiddlcs fell to the snow
covered ground the officers picked up
I the apparently lifcesS bodies of Mrs.
| Soffcl and the Biddcs and came back
| TO Eutler. bringing the stolen sleigh.
| patched up harness and worn-out horse
that the trio had tried so strcnuouSly
| 10 get away with toward Canada and
liberty.
| At the jail Ed Biddlc called for n
priest and made the following state
mcnt: II have been accused OF a great
| many serious crimes. / want TO say
now ihat l did not kill Detective IitZ-
| "crll1, nor did | shoot Thomas kah-
! ncy. nor was my brother implicated in
| the latter AFFAIR. Mrs. Sofiel aided us
il getting Out OF the county Jail, and
! had 1t not been for her we would have
made orr escape to-day. She gave up
everything for us and ! was bound to
! haci: her. | did not shoot her. She
shot herself. / nm grateful to the
woman who helped us TO escape. She
idid it ont of sympathy. and | persuaded
| her 10 do a."
| At this point Biddle showed signs OF
| collapse and made IN effort TO signal
! the priest. Father Walsh then admin
1 istered the rites OF the dying Biddie
; was asked If he wanted 10 send any
word TO his brother and he shook his
| head, NO"