The Saint Paul globe., 1902-02-02

out it, and thea get me caught, / would
kill every keeper in the place and Dor
nan with them. And then myself next
Ill tell you I'm noS to be betrayed. I
don't say my dear that you would try
70 &c me wrong, but you're woman, and
as changeable as one, and so l thought
oa m9qd don remInd Indz YOU knowing ing that
Let a woman know you love her, and the
jig is up. Yours. Ed >
"P. s-You did not tell me whether
YOU got the money. Now, mind, after
getting through reading this letter, make
up your mind then and there. for there
is nothing You san say that will keep me
soon as you can il you are gong to
stay. In case YOU stay, III fix it on
someone else as near as 1 can. And in
case YOU stay / will be here to say good
pye to YOU until l sec you in March, if
you care to zee me then
Don't say that L am hasty now,
we arc in this minute-a man on the OFT
side with our secre, in his hands. Goo1-
bye, nv own sW eet darling. / love YCu
now, and always will better tEan any
one in the world. Farewell Love from
Jack. Remember there will be no
changes"
BiddIe infatuated the woman.
This letter clearly shows the wonderful
influence Ed Biddle had over Mrs SOffel
She fell in love with Biddle in November.
The burglar soon realized his power over
her. 1t was not long until he started to
write love letters to her. His affection
was reciprocated. Mrs. Soffel fell madly
in love with Ed Biddle and about the
early part of December he proposed a
plan OF escape to her. She consented to
lend him her aid. Between Dec. IA and
1G they had completed all arrangements to
escape from the jail. Then they learned
of the governors respite. After this Ed
Biddle almost persuaded Mrs. Soffel to
fly with him and his brother.
The excitement was unabated today and
a dense crowd of people hung about the
Jail doors all day trying to get in to see
the two criminals. The most persistent
OF the crowd were women, many of whom
expressed the deepest concern and SYM
pathy for Ed Biddle and declared their
belief in his innocence. This belief SEEM
ed to deepen when it became known that
he had made a deathbed confession to
Rev. Father Walsh, of this place, last
night, declaring his innocence of the
crime of shooting Groceryman kahney
and Detective Fitzgerald
Fighting over the Reward.
In spite of an amicable agreement con-
corning the disposition of the prisoners
entered into today by the district at
tcrneys of Butler and Allegheny counties,
the quarrel broke out afresh tonight.
When Detectives Roach and Swinehart,
Of Pittsburg, who had been appointed bv
District Attorney Haymaker to represent
Allegheny county. heard of the approach
ing death of Jack Biddle they hastened
TO the Jail, but We're refused admission
by Sheriff Hoon. The latter said the two
men were dying and no person should be
admitted. Roach and Swinehart were
forced to retire and telegraph home for
instructions. District Attorney Hay
Tya to
trouble will vanish quickly when the OBJ
Jectlng officials learn that the $1,000 re-
ward offered by Allegheny county was
Tor the delivery of the bodies of the Bid
dies dead or alive into the possession of
the county commissioners. Should the
Butler county officials succeed in retain
ing possession of the prisoners they could
not share the reward because the con-
dltlons have not been fulfilled
Dead Men Shot Themselves.
From the statement made this morn
ing by Jack" Biddle in his cell it is
evident that the escaped convicts and
thelr accomplice had arranged to COM
NIT suicide in case capture became i'm
minent. Jack Biddle said:
When we saw the officers coming to
ward us on the road we knew it was al
up. We did not fire a shot at the Of
hcers, but agreed to kill ourselves.
shot myself in the mouth. Ed shot him.
self over the heart and the woman shot
herself in the breast. We knew we had
no chance to get away and we knew we
would swing if taken back, and that is
why we wanted TO kill ourselves
The Kahney murder ED alleged be-
fore dying, was committed by Walter
DOrman, assisted by a man who had that
day come from Chicago and the Seebers
woman, who put on a mans suit This
Ed said, she had often done before,
when she had assisted them in their rob-
berries. He admitted having committed a
great many robberies, but stoutly main
tained that he had never killed anyone
Drs. Greer and Bricker, who have been
attending the two Biddles, made a re-
port that apparently confirms Jack
Biddles story that the fugitives had
tried to kill themselves. They had come
to this conclusion after a complete ex-
animation and probing of the wounds of
both men, Ed Bddle had several powder
marks on his left breast which would
go to show he had attempted to kill him
self. In Jacks mouth are two bullet
wounds which would be prima facie evil
dence that he wanted to rid the world
of himself. One of the bullets came from
a revolver, carrying away a portion of
his tonsil, which the doctors say could
only have happened by the holding Of a
IeNOlNcI 10 lis OWL 1IOutIi
Did Not Fear the Guards.
Late this afternoon when John Biddle
realized that his hours of life were few,
he told r. G. Robinson, an Allegheny
county detective, that he and his brother
had begun to saw the bars of their cells I
before Christmas and had completed tho
work before Gov. Stone respted them on
Jan. II. He said they intended leaving
the jail on Sunday night, Jan. 12, or the
early morning Of Monday following, just
as they did last Thursday morning.
When they were notified Of the respite
until the latter part of this month they
decided to take their time and run the
risk of discovery, of which, he said, they
had no fear.
During the investigation by the prison
board at Pittsburg today, Dietrich, father
of Mrs. Soffel, who was a Jail guard,
Ed Biddle to his daughter, but excused
himself by saying Biddle told him the
papers contained poetry written by him
self. Further examination of Dietrich
was postponed until Monday.
When District Attorney Haymaker and
County Detective Robinson went into the
room at the hospital where Mrs Sotfel
IS lying, she threw up her hands and
said: "Oh, for Gods s5aket' She seemed
10 be overcome with remorse and asked
them if they intended to take her "ho,ne"
at once, and they told her they would
come back for her next week. At Tne
time she was in fairly good condition
and the doctors said she could be re-
moved tomorrow if desired Mr. Hav-
maker decided there was no hurry and
Will not move her for two or three davs.
The bodies of the Biddle bothers win
be taken to Pittsburg tomorrow.