The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-02-01
ALL MAY Die.
Ed and John Biddle, the Pitts
burg COnvicts,
We're Mortally Wounded In
Fight With Detectives.
WOUND OF MRS. SOFFEL
The Warden's Wife Was Also
Dangerously Hurt.
Pneumonia Develops and Her
Life Is Despaired OF.
Big Row Arises Among Officers
Over the Reward.

Butler, Pa, Feb. 1.-The Biddles are
believed to be dying, and contrary to
expectations Jack may pass away first.
Inflammation has set in in his bowels.
which were torn to pieces with bullet
wounds, and it is said he cannot live
long.
Ed Biddle is in a dying condition.
He is in commissions, and the death
rattle has been detected in his throat.
Mrs. Soffel has developed pneumonia
and her condition is more serious than
ever.
Shortly before noon a wild rumor was
circulated on the streets that the Ale
gheny county authorities were coming
with enough armed men to take the
Biddles from the Butler jail by force.
In few minutes a crowd Of 500 men
collected around the Jail Many of
them were armed and others went to
seek arms, and public vengeance was
threatened to any outsider who at
tempted to interfere with the Butler
authorities. There was no foundation
for the report, and the excitement soon
died down.
The change in Mrs Soffeps condition
is due to her long, wild ride through the
wintry air and the exposure resulting
from insufficient clothing and lack OF
good food, and also from the intense
excitement and strain under which she
has labOred ever since she fled with the
murdererS.
Her condition is precN-ious-
Mrs. Dietrich, her mother, visited her
today and in response to the question
as to whether there was anything she
wanted done, she replied:
There is nothing to do. nothing to
do
Tossing on her bed, she said
''Oh, 1 do not know how could have
done it! 1 don't know, don't know.
I am wicked woman, but hope God d,
will spare my life for many years ia
live down this thing"
ROW OVER REWARD.
Butler, Pa, Feb. 1.-The condition
this morning of the fugitives from jus
tice, Edward and John Biddle and Mrs
Kate Soffel, who were wounded in the
battle with the P1ttsburg and Butler
police last evening has not changed
since midnight except in the case of
Ed" Biddle, who has grown noticeably
weaker and it is believed that his death
is now only matter of a few hours
His temperature is 102; pulse 146; 'respir-
alton % and there is evidence of almost
continual hemorrhages. Unless peri
tonitis sets in Jack" will be taken to
the hospital where an operation Will De
performed in the hope of saving his life.
The doctors have just secured evidence
that his bladder was reached by a bull
let, but his general condition seems to
be good. Mrs. Soffel is resting easy.
Her only wound was made by bullet
which penetrated the left breast. 1t was
from a 32-calibre revolver and coursed
around the rib to the left side, lodging
in the shoulder blade. About 8 o'clock
this morning, DIR. G. K. McAdoo opera
ted on her, removing the bullet and she
is in such a condition and her recovery
is believed to be matter of very short
time.
Mrs. Soffel tells two stories of the
shooting, one to the effect that she shot
herself during the fight and the other
that she was shot by Edward Biddle.
The bullet did not go through her outer
garment which indicates that the shot
was fired by herself, or Biddle, by put
ting the hand under the coat A legal
battle is expected when the PittSburg
authorities arrive today and at the jail
it is said the only way the Pittsburgers
will be able to secure the BiddleS will be
by writ of habeas corpus. The Butler
authorities are determined to fight
against their being taken away.
JACK BIDDLE'S STATEMENT.
From the statement made this morn
ing by Jack Biddle in his cell, it is
evident that the escaped convicts and
their accomplice had arranged to COM
NIT suicide in case capture became i'm
minent In addition Jack also told how
they escaped. Their manner of getting
out of Jail, according to his statement,
was as had already been published.
McGeary he says fell over the range
when he jerked loose from the hold the
prisoner had him. He says Mrs.
Soffel helped them to escape, but would
not say she supplied the saws. The
saving of the bars of the cells, he says,
was completed before January A. and
that several times previous to the day
on which the escape was made their
plans failed through some little detail.
Jack again reiterated that he never
killed any one, and that he never put a
bullet into anyone except Keeper
Reynolds. He said the first crime he
ever committed was assisting to rob a
liquor store at Carnegie, but admitted
that he had participated in a number of
robberies after that. After they had
left the Jail they went to house near
a railroad in Pittsburg. They remained
there all of Thursday. The people in
the house, Jack said, when they read of
the escape from the Jail, recognized
them, and would only let them remain
after the Biddles gave then bunch
of money. They remained at the house
until Thursday night, leaving it after
dark. Jack says he wanted to stay
there, and that Ed also was willing to
stay, but that the woman was nervous
and afraid they would be caught.
II would not let them go alone" Jack
said, land as soon as it grew dark, we
went down the street and took a Perrys-
vile avenue car. We rode to the end
of the railway and from there we walk
ed until we reached the farm where we
stole the horse. If it had not been for
the woman we would not have been
caught for we could easily have gotten
another horse and by this time been
more than 100 miles away. It's a lead
pipe cinch that we would have esca ped,
but we could not let that poor woman
go by herself She did all she could for
us-betrayed her husband, deserted her
family all to help US out and we would
have been a great deal worse than we
are thought to be if we had thrown her
down.