Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1902-01-30
OVERPOWER GUARDS,
MURDERERS ESCAPE
Aided BY Warden's Wife, Who Was N atu-
ated With Handsome Desperate They
Shot Two of Their Keepers.

plttsburg. Pa, Jan. 30, Edward and
John Biddle, awaiting execution In the
county jail for the murder OF grocer
Thos. D. Khaney Of Mount Washing
ton. oyerpowered the guards at o'clock
this morning and escaped,
Both prisoners had been provided with
saws with which they cut the bars III
their cells. The prisoners occupied adj
Joining cells on the second range, They
evidently had assistance from the OUT
side as both were armed with revoy-
ers.
shortly before 4 o'clock one Of the
Biddles called James McGeary, who
had charge Of The outside gates, and
asked for some cramp medicine IN a
hurry saying his brother Was danger
ously SICK.
CALLED FOR MEDICINE,
McGeary FASTENED to the cell with
the medicine when John Biddle spfang
through the opening OF the cell and
selling the guard around the waist,
hurled him over the railing to the stone
floor beneath, distance OF sixteen feet,
Edward Biddle joined,hls brother im-
mediately and both, with drawn re-
volyers, hurried TO the first floor where
they met Guard Reynolds and shot
him.
There were but three men on duty
and the third was on one OF the upper
ranges. He was ordered down al the
point Of the revolVers and the three
guards were put In the dungeon
The keys We're taken from Keeper
McGeary and the two desperate prls-
onels had clear field, The only pei
sons who Witnessed the escape were
prisoners who could not interfere or
give an alarm. The Blddles went to
the wardrobe, where the guards keep
their clothing and each put on a new
suit. They then unlocked the outside
gates and passed out into Ross street.
The escape was not discovered until
the daylight guards came on duty at
8 o'clock. They were informed by prls-
oners where the night guards had been
nut ana they We're soon released from
The dungeon and sent 20 the homeo-
pathic hospital
wARDEN's WIFE IMPLICATED
Warden Peter *, sofie has author
lied publication of the allegation thar
his wife is responsible for the furnish-
ing OF the revdlvers and saws to the
| Blddles which enabled them to es-
| cape.
In her infatuation for the handsome
| desperate Edward Riddle, Il Is alleged,
she has left her husbane and her fou.
| children, and II Is supposed Is 10 meet
| the escaped convicts at place agreed
upon.
The story OF the matter Is brief Mrs.
| Soffel was the only person admitted
to the jail since last Sunday 'Yester-
! day afternoon she visited the Biddles
| during the warden's absence.
Last evening she retired at 0 O'Clock
| She told her husband that she was go
| ing to visit a sister at Mcdonald, and
that she would retire early so that she
could get an early start. Warden
soffel was about the jail until about Il
| O'clock He retired to his room which
| IA separate from Mrs. Soife's, shortly
| before | o'clock When he awoke this
morning he asked for Mrs. Soffel and
| was informed that she was absent. La
ter, when the details OF the escape be-
| came known he telephoned TO Melon
aid and was Informed that Mrs. Soffe
was not there.
Warden Soffel Immediately made q
frank confession of his suspicious.
a CLEVER RUsE.
The ruse Of the Biddles was a clever