The Savannah morning news., 1902-01-31
MURDERERS ESCAPE
CONDEMNED MEN LEAVE PITTS
BURG JAIL.
0vERPOWERED THEIR GUARDS
MADE POSSIBLE BY INFIDELITY OF
WARDEN's WIFE.

sawed Their Way Out, Hurled the
First Guard Over the Railing,
Shot the Second and Captured the
Third-Imprisoned All Three,
Took GUARDS Clothing and Safe
Iy Made Their Escape-Warden
sofreI Tells the story of His wife's
He Mentally Weak.
Pttsburg, Pa. Jan. 30.-Edward and
John Biddle, awaiting execution in the
county Jail for the murder of Grocer
Thomas d. Kahney of Mount Wash
ington, overpowered the guards at
O'Clock this morning and escaped.
Both prisoners had been provided
with saws with which they cut the
| bars in their cells, and were ready az
any moment to make an opening suf-
ficiently large to pass through The
| prisoners occupied adjoining cells. on
the second range. They had evidently
been preparing for escape for some
time. and had assistance from the out
side, as both We're armed with revolt
| vers.
Shortly before O'clock one of the
| Biddles called to James McGeary, who
had charge of the outside gates, and
asked for some eramp medicine In a
hurry, saying his brother was dam
| gerously sick.
McGeary hastened to the cell
with the medicine, when John Bid
die sprang through the opening in the
cell and, seizing the guard around the
waist, hurled him over the railing to
the stone floor beneath, a distance of
| sixteen feet
| Edward Biddle Joined his brother inn
mediately and both, with drawn re-
volVers, hurried to the first floor, where
the met Guard Reynolds and shot him.
| Ihere were but three men on duty
| ana the third was on one of the outer
ranges. He was ordered down at the
point OF the pistols, and the three
! guards were put in the dungeon.
The keys were taken from McGeary
and the two prisoners had a clear field.
| me only persons who witnessed the
escape were prisoners. who could not
Interfere or give an alarm. The Bid
dies went to the wardrobe where the
guards keep their clothing, and each
/ put on new suit. They then un-
locked the outside gates and passed out
| into Ross street
| The escape was not discovered un-
| I'll the daylight guards came on duty
at o'clock. They were informed bv
| prisoners where the night guards had
been put, and they were soon released
and sent to the Homeopathic Hos
| pital.
| The escape of the Biddles was ex-
| planned by Warden Peter K Soffel
| who said he believed that his wife was
responsible for the furnishing of the
revolver and saws to the Biddles.
| which enabled them to escape. In her
in fatuation for the handsome desper-
ado, Edward Biddle, 1t is alleged that
she left her husband and her four
| children, and 1t is supposed was to
meet the escaped convicts at a 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 O'Clock.
| She told her husband that she was
| going 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
! after IL o'clock. He retired to his
room. which is separate from Mrs.
| Soffels shortly before / o'clock.
When he awoke this morning he
asked for Mrs Soffel and was in
formed that she was absent. Later
when the details of the escape became
known, he telepfoned to Mcdonald,
and was informed that Mrs. Sofel
was not there
Warden Sohel Immediately made a
frank confession of his suspicious.
soneI Tells of wife,s InadeIity.
Warden Soffel. in discussing the es-
cape OF the Biddles. said:
II believe my wife furnished the
weapons to the Biddles and assisted
them to escape. This is an awful thing,
but ] am only telling the truth NV
wife was not in bed when / was awak-
ened this morning, and / have not
seen her since. She is gone, God only
knows where. / said would lay every
thing bare, and / am doing ii. This
is the worst blow of all, but | believe
1t is true. ] did not suspect her. and
hence was off my guard. But she is
gone, and the suspicion of assisting
in the delivery by furnishing weapons
rests on her"
Ills broke down and wept when speak,
ing of his wife's actions.
The friends OF Mrs. SoffeI believe that
she could not have been in her right
mind when she aided in the escape or
the Biddles. For some years she has
been an invalid, and about one year
ago she was sent to a sanitarium. She
came back very much improved but the
long and painful illness is believed to
have weakened her mind. No trace OF
her has yet been found.
Her husband devoted time and money
for the relief OF the suffering of his
wife. but, IL is stated. that she never
has fully recovered her health. and, at
times, was melancholy.
The prison board began an investi-
cation and announced tonight that
Warden Soffel. at his own request, has
been relieved from duty pending the
result OF the investigation. Deputy
Warden Marshal was placed In charge
temporarily. Nothing else has been
given out.
Up 10 a late hour tonight not this
slightest clue as 10 the whereabouts
OF any OF the fugitves has been found.
A reward Of 5000 has been offered for
their capture.