The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1902-01-31
TWO MURDERERS
ESCAPE FROM JAIL.
0verpowered Guards and Got Off
With Good Start.
JAILER'S WIFE AIDED THEM
She Was infatuated With One of The Prison
ers and Left With Thsm-Were
Both Armed With
ReY0Ivers.
JAILER's WIFE AIDED THEM
(Ry a isocIated Press.l

PITTSBURG, PA, Jan. 3O.-EdWard anu
John Biddlc, awaiting execution IN inc
county Jail for the murder OF grocer
Thomas D. Kahney, of Mount Washing
ton, overpowdered the guards at ( O'Clock
this morning and escaped. Both priS-2
oncrs had been provided with saws, win
which they cut the bars in their cells ana
were ready at any moment to make an
opening sufficiently 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 outside, as both
were armed with revolvers.
PUT GUARDS IN 4 DUNGEON.
Shortly Before / O'Clock one Of the
Bodies called TO James McGeary, who
had charge of the outside gate, and asked
for some cran3p medicine in hurry, say-3
ing his brother was dangerously SICK
McGeary fastened to get the medicine.
when John Biddle sprang through the
opening in the cell, ana, selling the guard
around the waist hurled him over the
railing to the stone floor beneath DIS
lance of sixteen feet. Edward BIddle
Joined his brother Immediately and both
men, Will uIdNil ll'il liSti
first floor, where they met Guard Rey-:
no!ds and shot him. There were but
three men on duty and the third was on
in one of the upper ranges He was
ordered down at the point of reTolvers
and the three guards were put IN a dun
geon. Tho keys We're taken from Keeper,
McGcary and the two desperate prisoners
had a clear field.
HAD TWO HOURS START.
The only persons who witnessed the
escano were prisoners, who could not
interfere or give an alarm. The Blddles
went TO the wardrobes, where the guards
kept their clothing, and each put OH y
new suit They then unlocked the out7
side gate and passed out into Ross street
The escape was not discovered until the
day guards came on duty at b ocioch.
They were informed by prisoners "hero
the night guards had been put and they
were soon released from the dungeon; and
sent 10 the homeopathic Hospital:
For several months preceding the Kan
new murder daring burglaries were oil u
most nightly occurrence. Inc polite
seemed nowcrless to prevent them ana
nervous citizens retired nightly IN 1caf
and trembling. On the morning OF April
Goth last Mrs. l\afney was awakened ny
rurclars and called TO her husband, a
cripple. who was sleeping in an sadjoin-
ING room with one Of the children. - as
he entered the door Of his wiies room
he was shot dead. The burglars then
fled.
A few hours later Detective Patrlck
Fitzgerald and two officers SURPRISED i l, the
Biddie brothers at their hcme, on tuitoh
Street, but before they were captured
Fitzgerald was killed and Edward Bid
die Who shot him. was dangerously
wounded. Walter D. German, another
OF the gang. turned States cvidc1ice ana
the two EidGleS were convicted OF i>ah-
news murder and sentenced to be hanS-
ed-John on the fourteenth OF this montf
and Edward on the sixteenth. but three
0a.;s before the date of Johns execution
thav were respited until February 26th
and 9TH by Governor Stone. so that their
cases could go before the PARDON boaio.
at it's coming meeting. q
Tho entire detective force IS at MoFA
on the case.
AIDED BY JA1LEttS WIFE.
The ascape Of the Biddles has been eX-
planned Warden Peter X. Softet has au-
thorized its publication. 1t IS the ailesa'i
ton that his wife is responsive Tor me
furnishing of the revolver ana saws 70
the Biddles, which enapieu tEem 10
escape.
Tn Nor infatuation for the handsome des--
perado, Edward Biddle, it is alleged, she
has left her husband and her four chit
dren and, it is supposed, is to meet the.
tescaned conyicts at a place agreed upon.
LEAVES HER HUSBAND.
The story of the matter is brief. Mrs.
Soffe1 was the only person admitted to the
iail since last Sunday. Yesterday after,
noon she visited them during the wardcn's
absence Last evening, she retired at 81
o'clock She told her husband that she
was going to visit a sister at Macdonald
and that she would retire early 50 that
she could get an early start. Warden,
Seffel was about The fail until after II.
O'Clock. He retired to his room. which
is separate from Mrs. Soffel's. shortly
before / O'clock When he awole this
morning he asked for Mrs. Soffel, and
was informed that she was absent. Later,
when the details of the escape became