Waterbury Democrat., 1902-01-30
PRISONERS ESCAPE
Riddle Brothers Were, Await
 ing Death For Murder.
eyERPowERED THE GUARDS

Then Changed Their Clothing and
 Passed Out of the Jail Gate-Assist-
 ,nce From the Outside Given the
 Prisoners So That They Were Able
 to Saw Cell Bars They Were Also
 Provided With Reyolyers.
 Pittsburg, Jan 3O-Edward and John Riddle, awaiting execution in the county jail for the murder of Grocer Thomas D. Kahley of Mount Wash ington, oyerpowered the guards at o'clock this morning and escaped.
 Both prisoners had been provided with saws with which they cut the bare in their cells and were ready at any moment to make an opening sufficient Iy large to pass through. The pris- oners occupied adjoining cells on the second range.
 They had evidently been preparing for escape for some time and had as- sistanee from the outside, as both were armed with revolvers.
 Shortly before o'clock one of the Riddles called to James McGeary, who had charge of the outside gates, and asked for some cramp medicine In a hurry, saying his brother was danger OJ1sly sick.
 McGeary hastened to the cell with the medicine when John Riddle. sprang through the opening in the cell and seizing the guard around the waist hurled him over the railing to the stone floor beneath, distance of 15 feet.
 Edward Riddle joined his brother immediately, and both. wten drawn re- velvers, hurried to the first floor, where they met Guard Reynolds and shot him,
 There were but three guards on duty and the third was on one of the upper ranges. He was ordered down at the point of the reyolvers, and the three guards were put in the dungeon. The keys were taken from Keeper Nc Gsary, and the two desperate prison CTS had clear field. The only per sons who witnessed the escape were prisoners who could not interfere or give an alarm. The Riddles went to the wardrobe, where the guards kept their clothing, and each put on a new suit. Then they unlocked the outside gates and passed out into the street. Ehe escape was not discovered until the daylight guards came on duty. at 6 o'clock They were informed by prisoners where the night guards had been put, and they were soon released rom the dungeon and sent to the Homeopathic hospital.
 For several months preceding the kahley murder, daring burglaries were of almost Rightly occurrence. The police seemed powerless to prevent them and nervous citizens retired at night in fear and trembling On the morning of April F last, Mrs Kahley was awakened by burglars and called to her husband, cripple, who was sleeping in an adjoining room with one of the children.
 As he entered the door of his wire's room he was shot dead. The burg lars then fled. A few hours later De rectiye Patrick Fitzgerald and two of hcers surprised the Riddle brothers at their home on Fulton street, but be- fore they were captured Fitzgerald was killed and Edward Riddle. who shot him, was dangerously wounded. Walter Dorman, another of tae gang. and two women, Jessie Bodine and Jennie Seebers, were also arrested. Dorman turned states evidence and the two Riddles were convicted of kahley's murder and sentenced to be hanged, John on the 14th of this month and Edward on the 16th. but three days before the date set for Johns execution they were respited until February 25th and 27th by Gov ernor Stone so that their cases could go before the pardon board at it's com ing meeting. Dorman is still in jail awaiting sentence. The women were released.
 The entire detective force is at work on the case, but up to 10 o'clock there WAS no clue as to the direction the murderers had taken.
 Warden Peter. B.. Soffel Issued a publication to-day in which he alleges that his wife was responsible for the furnishing of the revolvers and saws to the Biddles. In her infatuation for the handsome desperado, Edward Riddle, if is alleged that she has left her husband and four children and it is supposed is to meet the escaped criminal at a place agreed upon. She was the only person in the Jail since Sunday and yesterday afternoon she was with the prisoners during the warden's absence She retired early last night, saying she was going to visit her sister the next day at Me Donald and she wanted to get an ear ly start When the warden arose in the morning: she was gone and a tel ephone message to Mcdonald revealed the fact that his wife had not been there
 SETTI ,ENENT REACHEO