Camas Prairie chronicle. [volume] (Cottonwood, Idaho) 1901-1917, 1902-02-07
BOTH THE BIDDLE BOYS DIE
THEIR WOUNDS PROVE FATAL.
Mrs. SOffel Has a Chance of Her Life
Jack. as Long as Able, Was Very
Observation-Disclosures a Belief
I'm God-stOry of Their Love At
fairs and Escape From Prison.

Butler, Pa, Feb. 3.-At the close of
day of intense excitement and many
conflicting stories concerning the
chances for life of the wounded Bid
die brothers and Mrs. Kate Soffel, the
unexpected has happened. John Bid
die, who was considered the more
likely OF the brothers to escape pres
ent death, succumbed first and died
at 1885 p. m. His brother Ed, who has
been unconscious all day and who was
considered in dying condition last
night. survived until II o'clock, when
he. too, went over the great divide.
Both men died without any apparent
suffering at the close.
Mrs. Soffel developed symptoms of
pneumonia after passing through an
operation for the extraction of the
bullet. She has chance for her life,
and unless some unforeseen complica-
ton sets in she will recover.
The death of Jack Biddle was caus-
ed by the bullet wounds in his abdo-
men and body. Early in the day
physicians thought peritonitis was the
principal danger in his case, but in
ternal hemorrhage set in and proved
fatal in short while
AS long as he was able, Jack was
extremely laxative and was at times
boastful. But as soon as the shadow
OF death began to fall on him and he
recognized it he became repentant.
4 know" said he, chat my time is
short, and you can say for me that |
am Christian and will die sincere
believer in God, and hope l will have
strength enough to say so at the last
know l have taken part in many
wrong deeds, but l have never killed
any man, and was never implicated
with any one who did. l wish l could
see Mrs. Kahney. would tell her the
truth about the killing of her husband.
This life has been pretty tough to me,
and the end can not come too quick,
and l don't care how"
A sister of the Biddles arrived in
town and was admitted to the Jail, but
ed was unable to recognize her.
After consultation at the hospital
in the case of Mrs. Soffel District At
torney Haymaker decided to allow the
woman to remain here, as her condi-
ton is such that the trip to Pittsburg
might be attended with fatal results.
Mrs. Soffel is suffering much from her
wound, and the attending physicians
fear that her removal now would
cause gangrene to set in.
Excitement continued undated and
a dense crowd of people hung about
the Jail doors all day trying to get in
to see the two criminals The most
persistent of the crowd were women,
many of whom expressed the deepest
concern and sympathy for Ed Biddle,
and declared their belief in his inno-
cence. This belief seemed to deepen
when it became known that Ed Bid
die made a deathbed confession to
Rev. Father Walsh of this place last
night, declaring his innocence of the
crime of shooting Groceryman Kah-
ney and Detective Fitzgerald.
A lost letter from Ed Biddle to his
prison sweetheart, Mrs. Kate Soffel,
found in the snow near the bloody
scene of their capture, reveals the
long, careful plot for their escape
from the Allegheny county Jail. The
letter clearly shows the hazardous I'M
1ertakings of the infatuated woman
10 secure the escape of the Biddles. |
Since December 2, 1901, they had been
making preparations to escape. The
spistle tells how Mrs. Soffel carried |
he saws to the cells of the Biddles. |
It manifests the extreme infatuation |
Of Mrs. Soffel for the murderer and |
burglar. 1t clearly shows the wonder
'ul influence Ed Biddle had over Mrs. |
Soffel.
Mrs. Soffel fell in love with Ed Bid
lie in November. The burglar soon
his power over her. 1t was
lot long until he started to write love
etters to her. His affection was re-
appreciated. Mrs. Soffel fell madly in
owe with Ed Biddle and about the
Early part of December he proposed a
,lan of escape to her.
She consented to lend him her aid.
Between December IA and 16 they had
completed all arrangements to escape
rom the, Jail. Then they learned of
he governors respite. After this Ed
3iddle almost persuaded Mrs. Soffel to
ly with him and his brother. The
of the letter show it was or
ginally agreed that Mrs Soffel was
o leave the city for Canada on the
we of the boys escape.
The letter in part follows:>
1--WE were searched pretty close to-
ay and these fellows would swear on
stack of Bibles 10 feet high that we
ould not have the stuff on us since
saturday. See that you clear your
elf of all suspicion, without the fellow
where you bought the saws would
ONE to the surface. They never
ould convict you. but some people
night suspect you. That would cut
% figure, they never could prove it to
ave their lives.
ut would be much easier for us to
ct away if you stayed at home. on ac-
cunt of the warden, you know. In
ase you should not want to go, go to
he postoffice at Homestead about
larch Is and call for mail under the