The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1902-02-05
RUN TO EARTH.

Butler, Pa, Feb. Edward Bid
die in Jail dying, John Biddle, rid
died with buckshot and in a p%recari-
Gus condition, and Mrs. Peter X.
Soffel lying in the hospital with a
self inflicted bullet wound in the
breast is the sequel of the sensational
escape of the Biddle brothers from
the Allegheny county jail, aided by
Mrs. Soffel, the wife of the Jail war
den, on Thursday morning.
The eight Pittsburg officers who
were i'll pursuit reached Mount Chest
nut Friday afternoon less than half an
hour after the criminals had left. AT
this point, William Watson, store
keeper, had fresh horses awaiting
them and the chase began anew. The
two sleighs with the eight officers
aboard started westward and met the
Biddles and Mrs. Soffel at McClures'
barn, two miles from Mount Prospect.
The Biddles having learned that they
were almost overtaken, and taking
what they considered the only chance,
they had driven eastward and met
their doom.
The Pittsburg and other officers
were armed with Winchester rifles
and revolvers of large calibre. They
shot to kill and their aim was perfect.
The Biddles tried to aim to kill to
the last of their strength but not one
of the eight officers has a wound, as
the result of the battle.
Mrs. Soffel stood up in the sleigh
with a revolver in each hand and blaz-
ed away at her pursuers. When Ed
Biddle fell and she saw that she was
about to be captured she fired a bullet
into her breast. An examination by
physicians shows that she will recov-
er, as the bullet was DETECTED by her
corset and the wound is comparative
ly slight.
Ed Biddle got a bullet in the breast
which penetrated his right lung and
will probably end his life. John Bid.
die may recover, his wounds, though
numeruos, failing to reach a vital
spot. The escape of the officers is
miraculous. The Biddles have demon.
strated on several occasions that they
are good marksmen and why they
should have failed to bring down
their men is a mystery.
After the Biddles fell to the snow
covered ground the officers picked W
the apparently lifeless body of Mrs.
Soffel and the Biddles and came back
to Butler bringing the stolen sleigh,
patched up harness and worn out
horse that the trio had tried so strenu-
ously to get away with toward Can
ada and librety.
At the Jail last evening Ed Biddle
made the following statement to a
priest II want to say now that l did
not kill Detective Fitzgerald nor did
l shoot Thomas Kahney nor was my
brother implicated in the latter affair.
Mrs. Soffel aided us in getting out of
the county Jail and had it not been
for her we would have made our es-
cape today. She gave up everything
for us and | was bound to back her.
l did not shoot her. She shot herself.
Although l have been pictured to you
as a desperate man, l still have some
heart and gratitude for the woman
who helped us TO escape. She merely
did it out of good sympathy for US.
persuaded her to do it. l told her
was guiltless of the crime for which
| was about to be executed and she
was impressed and yielded to my sug-
gestion. / planned it all"
Butler, Pa, Feb. When your
correspondent visited the Biddles this
morning they were still alive but Ed
was unconscious. His breath was
heavy and his pulse 140. John was
conscious and in a talkative and boast
full mood. Both are not expected to
recover, although John may live some
days. Ed is not expected to last out
the day.
Mrs. Soffel. while very weak, is not
considered in a dangerous condition.
She does little talking. An examina-
ton shows that an immense torrent
of lead was poured into the trio.
John has two bullet holes through his
stomach, IL through his intestines,
four slug shot wounds in his right
side nine in the right arm and two
bullet holes in the roof of his mouth.
The latter were put there by himself.
The trio is kept under guard at the
hospital. They were endeavoring to
reach Toledo when overtaken yester-
day. District Attorney Haymaker left
Allegheny for Butler this morning and
if possible will have the prisoners
conveyed to that city,