Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1902-02-06

Malouey's saloon. Here we consulted
for few minutes and the boys went
down Grant street and | was to meet
them in Allegheny. This | did. We
remained in the house all of the next
day and at night took car and went to
the end of the Perrysville avenue car
line. then began the walk along the
road.
1T has been said that Ed Biddle was
intoxicated; this is not true He did
have bottle of whisky and he took a
drink of it while we were resting in a
school house. | admonished him to go
sparingly with it, as we would probably
have need for it during the next day.
We secured horse and sleigh. You
all know that When day broke we
were constantly fearful of pursuit and
capture. At places where we stopped,
we would hear the escape discussed. In
time we learned the detectives were on
our track When this information
came the boys decided they would de
feud themselves. It's a life for life,
Ed said, 'Shood them down
1--WE did not know from what direc-
ton pursuit would come. The Biddles
were unacquainted with the country.
Before we fully realized it we came face
to face with our pursuers.
Il can't tell much about the battle.
1t all happened too quickly Detective
McGovern was the first person recog-
nized. saw him leap rom their sleigh.
Then the Biddles jumped to their feet
and began to shoot. Many shots follow
ed | can't say how many. | was too
badly frightened to remember distinct
lv. Then the horse started to run away
and then | was shot
1T has been said that l fell from the
sleigh This is not correct. l jumped
out. l did not know who it was who
picked me up l learned afterwards
that it was Detective Swinehart. he
! was very kind to me, and if my life is
spared l believe he will be responsible
for it. You know of the events which
| followed the shooting"
WatsOn's Story.
William Watson, the storekeeper at
Mt. Chestnut, says he noticed the black
horse and sleigh with one man and wo-
man pass his store about 1870; Jack en-
tered the village on foot; they all took
dinner at Stevenson's and Jack and Ed
PLAYED strangers to each other; the wo-
man was sick and could not eat; after
dinner Ed and Mrs. Soffel went upstairs
while Jack lay on the lounge downstairs
and read the morning paper; both SLED
| loads of pursuers passed within rod or
two of them as they lay resting, at
about 3 o'clock: an hour or so after that
| he received word from Mrs Shannon
| that the two men and the woman were
vet at Stevenson's and called up Pros
| pect and sent word of it; then sent boy
over TO Steyenson's to make inquiries.
| T. oo11a1 E1 for n
hasty conference and started out walk
ing towards Prospect, while Ed and
Mrs, Soffel went to the stable and helped
to hitch ND and started in the same di-
rection, word of which Watson sent to
| Prospect and the battle followed.
NOTES.
In a strip of Ed Biddle's clothing,
taken as a souvenir from the Butler
| Jail, was found a strychnine pill. big
enough to kill two men.
The bodies were taken frem the 2 q
w station in Allegheny, to the morgue
on Eigth st. Pittsburg, where they were
on exhibition for some hours and were
then turned over to Harry Biddle, a
brother of Ed and Jack, who took them
| to an undertakers room in the South
Side, from where they were buried in
Calvary Cemetery.
When Mrs. Soffel and the Biddles left
the Stevenson house in Mt. Chestnut,
she left satchel behind in which was
found a remarkable letter from Ed.
Biddle to her containing instructions for
their meeting in Toronto.
The doctors decided that the shot that
caused Jacks death was the one through
the bowels, and which lodged in the
kidney, from Swinehart's pistol; and
| that the wound that caused Eds death
was the one from his own pistol. Nc
Governs alleged brutality in shooting
Jacks arm full of slugs after he had
I! given up, and in hitting him on the head
with the butt of his gun, was severely
censured by all.
W. P Roessing the undertaken, en-
balmed the bodies, and delivered them
to Mr. Lauffer, at the 8th st. m0rgue.