The Savannah morning news., 1902-02-01
FATE OF THE BIDDLEs
rsprRG,s ESCAPED MURDER
ERs SHOT DOWN.
LIKE A WILD WEST STORY.
sy.RP AND FATEFUL BATTLE IN
THE SNOW.

u,,a Two Men and the woman
cne.cd Down by a SIeighload of
natectivex and Caught ON the
posd-.Fierce FusiIades Followed
n,4 Detectives Proved Best shots.
Ed BiddIe Is Dying, John Biddle
podlv Hurt and Mrs. SoffeI Has
n,,net in Her Breast Fired by Her
o,vu Thanksgiving Man Denies
crime of Murder.
p,++shurg. Jan. 31.--Edward Biddle
,s in tail, dying, John Biddle, riddled
with buckshot and in precarious con-
dition. and Mrs. Peter K. Soffel, lying
IN the hospital with self-infiicted
bulIet wound in the breast, is the sequel
of the sensational escape of the Biddle
brothers from the Allegheny county
iail. aided by Mrs. Soffel, the wife
of the Jail warden, on Thursday morn
ing The story of the close of the
Riddle tragedy, which came at 545
this afternoon, is a thrilling one.
The scene was "a snow-covered road
,wo miles east of Prospect. Butler
county, near Mount Chestnut, and the
exact place was at McClure's barn,
where two double-team sleighs, filled
with eight officers. three of them Pitts
burg detectives, John Roach, Albert
Swineheart, and Charles McGovern,
met the two Biddles in a one-horse
sleigh, stolen at Perrysville, and at
, once opened fire on the trio. The Bid
dies returned the fire, after jumping
out of the sleigh.
Mrs. soffels wound was through the.
breast.
Edward Biddle was shot in the left
arm. in the breast and in one leg.
John Biddle was riddled with buck
shot in the breast and head.
The Plttsburg officers were met at
Butler this afternoon by Deputy Sher-
ifs Raney and Hoon, and officers
Frank Holiday and Aaron Thompson,
the latter under command of Chief of
Police Robert Ray of Butler.
The officers were certain that they
were on the right trail. 1t was only
question of time when they would
eaten up with the escaping condemned
murderers and their companion.
story of the Chase.
The Biddles and Mrs Soffel ate din
ner at ]. ]. Stephens at Mount Chest
nut, five miles east of Butler They
had made a detour of the town of
Butler, and after going several miles
east turned north and then west. The
Pittsburg officers, only a few miles In
the rear took the wrong road for
about eight miles but when they found
their mistake they made up for lost
time by telephoning and telegraphing
ahead for fresh horses. They reached
Mount Chestnut not less than half an
hour after the Biddles and Mrs. Soffel.
At this point William Watson, store
keeper, had fresh horses awaiting them
and the chase for life began anew.
The two sleighs, with the eight Off
GERS aboard, started westward and
met the Biddles and Mrs. Soffel at Nc
Clure's barn, two miles from Mount
Prospect. The Biddles having learned
they were almost overtaken, and TAX
ing what they considered the only
chance they had, drove eastward and
met their doom.
The Pittsburg and other officers
were armed with Winchester rifles and
revolvers of large calibre. They shot
u Kill and their aim was perfect. The
Biddles tried to kill to the last of their
string, but not one of the eight Off
GERS has a wound as the result of the
battle. When the detectives got with
IN about sixty yards of the fugitives
they opened fire. The Biddles promptly
answered with shotgun and revolvers.
When Ed Biddle fell and Mrs
sohel saw she was about to
be captured, she fired bullet into
her breast. An examina ton by physi-
clans shows that she will recover, as
1nA tod huh 6cNv- Caf
and the wound is comparatively slight.
Edward Biddle got "A bullet in the
breast which penetrated his right lung
and will probably end his life before
morning. John Biddle may recover, his
wounds though numerous, failing to
reach vital spot.
Inc escape of the officers is miracu-
ious. The Biddles have demonstrated
on several occasions that they are good
lnar ksmen and why they should have
ialled to-day to bring down their men
Is a mystery,
After the Biddles fell to the snow
covered ground the officers picked up
ehe apparently lifeless bodies of Mrs.
aonel and the Biddles and came back
20 Butler. bringing the stolen sleigh,
p.atched up harness and wornout horse
.udt the trio had tried so strenuously
liberty. - 40 ''''" ''''1
The Story of the Fight.
me story of the fight as told by one
vi ne detectives is as follows:
The Biddles We're sitting on the
,,s ,isht side OF the cutter. Mrs. Soffel
was was on the left side Hold up your
ngalns and surrender cried Detective
Si,erovern. ED Bidde jumped up from
:. seat and raising a shotgun. fired
at McGovern. He aimed badly and
si One snot scattered on the road along
sue OF McGovern.
detectives McGovern and Roach
p',sSgIn,aafged their Winchesters at Ed
p,5ie' Both shots took effect. Jack
h,nle raised from his seat and dis
car,, Seu MS revolver at the three off,
Detective Swineheart steadled
r,,.5ieu and fired his forty-hve Colts
IN Fer AT Jack. The bali took effect
onoraS arm. Then the detectives
css.iel hre on the boys In rapid sue
tbo,h' The shots knocked
Ia out OF the sleigh.
J, isli Fprawling on the snow. ana
feii N ieN on top Of him. Their firearms
No." "'ohEhide OF them. The Biddles
oo.,,, tnen became frightened and ran
U.S across n field. IA was al this tlma
In N'A sonei was seen 90 collapse
pro,lt sleigh. The detectives ap-
i.,,t.'a ne wounded men, and De
th.,,, nWineheaft was rushing In on
tn L Nh'n Detective Ncg0vern called
in lp stay hack thai tb. piddlaa