Adams County news. [volume] (Ritzville, Wash.) 1898-1906, 1902-02-05
BOTH THE B|DDLE BOYS DIE
THEIR WOUNDS PROVE FATAL.
Mrs. SOffel Has Chance of Her Life
Jack, as Long as Able, Was Very
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. a Belief
in GOd-StOry of Their Love At
fairs and Escape From Prison.

Butler, Pa, Feb. 3.-At the close of
a 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 IL 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 talkative 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.
II know" said he, that my time is
short and you can say for me that
am a Christian and will die a 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. | wish l could
truth about the killing of her husband
This life has been pretty tough to me,
and the end can not come too quick,
and I 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 a 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
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 abou
the Jail doors all day trying to get il
to see the two criminals. The mos
persistent of the crowd were women
many of whom expressed the deepes
concern and sympathy for Ed Biddle
and declared their belief in his limo
cence. This belief seemed to deepen
when it became known that Ed Bid.
die made a deathbed confession tc
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 un-
| dertakings of the infatuated woman
to secure the escape of the Biddles
Since December 2, 1901, they had been
making preparations to escape. The
epistle tells how Mrs. Soffel carried
the saws to the cells of the Biddles
1t manifests the extreme infatuation
| of Mrs. Soffel for the murderer and
burglar. 1t clearly shows the wonder
full influence Ed Biddle had over Mrs.
Soffel.
Mrs. Soffel fell in love with Ed Bid
die in November. The burglar soon
realized his power over her. 1t was
not long until he started to write love
letters to her. His affection was re-
ciprocated. Mrs. Soffel fell madly in
love with Ed Biddle and about the
early part of December he proposed a
plan of escape to her.
She consented to lend him her aid.
Between December IA and 16 they had
completed all arrangements to escape
from the Jail. Then they learned of
the governors respite. After this Ed
Biddle almost persuaded Mrs. Soffel to
fly with him and his brother. The
contents of the letter show it was or
iginally agreed that Mrs. Soffel was
to leave the city for Canada on the
eve of the boys escape.
The letter in part follows:
eve were searched pretty close to-
day and these fellows would swear on
a stack of Bibles 10 feet high that we
could not have the stuff on us since
Saturday. See that you clear your
self Of all suspicion, without the fellow
where you bought the saws would
come to the surface. They never
could convict you, but some people
might suspect you. That would cut
no figure, they never could prove it to
save their lives.
at would be much easier for us to
get away if you stayed at home, on &C.
count of the warden, you know. In
case you should not want to go, go to
the postoffice at Homestead about
March Is and call for mail under the
name Of Mrs. Charles Mcdonald. You
will get letter.
Watch the papers close and if you