The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1902-02-02
LIBERATED BY A WOMAN.
Two Men Under Sentence of Death
Effected a Most Daring Escape
from the Pittsburg Jail.
WERE FURNISHED SAWS AND WEAPONS
After the COnvicts Got Away Warden sof-
fel Co MESSED That His wife Was In
fatuatsd with One Of the DSsperadOes
and II Was She who Had Aided Them,
Deserving Husband and Children

Pittsburg, Pa, Jan. 31.-Edward
and John Biddle, awaiting execution
in the county Jail for the murder Of
Thomas d. Kahney, a grocer Of Mount
Washington, oyerpowered guards at
four o'clock Thursday morning and
escaped. Both prisoners had been pro-
vided with saws with which they cut
the bars in their cells and were ready
at any moment to make an opening
sufficiently large 10 pass through. The
prisoners occupied adjoining cells on
the second range.
A few minutes before four o'clock
one Of the BiddleR called TO James
McGeary, who had charge Of the out
side rates. and asked for some eramp
medicine in hurry, saying his
brother was dangerously sick. Nc
Geary FASTENED to the cell with the
medicine when John Biddle sprang
through the opening in the cell and
seizing the guard around the waist,
buried him over the railing TO the
stone floor beneath, a distance Of 16
feet. Edward Biddle joined his
brother Immediately and both, with
drawn reyolvers hurried to the first
floor, where they met Guard Rey-
nolds and shot him. There were but
three men on duty, and the third was
on one of the upper ranges. He was
ordered down at the point Of re-
volyers and the three guards were
put in the dungeon. The keys were
taken from Keeper McGeary, and the
two desperate prisoners had a clear
field. The only persons who witnessed
the escape were prisoners who could
not interfere or give an alarm. The
Biddles went 20 the wardrobe. where
the guards keep their clothes. and
each put on a new suit. They then
unlocked the outside gates and
passed out into Ross street.
The escape of the Biddles has been
explained Warden Peter K. saffcl
has authorized its publication. 1t IS
ihe allegation that his wife IS re-
sponsihle for the furnishing OF the
rceoiscrs and saws ITO the Eiddlc-
which enabled them to escape. In
her infatuation for the handsome
desperate. Edward Biddle, it IL AZ
legged chat She has left her husband |
and her four children. and 10 is sup
posed TO meet the escaped conYicts |
at place agreed upon.
The escape is as unparalleled as is |
the record Of the Biddles for crime I
throughout this vicinity. The police 4
ali over the city are searching for I
the fucitives. While 30 is not thought t
they have gone far. the shrewdness
of the two criminals IS such that the
police have a hard problem 20 solve .
in their recapturc The two guards .
injured viii probably recover. The
bullet wound sustained by Reynolds .
is not regarded as dangerous The
physicians have been unable to aseer-
tain as yet the fnii extent of Nc
Geary's wounds. Ills head is badly
confused. but there ar. mo- SIGNS that
his skull was fractured hv his i6-foot
fall
An Investigation disclosed the fact
that Mrs. soFcl had taken au 81 her
best clothes with her. The warden's
overcoat is also missing Warden sof-
fcl is broken-hcarted He IS COM
pletely unnerved and with difficulty
could ropress his tears. It has been
known for several weeks that Mrs.
Soffel was taking an interest in thc
biddes and IT said that she frequently
furnished them with da'ntics outside
their uslal prison fare Tho county
commissioners met at once and Of
fered q reward If s-c0l for the re-
capture of the murlerers.