West Virginia daily oil review. [volume] (Sistersville, W. Va.) 1894-1902, 1902-02-03
John L. Jones, Coroner.
"Jacob Keck,
81. A. Walter,
Louis B. Stein,
Arthur M. Flack,
William A. Stein,

LOUIS ID. OIOlu,
Arthur NJ. Flack,
William A. Stein,
| Harry T. Rattigan.'
The jury's verdict upon the death
Of Jack Biddle is worded virtually the
same as that for Edward Biddle's
death, except that it states:
Died From Shot Ct an Officer.
"John Biddle died in the Butler
county Jail at Butler. Pa, on Satur-
day, Feb. 1, 1902, at 1885 o'clock p. m.
from the effects of gunshot wound
inflicted upon him by an oficer Of the
law while in the performance Of his
duty in Franklin township, Butler
county, Pa. on Friday. Jan. 81. 1902,
mt about 5 o'clock p. M"
The latter part Of section Ave Of
The Jack Biddle verdict reads as fol-
lows:
That said posse returned the fire
and battle ensued, in which said
John Biddle received the wound
which caused his death.
i I'VE hereby exonerate the officers
from all liability, and commend them
flor their brave conduct and the
faithful performance Of their duty"
Jack Biddle died FIRST at 1885
Io'cIock Saturday evening.
| His brother Ed died at exactly IL
o'clock.
/ Neither saw the other during Satur-
i day afternoon and Ed did not know
that Jack had died. ~
When told early in the.evening that
Jack Biddle had died MS. Soffel ut
tered not word Of regret or praise.
hcontempt or admiration She sighed.
Then she seemed 70 fall into q
sleep, which was only The effects Of
the opiates administeredfto her to re-
lieye her intense pain, and was not
broken again until few hours later,
when she was aroused and told that
IS Ed Biddle had died.
& She started up in a sudden hys-
Eterical effort to say something.
II Realized She Was Left Alone.
+ It was evident she fully realized the
position in which she was left, that
she was the only surviving ore of the
sEtrio.
The cause Of Ed Biddles death was
officially stated to be hemorrhages,
the lungs having filed with blood.
DR.. j. c. Atwell, who was with him
when he expired, said:
THE ball which caused his death
passed through the pleura and prob
ably penetrated both lungs.
| hn
which caused his death in the same
manner as that of victim OF pneu-
monia.
THE bullet which killed him was
fired by his own hand"
The official explanation of the
cause of Jack Biddle's death was that
he died from shock.
DR.. Atwell witnessed the last mo-
ment of consciousness Of Jack Biddle.
1t occurred about GAO o'clock.
Biddle opened his eyes for a few
seconds and DR.. Atwell said to him:
You are going to die soon, Jack.
Is there anything you want to say?"
Tie dying man shook his head.
No sound escaped his lips.
to DR.. Byers some hours before.
1t consisted mainly of a repetition
OF the assertions of himself and his
brother that both were innocent of
murder.
Shortly after noon Jack Bidd,e
made statement to DR.. Byers, which
he said he desired to have considered
as his dying declaration:
His language is reported by DR..
Byers as follows:
Jack Denied They Murdered.
%We never killed anyone.
I'VE were not present, either Of US
lat the Kahney affair.
I'VE never killed anybody, either
Of u.s." ~
To this DR.. Byers added that JackI
Biddle told him when he and his
brother and Mrs. Soffsl left the jail
In Pittsburg they bound themselves
one to another by an agreement that
they would not kill any one.
Ii they found they were going to
be taken they agreed that they would
each kill themselves. and this agree
ment, the dying man asserted. had
been carried out 70 the letter.
Mrs. Sonel had shot herself in tie
breast 1850
Ed lad shot himself in the breast.
Jack had shot himself twice in the
mouth 1r
Jack Biddle also poke to DIR. BY.
ers about his shooting OF Reynolds,
the guard, in the jail, and said tina:
it had been with GOODNESS and denb-
GRAFTON. that he shot him in the feshy
part CT tee thigh, being determined
not to kill hin.
There Were with Jack Biddle at the
time CT his death Dr. Byers DIR. j. T.