Barre evening telegram. (Barre, Vt.) 1898-19??, 1902-01-31
Pittsburg Slayers While Awaiting
Execution 0verpower Their Guards
WARDEN ACCUSES HIS WIFE.
1t In Alleged That She Was Infatu-
ated With One Of the Convicted
Murderers and Hn~ Flop
ed with Him.

AuondS A.. hHIiliey VI Mouiit NdSH
ington, ovellowered the guards early
in the morning and escaped.
The escape had many sensational
features. The most startling. is the al
legation that the prisoners were aided
by the wife of the warden. She is
missing and is. thought to have gone
with them.
Both prisoners were armed with re-
yolvers and had been provided with
saws with which they cut the bars in
their cells and We're ready at any mo-
ment to make an opening sufficiently
large to pass through. The prisoners
occupied adjoining cells on the second
range.
Shortly before O'Clock one of them
called to James McGeary who had
charge of the outside gates, and asked
for some cramp medicine in hurry,
saying his brother was dangerously
sick.
McGeary FASTENED to the cell with
the medicine, when John Biddle sprang
through the opening in the cell and,
Selling the guard around the waist.
hurled him over the railing to the stone
floor beneath. distance of sixteen
feet.
Edward Biddle joined his brother i'm
mediately. and both. with drawn re-
volvers. hurried to the first floor where
they met Guard Reynolds and shot
him.
Guards Thrown Into Dungeon. -.
There were but three men on duty.
ranges. He was ordered down at the
point of the revolvers, and the three
guards We're put in the dungeon.
The keys We're taken from Keeper
McGeary, and the two desperate pris-
Oners had clear field. The only per-
sons who witnessed the escape We're
prisoners who could not interfere or
give an alarm. The Biddles went to
the wardrobe where the guards keep
their clothing. and each put Oh new
suit. They then unlocked the outside
gates and passed out into Ross street.
The escape was not discovered until
the daylight guards came on duty at &
ClOCh. LEY were IIllII Ilitt lJIlS-
oners where the night guards had been
put, and they were soon released from
the dungeon and sent to the Homeo-
pathic hospital
Warden Implicntes Hrs Wife.
During the day Warden SGffel made
a statement. alleging that his wife is
responsible for the furnishing of the
revOlvers and saws to the Biddles-
which enabled them to escape.
In her infatuation for the handsome
desperate, Edward Biddle, it is alleged
that she has left her husband and her
four children and it is supposed has
met the escaped conyicts at a place
agreed upon.
Mrs. SOffel was the only person ad
mitted to the jail since last Sunday.
Wednesday afternoon she visited them
during the warden's absence. In the
evening she retired at o'clock. She
told her husband that she was going to
visit d Ulster at Mcdonald and that she
would retire early 50 that she could
get an early start. Warden Sotfel was
about the Jail until after II O'Clock.
He retired to his room, which is sepa
rate from Mrs. Soffels, shortly before
] O'clock.
When lac awoke in the morning, he |
asked for Mrs. Soffel and was inform |
ed that she was absent. Later, when |
the details Of the escape became known
he telephoned to Mcdonald and was in
formed that Mrs. Soffel was not there
Not With Her Relatives.
The warden then made inquiries at
The homes Of all Of his wife's relatives
and he has been unable to find any trace
Df her. An Investigation disclosed the
TACT that she had taken all of her best
clothes with her The warden's over
coat is also missing.
1t is reported that the Bidd1es took
rain at the Fourth avenue station OF
he Panhandle railroad, which is with
ii block Of the Jail, and left for the
vest
Warden Soffel is broken hearted. liz
8 completely unnerved and with diff
.ulty could repress his tears. 1t haf
)een known for several weeks thai
SxIp. EoOuCl WAS ldh1uS al ii |
he Riddles and, it is said, she fire.
luently furnished them with dainties
,utside their usual prison fare.
The county commissioners met dur
ny the afternoon and offered a rewarC
Il $1,000 for the recapture of the muir
lerers. A meeting of the prison boaro
D Investigate their escape was held al
o'clock in the afternoon.
showed Great Clcverness.
The ruse of the Biddles was clever
me and was carried out with great
uccess.I They sawed out the bars of
heir cells. John cutting ont three in
Mss, Edward. being the larger man.
Ound it necessary to cut out four.
Nothing suspicious was noticed in
he actions of the two prisoners, nor
vas anything wrong discovered whey
he day guards went off duty. TIL. ,
nurderers evidently sawed the bars i
uring the night, using what appears ,
b have been soap to dcaden the noise
t<, IL Il ut