New-York tribune., 1902-02-03
ED. BTDDLE WAS A SUICIDE
JACK DIED FROM WOUNDS INFLICTED
BY OFFICERS.
AN AGREEMENT HAS BEEN REACHED rOp
AN EQUAL DIVISION OF THE
5000 PRIZE MONEY.

butier' Penn, Feb. 2.-The terrible fate Of the
nldoies was the sole topic of conversation here
to-day and throng of curious people has do
ned the storm, hanging about the iail entrance
- vain attempts to get in to see the bodies Of
the uead murderers. A great deal Of sympathy
lot the Biddies was expressed by manv and not
d" le" ol the feminine portion Of the crowd ex-
pressed desire to see what manner of man
EDWARD Bidde had been The iail doors we're
ol"Seu all day. and no one got in except the doc
us VINO attended the autopsy and the coroners
july "hlch was organized at o'clock this
morning. Even the newspaper reporters were
N'iuoed 1rom the inquest. which was held IN
'le JAN ana nothing concerning their delibera-
llohs could be learned till late in the afternoon
coroner John l.. Jones selected the following
jury: Lewis y. Stein. W. A Stein A. NJ FIack
j. A Walter, Jacob Keck and Harry Rattigan
EDWARD > Riddle. court stenographer. took the
testimony. The commonwealth was represented
by District Attorney John r. Henninger, A. NJ
Christley and w. z. Murrin
The testimony OF each of the officers who
we're concerned in the capture was taken except
that OF Rob" Ray. the Butler policeman. who
Is sick in bed, The testimony of DR. R. B.
Greer, one of the physicians who attended the
Biddes and of Sheriff Thomas r Hood was
taken also.
The verdict Of the jury is that Ed" Biddle
came to his death by revolver shot fired from
3Z-calibre revolver by himself. and that
Jack Biddle met his death from a gunshot
wound inflicted by the officers in discharge of
their lawful duty
Under the instructions Of Coroner John T.
Jones an autopsy was held on both the Biddles
this morning. The surgeons in charge
Ors. McCurdy Bricker and ]. Clinton Atwell.
The evidence of the autopsy bears out the state
ments that the Biddles intended TO kill them
selves rather than be taken alive and that
Ed" succeeded in his attempt while Jack
failed. Dr. Rrcker gave the following state
ment after the autopsy:
Jack Biddle was the worst wounded Of the
two men, although he was in better condition
than Ed when the brought to jail
on Friday night. He had two gunshot wounds
on the right side in the region of the liver. The
bullets passed UP and around the body and did
no fatal damage. They We're removed on Sat
urday A bullet wound was found in the roof
of the mouth hut II was slight and would not
have caused his death. This wound was In
1icted by himself with the evident intention OF
suicide.
His right shattered by five bullet
wounds. The wound that caused his death was
made by a 4l75 calbre bullet that passed
through the crest of the illium on the right
side and passed back through the kidney, Csus-
ing hemorrhage. In ALL Jack suffering
from nine wounds, but excepting the one that
penetrated the kindey, none would have been
fatal
Eds" terrible sunerings were caused by
about an inch and half to the right OF the
nipple and passed down between the fourth
and fifth ribs 10 The left OF the heart and nd
Ed" himself the powder marks being visible
on the skin. Death was caused by hemorrhages.
and he suffered untold agony to the last breath.
Another wound found on his body vas on the
same side about an inch from the left nipple.
but the bullet struck the fourth rib, passed un-
der the skin and did no damage. Both bullets
found in Ed were 80 calibre. and In the
opinion of the doctors who held the autopsy
her &c no q himself
After the autopsy the bodies Of the Biddles
we're taken In charge by W. F. Roessng. an
undertaken. OF Butler. who prepared them for
burial. Arrangements being made 10 take
the bodies TO Pittsburg tomorrow morning.
They will be in charge of Sheriff T. R Hoon.
Since the officers concerned in the capture or
the Biddles have had time to cool off they ap-
pear to be disposed 10 be fair toward each
other in the distribution or the prize money.
and an agreement to divide the 5000 equally
among the four officers here, the driver. J. A.
SNYDER and the three Pittsburg detectives, has
been practically agreed to by all except De
tective McCovern, who is not here to-day.
The pastors Of nearly all the churches in But.
Ter to-day referred TO the sensational capture of
Mrs. Soffel and the Biddes.
The Rev. Father Daniel = Walsh. rector OF st.
Pauls Roman Catholic Church. who mnistered
TO the Biddles in their dying hours, spoke touch
ingly of them in both masses this morning. At
his residence this afternoon Father Walsh said:
Besides the statements given out by the Bid
die boys TO the newspapers and officers Of But
Ter County, both Edward and Jack" Riddle
made confessions 20 me. Edwards was made
on Friday night. There was no one present but
myself Jack in the next cell Jack
did not confess until yesterday. Their confess
sions full and complete in every particular,
and they Will never be revealed.
While / was mnstering 10 them after they
were brought to jail here, they would often talk
to me OF how they We're wrongly accused of
crimes. They denied positively that they killed
Kahney. in Mount Washington, and Edward
told me in the most emphatic terms that he did
not shoot Detective Patrick Fitzgerald.
The poor boys died like dogs literally ridded
with bullets and some one should be held
sponsbIa for inhuman actions in shooting them
when they helpless, unarmed and unable
to make the slightest defence or resistance
The bodies Of the Biddles were removed from
the iail to one of the Railways of the Sherif's
dwelling house this evening and the public had
an opportunity to look at the dead criminals.
Mrs SoffeTs condition tonight is not consid-
cred favorable. The track of the bullet wound
in her breast close to the pleura, and the
doctors are yet able to tell whether the
hemorrhage is caused by the wound or Is at
tributable TO some other cause which has not
yet fully developed.
HUNGRY MIRDERERS EASILY CAUGHT.