Fergus County argus., 1902-02-05
6iddle Bros. and Their Companion,
Mrs. Soffel, Pursued by Detect
ives and Make a Fight.
THE elDDLEs ARE NOW DEAr
Both Brothers Died at Butler on Sat.
urday-Mrs. Soffel is Suffer
ing From Wound.

L
from Butler at $3.50 o'clock p m. says:
Edward Biddle is in Jail dying, John
Biddle is riddled with buckshot and
in a precarious condition, and Mrs.
Peter Soffel is lying in the hospital
with a self-inficted wound in the
breast, is the sequel of the sensation
al escape of the Biddle brothers from
the Allegheny county jail, aided by
Mrs. Soffel, the wife of the Jail war
den. on Thursday morning.
The story of the close of the Biddle
tragedy. which came at 5:45 o'clock
this afternoon, Is thrilling one.
The scene was a snow-covered road
two miles west of Prospect, Butler
county. near Mount Chestnut, and the
exact place was McClure's barn, where
the two double team sleighs, filed
with eight officers, three of them Pitts
burg detectives-John Roach. Albert
Swinehart and Chas. McGovern-met
the two Biddles in a one horse sleigh
stolen at Perrysville, and at once
opened fire on the trio, the Biddles re.
turning the fire after jumping out of
the sleigh. Mrs. Soffel was shot
through the breast.
Edward Biddle was shot in the left
arm, in the breast and in one leg.
John Biddle was riddled with buck.
shot in the breast and head.
The Pittsburg officers were met at
Butler this afternoon by Deputy Sher.
ifs Rainer and Hoon and officers
Frank Holden and Aaron Topson. the
latter under command of Chief of Po
lice Robert Hay Of Butler.
The officers were certain that they
were on the right trail 1t was only
a question OF time when they would
catch up with the escaping, condemn
ed murederers and their guilty com
panion.
The Biddles and Mrs. Soffel ate din
ner at ]. ]. Stephens, at Mount Chest
nut, five miles east of Butler, where
they had made detour of the towr
Of Butler and, after going seyera
miles east, turned north and then west
The Pittsburg officers, only few
miles in the rear, took the wrong road
for about eight miles, but when the,
found out their mistake they made NJ
for lost time by teTepnoning and tele
J graphing ahead for fresh horses.
, They reached Mount Chestnut no
less than half an hour after the Bid
| dies and Mrs. Soffel.
At this point William Watson, ;
storekeeper, mad fresh horses wait
: ing for them, and the chase begal
anew. The two sleighs with the eigh
officers aboard started westward ant
: met the fugitives at McClure's barn
two miles from Mount Prospect, tn
Biddles, having learned that they wer
almost overtaken, and taking wha
they considered the only chance the
4 had, drove eastward and met thei
doom.
The Pittsburg and other officer
we're armed with Winchester rife
and revolvers of large caliber. The
shot to kill and their aim was perfec
The Biddles tried to kill the last @
q their string, but not one of the eigh
y officers has a wound as result Of tn
t battle.
Il When the detectives got within G
r yards of the fugitives they opened fir
l. The Biddles promptly answered wit
!. shotguns and revolvers. Mrs. Soffe
p too. stood up in the sleigh with r
h volver in each hand and shot at he
IS pursuers. When Ed. Biddle fell an
she saw she was about to be capture
s she fired a bullet into her breast. A
d examination by physicians show tn;
| out viii ittoNtib 40 tut builtt Who u
it flected by her corset, and the wouI
ii is comparatively slight.
Ie Ed. Biddle got bullet wound in Il
h breast, which penetrated his lung. ar
o will probably end his life before NOR
Is ing. John may recover. His wound
IL though numerous, did not reach '
X tai spot.
RS The escape OF the officers is mira
Sc ulous. The Biddles have demonstrs
cd on several occasions that they a
good marksmen, and why they shou
have failed today TO bring down the
nen is mystery.
y Fuller. Pa. Feb. AT the close
day of intense excitement, al
H. many conflicting stories concernii
n, the chances for life Of the wound
e. Biddle brothers and Mrs. Kate Soh
at the unexpected has happened. Jol
,t- Fiddle. who until late this afterno
n was considered the more likely Of I
mt brothers 10 escape present death, 81
1t cumbed FIRST, and died at 1858 D.
We His brother Ed, who has been uncC
is- scious practically all day, and W
twas considered a dying man Ii