The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-01-30
Her Gull Y
INFAIUi..A|!|.'I|I0N.
Warden's Wife Helps Pris-
oners to Escape.
CONVICTED MURDERERs
They Overpower the Guards in the
4 rs (. i
CONVICTED MURDERERS
They Overpower the Guards in the
Pittsburg Jail.
WOMAN FURNISHES IMPLEMENTS

The Warden Believes His Wife Has
Joined One Of the Prisoners
in Their Flight.
Pittsburg, Jan. 30.-Edward and John
Biddle, awaiting execution in jail for
the murder of Grover Kahney oyerpow-
cred the guards at o'clock this morning
and escaped.
The prisoners occupied adjoining cells
and had evidently been preparing for
escape for some time with assistance from
the outside. Both had secured revolvers
and saws with which to cut the cell bars.
Shortly before four o'clock one of the
Biddles@ called to James McGeary, who
had charge of the outside gates. and asked
for medicine in a hurry, saying his
brother was dangerously sick. McGeary ]
fastened to the cell with the medicine.
opening he had made in his cell, and,
Selling the guard around the waist, hurled
him over the railing to the stone floor, ten
feet beneath. ~
Edward Biddle joined his brother imme-
diately and both, with drawn revolvers,
hurried to the first: floor, where they met
Guard Reynolds andFshot him. But three
men were on duty and the third was on
one of the upper ranges. He was ordered
down at the pointsslof the reviewers, and
the three guards We're put in the dungeon.
The keys were takau from Keeper Nc
Geary, and the tMB desperate prisoners
had a clear path. Mhe Biddles then went
to the wardrobe, wheresthe guards keep
their clothing, and afteTseach had put on
a new suit, theys1 lnaocked the outside
The escape was nos discovered, until the
daylight guards came on duty at
clock. They were informed by prison
ers where the night guards had been put
and the latter were released and sent to
hospital.
There is no clue to the whereabouts of
They killed Kahney while burglarizing
his house at Mount Washington last
April.
Warden's Wife Involved.
The escape Of the Biddles has been ex-
planned. Warden Peter K. Soffel has
authorized it's publication. 1T is the alle-
the furnishing Of the revolver and saws
to the Biddles, Wslasitsi9S enabled tlle;n to
escape. z55ssG Vt
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 is to
meet the escaped convicts at place
person admitted to the Jail since last Sun
day. Yesterday she visited them
during the warden's absence
Last evening she retired at 9 o'clock.
She told her husband that she was going
to visit sister al Mcdonald, and that,
she would retire early so that she could
get an early start. Warden Soffel was
about the jail until about y o'clock He
retired to his room, which is separated
from Mrs. Soffels, shortly before 1
o'clock.
: When he awoke this morning he asked
for Mrs. Soffel and was informed that she
was absent. Later, when the details Of
the escape became known, he telephoned
to Mcdonald and was informed that Mrs.
mediately made frank confession of his
suspicious.
Dug Out Ingenfously.
The plan of the Biddles was clever, and
was carried out with great success. They
cutting out three in his. Edward, being
the larger man, found it necessary to cut
out four. The murderers evidently sawed
the bars during the night, usilg soap to
deaden the noise and reduce friction The
escape is as unparalleled as their record
Of crime throughout this vicinity. The
police all over the city are searching for
the fugitives. While it is not thought
they have gone far, the shrewdness of the
two criminals is such that the police have
a hard problem to solve in their recap
ture.
The two injured guards probably will
| recover. The bullet wound sustained by
Reynolds is not regarded as dangerous
McGeary's head is badly confused,
Warden Broken-Hearted.
District Attorney John c. Haymaker
| had a conference with Warden Soffel and
the warden told him of his suspicious
| concerning Mrs. Soffel.
The warden has made inquiries at the
| homes of all of his wife's relatives and
has been unable to find any trace of her.
| An investigation disclosed that she had
| taken all her best clothes with her. The
Warden's overcOat is also missing 1t is
reported that the Biddles took train at
the Fourth avenue station of the Pan
Handle railroad, which is within a block
| from the Jail, and left for the west.
! Warden Soffel is broken-hearted. He is
completely unnerved and with difficulty
| could repress his tears. It has been
known for several weeks that Mrs. soffel
had been taking an interest in the Bid
/ dies, and it is known she has been fur
nishing them with dainties outside their
| prison fare, The county commissioners
| have offered reward Of $4,000 for the
| murderers.
| A report is current that the Biddles
1 escaped along the Pittsburg & Western
railroad. Scores of people at Etna, Pine
/ Creek and Sharpsburg claim to have seen
! them.
Lady Evidently Unbalanced.
| The friends of Mrs. Soffel believe that
! she could not have been in her right mind
! when she. aided in the escape of the Bid
I dies. For years she has been an invalid
| and year ago she was sent to a sana-
torium. She came back much improved
but the long and painful illness is believed
| to have weakened her mind. Her hus-
| band devoted time and money for the re-
| lief Of the suffering of his wife, but it is
| said that she never has fully recovered
I her health and at times was melancholy.
NOT THE ONLY
! BtddIes Were Befriended by Another
Woman.
Harrisburg, Pa, Jan. 30.--A mysterious
woman recently called upon Governor
| Stone and pleaded with him to pardon the
| Biddle brothers. The woman was about
! % years old dressed in the height of
| "a shiOn and made a ar1acialE rnn,oaf NJ I, q