Morris tribune. [volume] (Morris, Minn.) 1880-2000, 1902-02-01
GALLONS
PAIR OF DESPERATE PRISONERS
UNDER DEATH SENTENCE
BREAK JAIL.
TWO OF THE GUARDS INJURED

| TWO OF THE GUARDS INJURED
One Is Thrown over a High Balcony
and Seriously Hurt and the Other
Has a Bad Bullet Wound--Wife Of
the Warden Is Missing and Is sus.
pected of Furnishing the Prisoners
I With RevoIvers and Steel Saws.
| Pittsburg, JAN 31.-Edward and
| John Biddle, awaiting execution in the
county Jail for the murder of Grocer
r. D. Kahney of Mount Washington,
overpowered the guards at a. m. and
escaped. The prisoners occupied adj
joining cells and had evidently been
preparing Tor escape for some time
Nth assistance from the outside. Both
lad secured zrevolvers and saws with
which to cut the cell bars
Shortly before 4 o'clock one of the
Biddles called to James McGeary, who
had charge of the outside gates and
asked for some medicine in a hurry,
saying his brother was dangerously
sick.
McGeary FASTENED to the cell with
the medicine when Biddle sprang
through the opening he had made in
his cell and, Selling the guard around
the waist, hurled him over the railing
to the stone floor beneath, a distance
of 16 feet. ~'-~~""-
Edward Biddle joined his brother
Immediately and both, with drawn re-
volvers, hurried to the first floor where
they met Guard Reynolds and shot
him. 80
Ia There were but three men on duty
and the third was on one of the upper
ranges. He was ordered down at the
point of the revolvers and the three
guards were put in the dungeon. The
keys were taken from Keeper Nc
Geary and the two desperate prison
ers had clear path. The only per-
sons who witnessed the escape were
prisoners. &.e.
The Biddles then went to the ward
robe, where the guards keep their
clothing, and after each had put on a
new suit, they unlocked the outside
gates and passed out into Ross street.
imprisoned Guards Released.
The escape was not discovered until
the daylight guards came on duty at 6
o'clock. They were informed by pris- i
oners were the night guards had been
put and they were soon released from
the dungeon and sent to the homeo-
pathic hospital.
For several months preceding the
Kahney murder daring burglaries were
of almost nightly occurrence. The po-
lice seemed powerless to prevent them.
On the morning of April IL, last, Mrs.
Kahney was awakened by burglars
and called to her husband, a cripple, |
who was sleeping in an adjoining
room with one of the children.
AS he entered the door of his wife's !
room he was shot dead. The burglars |
fed. A few hours later Detective Pat
rick Fitzgerald and two officers sur.
prised the Biddle brothers at their
home on Fulton street but before they !
were captured Fitzgerald was killed,
and Edward Biddle, who shot him, was |
wounded. Walter Dor.
man, another of the gang, and two
women, Jessie Bodine and Jennie See |
bers, were also arrested. Dorman turn
ed states evidence and the two Bid
dies were convicted of Kahney's muir
der and sentenced to be hanged, John
on the 14th of this month and Edward
on the 10Th, but three days before the
date set for Johns execution they were
until Feb. Is and 81 by Gov
ernor Stone so that their cases could
go before the pardon board at its COM
ing meeting. Dorman is still in jail /
awaiting sentence. The two women
were released.
The entire detective force is at
work on the case, but up to 10 o'clock
there was no clew as to the direction
the murderers had taken.
az Warden's Wife an Accomplish.
Later the escape of the Biddles was
explained. Warden Peter K Soffet
has authorized its publication It is
the allegation that his wife is RESPONSE
BILE for the furnishing of the revolver
and saws to the Biddles which enabled /.
them to escape. f#.
In her infatuation for the handsome
desperado. Edward Biddle, it is al
legged that she has left her husband
and her four children and it is sup
posed is to meet the escaped convicts
at a place agreed upon.
The story of the matter is brief.
Mrs. Soffet 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 9 o'clock She