West Virginia daily oil review. [volume] (Sistersville, W. Va.) 1894-1902, 1902-02-03
JACK DIED OF BULLET
FIRED BY AN OFFICER.
The Officers Are Exonerated and
Commended For Their Brave Con
duct and Faithful Performance o.
Duty-The jury Found That the
Two siddIes and Mrs. soffef All
Fired on the 0fficers-Then thc
Posse Began Shooting.

Butler, Pa, Feb. 3.-The text or
the verdict of the coroner's jury on
the death of Ed and Jack Biddle IS
as follows:
Butler county, ss.-An inquisition
indented taken at Butler, in the coun
ty of Butler, on the Sd day OF Feb
ruary, A. D. 1902, before me, John L..
Jones', coroner Of the county afore-
said, and upon the view of the body
of Edward Biddle, then and there ly-
ing dead, upon the oath and solemn
affirmation of Jacob Keck, Jacob Wal
ter, Louis B. Stein, Arthur M. F1ack,
William A. Stein, Harry T. Rattigan,
good and lawful men Of the county
aforesaid, who, being duly sworn and
affirmed and charged to inquire upon
the part OF the commonwealth when,
where and how and after what man
ner said Edward Biddle came to his
death, do say upon their oaths and af-
firmations aforesaid, that the said Ed;
ward Biddle died in the Butler county
Jail at Butler, Pa, on Saturday, Feb.
/, 1902, from the effects Of a gunshct
wound inflicted by his own hand
while resisting arrest in Franklin
township, Butler county, Pa, on the
public highway known as the Butler
and New Castle road, on Friday, Jan
81, 1902, at about 5 o'clock p. m.
I'VE find further from the evidence:
Had Been Sentenced to Be Hanged.
"First-That the said Edward Bid
die is one of the Biddle brothers who
were charged with, arrested and con
victed for the murder Of Thomas
Kahney, a citizen of Allegheny coun.
ty, and sentenced by the Allegheny
county courts to be hanged for the
said offense.
"Second-That the said Edward
Biddle, while confined awaiting the
execution of said sentence, escaped
from said Allegheny county Jail on
Thursday, Jan. 80, 1902, and was a
fugitive from justice.
Third We find that the Ale
gheny county commissioners offered
a reward of $4,000 for the arrest and
return to the proper authorities, dead
or alive, of the said Edward Biddle
and his brother, John Biddle, and in
said offer infinitely described the
prisoners and warned the public that
they were desperate characters.
"Fourth-We find further that on
Jan. 81, 1902, at about 5 o'clock p. m,
posse consisting of the following per-
sons, Rainey Hoon, Aaron E. Thomp-
son, Robert Ray, Frank Holiday and
j. A. Snyder, OF Butler county, Pa,
end John Roach, A. H. Swinehart and
Charles McGovern, detectives Of Allie
gheny county. Pa, met said fugitives,
Edward and John Biddle and Mrs.
Kate Soffel, in Franklin township,
Butler county Pa, on the public high
way known as the Butler and New
Castle road.
iAii Three Fired Upon onIcera
"Fifth-That the said posse, when
about 100 feet from said fugitives.
stopped their " sieiEhs, iismounted.
leaving their teams In charge of ]. A.
Snyder and. formed ih line prepare
Dry to attempting to capture said
fdgitiyes, and that then and there
said fisitives. including Mrs. Kate
So1el. drew loaded reviewers and be-
gan 70 shoot at sail, posse That sal /
posse returned the ere ana o battle
ensue6s and that the said Edward
BIddie, to avoid being captured. then
and there, with his own hand. in,ict.
ed upon himself the wound which
caused his death.
And so the Jurors aforesaid. upon
their oaths and afirmations as afore.
said, say. that the Aforesaid Edward
blddle. for the cause aforesaid. in
manner and form aforesaid, came to
MS death, and not otherwise.
In witness whereof, as well Of the
AFORESAID coroner's, we. the Jurors.
nave hereunto put our hands and
seais On The day and year and at the
place ah0vo yoaDf;nro5