The Montgomery advertiser., 1902-02-04
MRS. SOFFEL'S ACCOUNT
STORY OF THE ESCAPE OF THE
 TWO RIDDLES.
Says She Did Not Intend to Accom- '. pany, Them and Only Did So '-a After Being Entreated
 -,.- By Ed.

Pittsburg. Feb, 3.--To prevent the de- molition cf the coffips and the mutiiation of the bodies of Edward and John Bid- dle, which in all probability would fol- low thir burial if the spot were known generally. Harry Fiddle has arrauged a secret plan to dispose Of his brothers remains without letting the public Know where or when the interment will take place. a<A sS sss
 Tho only matter nov of anything like absorbing interest connection wiih eae Riddles is the fate of Mrs. SoffeI and any. thing she may say eon>erning the eschTs and subsequent capture of the trio. Mrs. Scffel is lying in the Butler Hospital and though stin d sick woman. her case is not considered rally serious.
 She made stat s-neut tonight to some newspaper men in the presence Of Dr. Bric kef in which she slid:
 ''I had not intended going with the Riddle boys the night ofg their escape. but Eds entreaties won me over"
 She told of how she remained. fin the library Thursday morning awaiting the signal for the outbreak. It was her in tentiou to let the boys go and she would meet them later. While sitting in the library she was almost paralyzed when the two brothers came crashing through the door. In their excitement they had lost the key to this door and had 10 break 1t down. ..
 Ed asked me to come with them, " '''Come with us' he said to me.
 "I resisted and told them to go
 "They told me they had not an instant to lose If the officers were to get away I would be discovered.
 ''I tried to persuade them to go, then I felt myself giving away to Eds per. suasion and yielded. We all dashed out on Ross Street. We then passed along the court house to the alley. Sd ana Jack went out Grant Street and crossing the river we met in Allegheny at their friends house. We'll, we could not re main there and we were soon out on the road again.
 perishing cold. The exposure affected me greatly Now, I want to say the state ments that I was intoxicated are untrue Ed and Jack bought half pint or wnis- key and I drank some of it. 1t seemed 10 stimulate me. Now that was the oniy time I drank anything on the trip.
 Ed and Jack took several drinks ana [ told them to go sparingly on 1t as they would not be able to get any more With out chancing detection. We secured a sleigh and drove through the country all night. The night was bitter cold. There was no robe in the sleigh and suffered terribly. When daylight came was nearly perished by the cold.
 ''Wcll, the next day brought us to the terrIlIe scene We drove through Butler and knew that we had heen suspected. Then we soon reached Mount Chestnut; and getting something to eat. sterted
  ened. The boys learned that the detec, lives were after us and they consulted about defending themselves. Ed. said to Jack: Tt is life for life; let's shoot them down.
 When they saw the detectives Ed: told Jack to get rrady. He recognized Detective Roach. Detective McGovern got out of the sleigh and was followed by the other two. l saw Detective Me Govern fire. The shots were returned by Ed. and Jack. Then there was fussil- ade of bullets. l saw Ed. fnd Jack fall out of the sleigh was shot. The horse took fright and r1n away. Detective Me Govern said: Kill all the d--d rascals, and pointed his gun at me. Detective Swinehart called to him to have mercy on me, that it was only woman and not to shoot me. l did not fall out Of the sleigh. jumped out. Detective Swine hart ran to me, and calling to me, he asked me if I was hurt and said was shot. He raised me up and held my head on his knees. Then 1 felt myself faint ing and the next thing I knew l was in the sleigh.
 , T am grateful to Detective SWinehart for his treatment of me and saving me from being shot down. The detectives were justified in shooting at the boys. for they intended to kill them.
 We were forced to leave the jail be- fore our arrangements were complete. learned on Wednesday that the bars on the doors of the cells of that range were to be inspected on Thursday. I knew the sawed bars on Ed and Jacks cell would be discovered. I gained admittance to the jail and conveyed this information to night I did not intend to go with them. They were to make their flight alone. 1 intended to go to the country for a few days and then meet them"