Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1902-02-06
THE b|DDLtS ESCAPE HANGING
Both ofthe Men Died ofthe Wounds
Received.
MRS. SOFFEL MAY RECOVER.
Woman Aided-The Wounded Murder
ers Died Saturday Night-The warden's
New story.

Edward and John Biddle, awaiting
execution in the Pittsburg, Pa, JAN.
for the murder of Grocer Thomas ID.
Kahney. OF Mount Washington. sawed
their way out of their cells, oyerpow-
cred the guards and escaped al
o'clock Thursday morning.
The murdcrcrS owe their escape TO
the infatuation of Mrs. Peter Is. Sol
fel. wife of the warden of the prison,
for Edward Biddle.
Shortly before o'clock one OF the
Biddles called OH James McGeary'
who had charge of the outside gates
and asked for some cramp medicine
in a hurry, saying his brother was
dangerously sick.
McGeary FASTENED to the cell with
the medicine, when John BlduAe
sprang through the opening In the
cell, and Selling the guard AROUND
the waist hurled him over the railing |
to the stone door beneath, distance
Of 10 feet.
Edward Biddle joined his brother
Immediately, and both, with drawn re-
volverS, hurried to the first hoor,
where they met Guard Reynolds ana
! shot him.
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 a dungeon.
The keys were taken from Keeper
| McGeary, and the two desperate pris-
oners had clear field The only per-
sons who witnessed the escape were
! prisoners who could not interfere or
! give IN alarm. The Biddles went to
| the wardrobe where the guards Keep
their clothing and each put on new
suit They then unlocked the outside
gates and passed out into the street
The father of the Biddles kept no.
| toriouS saloon called Hell at Am
! herStburg. At the death of the OH
| man. Ben McQuade. brother OF Mrs.
Biddle. took charge Of the saloon ana
the orphans. He was Il drunkard HIM
self, and 10y il-treating and abusing
the young boys drove them out into
the streets and into bad company. Me-
Quade ended by committing suicide,
and the boys drifted away from home,
into the world Of thieves and crooks.
Ed and Jack Biddle, the famous
Butler. Pa. after being shot down by
officers in n desperate battle, following
their escape of Thursday morning from
the Allegheny county jail, are dead.
Contrary TO expectations. Jack Biddle
was the first to die. succumbing to his
wounds at 7:45 Saturday evening. The
, direct cause OF his death was internal
hemorrhage His brother, Ed, died at
; II D. M. having been unconscious dur
: ing the evening The death OF Jack
, Biddle was caused by the bullet
wounds in his abdomen and bladder.
Early in the day the physicians thought
, pertonitis was the principal danger i'll
his case. but at night internal hem
orrhage set in and the man bled tC
death in n short time. AS long rs ht
, was able. Jack was extremely talka-
tive and was at times boastful, but as
soon as the shadow of death began t.
fall upon him and he recognized 1t, h
: became penitent.
Il know" said he that my time
: here Is short. and you can say for m'
= that | am Christian and will die :
sincere believer i'm God. and hope
will have strength enough to say 81
: at The last. | know | have taken par
u i'm many wrong deeds, but | have neve
y killed any man and was never impli
u Gated with anyone who did. | wish
L. could see Mrs. Kahney. | would tel
II her the truth about the killing of he
husband. This life has been prett
I, tough to me and the end cannot com
7. too quick. and do not care how
a Ed Biddle made a deathbed comics
k sion to Rev. Father Walsh, declarin
d his innocence OF the crime of shootin
W Groceryman Kahney and Detectiv
7. Fitzgerald
lr Mrs Soffel. the wife Of the jail wa
" den. who aided the two brothers
Id escape and accompanied them afte
rs ward. shooting herself when she sa'
in the battle with the officers would r.
X suit in the capture Of herself and h'
I'd companions. has developed pneumoni
but The bullet was successfully e.
nt tracted from her breast Saturda
in, morning and she still has chance
tie live.
mt Former Warden Soffel made I'll
-ly startling charge that he had been III
lis der the influence Of chloroform durir
he the night when the Biddles brol
fail Mr.. Soffel believes the anesthet
~. was administered by his wife
TO A love letter which Ed wrote
~. Mrs. SofTel gives all the details Of q
g. plan TO escape and directions TO q
,rt foolish woman how to protect herst
no. and finally Join her desperate low,
III or TO fly with him. which she chose
do with the result already told. III
49,, enquiries Saturday were for the dyi
~ criminals and not for her husband
III children.