The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1902-02-01
THE BIDDLESCAUCM
Escaped Murderers and Guilty
Woman Overtaken.
ALL 1HREE SHOT, one FATALLY.
Condemned Men Who Escaped From
PittsburE Jail and JaiIer's wife
Who Aided Them Captured
After = Desperate Fight.


After = Desperate Fight.
F.. BUTLER. Pa. Feb. Edward Bid
die in Jail dying. John Bidlle riddled
with buckshot and III a preHarious CON
dition and Mrs. Peter X. Sofrel lying in
the hospital with Il self inflicted bullet
wound through the breast Is the sequel
Of the sensa tional escape Of the Biddls
brothers from the Allegheny county
| jail, aided by Mrs Sotfel, the wife Of
the Jail warden. on Thursday morning.
The story Of the close Of the BiddIe
tragedy is II thrilling one. The scene
| was a snow covered road two miles
east of Prospect Butler county. near
Mount Chestnut and the exact place
was at MoClure's barn, where two dou.
BILE team sleigh>. filled with eight Off
GERS. three Of them piltsburg jrtec
tives. John Roach, Albert Swinehart
and Charles McGoverl met The two
Biddles In ii one horse sleigh. stolen ut
Perrysville. and at once opened lire OH
the trio.
The Biddlcs returned the fire after
Jumping out of the sleigh Mrs. Soifel
was shot through the breast
Edward Biddlp was shot in lhe left
arm. in the breast and in one leg. John
Biddle WIS riddrd with buckshot in
the breast and head
The Pittsburg officers were met at
Butler by Deputy Sheriffs Rainey and
Hoon and Officers Frank Holiday and
Aaron Thompson. the latter under COM
mand Of Chief Of Police Robert Ray
Of Butler.
The officers were certain that they
were on the right trail 1t was only
question Of time when they would
catch up 10 the escaping condemned
murderers and their guilty companion.
The BiddIes and Mrs. Sotfel nte din
ner at j. ]. Stephens, at Mount Chest
nur. five miles east of Butler They
had made a dstour of the town Of But
Ter and. after going several miles east
turned north and then west. The Pitts
burg officers. only Il few miles in the
rear, took the wrong road for about
eight miles, but when they found their
mistake they mad" up for lost time by
teleerapling ahead for fresh horses.
They reached Mount Chestnut not
less than half an hour after the Bid
dies and Mrs So!lrl. At this point VII
liam Watson, storekrcp"r, had fresh
horses awaiting them, and The chase
began anew
The two Slei.hs with The eight Oil
ccl's aboard. started westward and met
the Biddles and Mrs SDfpi at Me
lures barn, two miles from Mount
Prospect. The Eihtlrs. having learned
that they We're almost overtaken aud
taking what they considered the only
chance had driven eastward and met
tacir doom.
The Pjttsbure and other officers were
armed with Winchester rifles AMI rr
volvcrs Of large ca)ibtr. They shot to
Kill, and their aim was perfect. Tn"
Biddles tried TO XIII TO the GSt Of their
string, but not one Of the eight officers
has wound as the result Of the UalI;c.
At the Jail td Eidd.c called for
priest and made The following state
meat.
Il have been accused of a great +
many serious crimes. | admit that I
could have committed many, tine Op-
portunities for them having presented
themselves. | want to say now that
lid not kill Detective Fitzgerald, nor
did | shoot Thomas Kahn"y. nor was
my brother implicated in the latter af
fair. Mrs Sotrcl aided us in getting
out Of the county Jail, and had 1t not
been for her we would have made our
rscapc She gave up everything for us,
md was bound to back her. did not
shoot her. She shot herself Oh, fa-
her, bless me and tell me that my sins
are forgiven.
Although | have been pictured to
rou as desperate man. still have
some heart and gratitude for the wO.
nan who helped us to escape. She
merely did it out Of good sympathy for
Is. persuaded her to do it, told her
was guitless of the crime for which
was about to be executed and she
vas impressed and yielded to my sug-
.estion. planned it all"
Looking up he saw several reporters
md recognized them as the men who
,ad reported all his ncfarious crimes
or which he was tried
'iou backguards, You are the cause
# the bitter feeling that has been EN-
,endered against us. You created the
'ublic sentiment against lis. Are YOU
Orry? You are not? You are too