Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1902-01-31
WERE DEPERAIE MEN
Pair Of Prisoners Who Escaped from
Custody at Pittsburg Under
Death Sentence.
Means Adopted by the Men To- Make
their Escape from the Prison
Where Confined.
Wife of the Warden is Suspected of
Having Furnished them With
Means to Escape.

Pittsburg, Jan. 31.-Edward and
John Biddle, awaiting execution in the
county jail for the, murder of Grocer
T. D. Kahney of Mount Washington,
overpowered the guards at a. m. and
escaped. The prisoners occupied ad-
joining cells and had evidently been
preparing for escape for some time
with assistance from the outside. Both
had secured revolvers and saws with
which to cut the cell bars.
Shortly before 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 hastened to the cell with
the medicine when Biddle sprang
through the opening he had made in
his cell and, seizing the guard around
the waist, hurled him over the railing
to the stone floor beneath, 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.
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 we're
prisoners.
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
O'Clock. They were informed by pris-
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 12, last, Mrs.
Kahney was awakened by burglars
and called to her husband, 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
fled. 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
dangerously 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 18th, but three days before the
date set for Johns execution they were
respited until Feb. 25 and 27 by Gov
ernor Stone so that their cases could
go before the pardon board at it's COM
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.
Warden's Wife an AccompIice.
Later the escape of the Biddles was
explained. Warden Peter K. Soffet
has authorized it's 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.
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
told her husband that she was going
to visit a sister at Mcdonald and that
she would retire early so that she
could get an early start. Warden
Soffet was about the Jail until about 12
o'clock. He retired to his room, which
is separate from Mrs. Soffet's shortly
before o'clock. When he awoke In
the, morning he asked for Mrs. Soffet
and was informed that she was absent.
Later, when the details of the escape
became known. he te1ephoned to Nc
Donald and was informed that Mrs
Soffet was not there.
Warden Soffet Immediately made
frank confession of his suspicious.
The escape is unparalleled as their
record for crime throughout this vicin-