The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1902-02-02
JOHN B|DDLE DEAD
Ed, SLOWLY DYING
Women Sympathize With the
Handsome Desperate.
DECLARE HIM INNOCENT
Letter From Ed, Found on Mrs. Sof-
fel's Person.
TT SETS FORTH THE PLAN OF ESCAPE
The Woman is the Only One Who will Recover.
Physicians Fear Gangrene Would
Follow Should She be
Moved.
(By the Associated Press.)

Butler, Pa. Feb. LAT the close of
day of intense excitement and many
conflicting stories concerning the
chances for life of the wounded Biddle
brothers and Mrs. Kate Soffel, the une4S
pected has happened. John Biddle, who
until late this afternoon was thought the
more likely brother to escape present
death, died at 1855 D. m.
The condition of Ed Biddle tonight is
exceedingly precarous and his death at
any moment would cause no surprise.
Mrs Soffel developed symptoms of pneu-
monia this afternoon after having come
safely through an operation this morn
ing for the extraction of the bullet. She
is the only one of the trio who has any
chance of living. The death of Jack Bid
die was caused by the bullet wounds in
his abdomen and bladder. Early in the
day the physicians thought peritonitis
was the principal danger in his case, but
tonight internal hcmorrhage set in and
the man bled to death in a short time.
As long as he was able Jack was ex-
tremely talkative and was at times
boastful. But as soon as the shadow of
death began to fall upon him and he
recognized it, he became repentent
Il know" said he, that my time here
is short, and you can say for me that l
am a Christian and will die a sincere
believer in God and hope | have strength
enough to say so at the last. | know I
have taken part in many wrong deeds,
but l have never killed any man and was
never implicated with one who did I
wish l could see Mrs Kahney l would
tell her the truth about the killing of
her husband This life has been pretty
tough to me and the end cannot come too
quick, and l don't care how"
Ed Biddle has been unconscious the
greater part of the day, and it is evident
to all that his lease of life is short In
ternal hemorrhage of the lungs keeps
him almost continually choked A sister
OF the Biddles arrived in town this even
ing and was admitted to the Jail. but Ed
was unable to recognize her.
The principal subject of conversation
on the streets today has been whether
the Butler county authorities would per-
nit the removal of the Biddes to Ale
gheny county in the event of either or
both surviving their injuries The con-
tentlcn was realized that since the Bid
dies were under arrest here for felonous
shooting they could not be removed Dis
tIict Attorney John r. Hennnger dis
PEELED any doubts on that point this
evening by stating that it was the inten-
ton tC turn the men over to the Ale
Sheny authorities as soon as they were
III condition to be moved with safety and
the same feeling would be taken with
reference to Mrs. Soffel
After consultation at the hospital in
the case of Mrs. Soffel this evening Dis
trict Attorney Haymaker decided to al
low the woman to remain here as her
condition is such that the trip to Pitts
burg tonight might be attended with
fatal results. Mrs. SoffeI is suffering con-
siderably from her wound and the at
tending physicians fear that her removal
row would cause gangrene to set in. At
tcrney Haymaker said there would be no
distribution made of the prize money I'M
til the claims of the Butler people had
been heard and the latter will take steps
to notify the commissioners of Allegheny
county of their claims.
The excitement was undated today and
q dense crowd of people hanging about
the jail doors all day trying to get
in to see the two criminals. The most
persistent of the crowd were women
many OF whom expressed the deepest con-
cern and sympeth for Ed Biddle and de-
clarcd their belief in his innocence. This
belief seemed to deepen when it became
known that Ed Biddlc made death bed
confession to Rev. Father Walsh. of this
place, last night, declaring mis- inno-
conce of the crime OF shooting Grocery
man Kahney and Detective Fitzgerald.
One Of the sensational developments of
the day which the authorities have tried
to keep secret, was the finding on the
person of Mrs. Soffel when searched at
the hospital long letter from Ed Bid
die, setting forth in detail the plan for
the escape CT the brothers from jail.