The daily morning journal and courier., 1902-01-31
ESCAPE OF THE RIDDLES.
NO CLUE TO THE WHEREABOUTS OF
 THE MURDERERS,

Assisted Them to Escape-No Trace of l Her Foumd-Murderers Believed to be Travelling ms Railroad Conductors.
 Pittsburg, Jan. 30.-Up to a late hour
 tonight nothing had been heard of the
 whereabouts of Edward and Jack Bid
 dle two brothers, who escaped from the
 Alleghany county jail early this morn-
 ing, where they were confined ava tins
 execution for the murder of Grocery
 man Kahney, of this city, last April
 Not the slightest clue has been unearth-
 ed either as to the whereabouts of Mrs.
 Soffel. the wardens wife, who furnish ed the means of escape to the condemn
 ed men. The prison board began an in-
 vestigation this afternoon and announce
 ed upon adjournment tonight that
 Warden Soffel, at his own request, had been relieved from duty pending the re- suit of the investigation. Deputy War den Marshall was placed in charge tenn porarily.
 Warden Soffel in discussing the es- cape of the Riddles to-day said: q be- lieve my wife furnished the weapons to the Riddles and assisted them to es- cape. This is an awful thing, but l am only telling the whole truth. My wife was not in bed when I was awakened this morning and I have not seen her since. She is gone-God only knows where. I said I would lay everything bare, and I am doing it. This is the worst blow of all, but I believe it is true. I did not suspect her and hence was off my guard. But she is gone, and the suspicion of assisting in the deliv- cry by furnishing weapons rests upon her"
 He broke down and wept when he spoke of his wife's actions. Think of my. children" he said. Their future will be blighted. l would rather have died than to come to this. To think that my wife, the last person in the world whom I would suspect, should act so.''
 MT. Soffel has two girls, fifteen and thirteen years old, and two boys, ten and seven years old.
 The murderers were confined in ad- | joining cells on the second range of the i prison Nothing suspecious was notic- { ad in their actions yesterday, nor was here any sign of anything wrong when the day guards went off duty The Riddles evidently sawed the bars of .4 ;frl,t t,ctt, n a leaden the noise and reduce friction. md were ready for their attempt early | to-day.
 One of the Riddles got James Me -Seary, who had charge of the outside gates. to bring medicine to his cell On he pretense of sudden illness. John Riddle sprang through the opening in he cell, and, seizing the guard around he waist hurled him over the railing o the stone floor beneath, a distance of ixteen feet Edward Riddle joined his brother and both hurried to the first ioor, where they met Guard Reynolds tnd shot him.
 There were only three guards on Iuty, and the third was on one of the Ipper ranges. He was ordered down,
 
 ungeon. The keys were taken From Keeper McGeary, and the prisoners had
 clear field. The only persons who the escape were prisoners lho could not interfere. The Riddles ,ent to the wardrobe where the guards eep their clothing, and each put on a CIV suit. They then unlocked the out idle gates and passed out into the treet
 The injured guards will probably re- over The bullet wound received by eynolds is not regarded as dangerous. he physicians have not as yet as ertained the full extent of Me { eary's wounds His head is badly but there are no signs that is skull was fractured by his fall. f Peter K. Soffel, the jail warden, when 9 learned of the flight of the Riddles, ave it as his belief that his wife fur shed them with saws and revovers. I In her infatuation for the handsome asperado, Edward Riddle, he believes lat she has left him and her four chill 'en, and has gone to meet the escaped q ,nvicts at a place agreed upon. r. Mrs Soffel was the only person ad- itted to the jail since last Sunday. afternoon she visited the | ddles during the warden's absence. r ast evening she retired at 9 o'clock, " Hing her husband that she was going f
 visit sister at Mcdonald, and that i, e would retire early, so that she a uld get an early start. Warden Sof- Q was about the jail until after F fl clock. He retired to his room, which p
 separate from Mrs. Soffels shortly n fore 1 o'clock. fl When he awoke to-day he asked for I, rs Soffel, and was informed that she c IS absent. Later, when the details of q Q escape became known, he telephon- W
 to Mcdonald, and was informed that Ii rs. Soffel was not there.
 Warden Soffel has made inquiries at Q homes of all of his vife's relatives. t has been unable to, find any trace
 her. Investigation shows that she si 1k her best clothes with her It is ot ported that the Riddles took train a
 the Fourth avenue station of the d; nhandle railroad, which is within a ll- ,ck of the jail, and left for the west. II, has been known for several weeks e, 1t Mrs. Soffel was taking an interest st the Riddles, and it is said that she e, quently furnished them with dain- ,,a S. Il, 'he county commissioners have offer ef q reward of S5, 900 for the capfure of ! -