Waterbury Democrat., 1902-02-01
TIE BIDDLESCAUCHT
Escaped Murderers and Guilty
 Woman Overtaken.
ALL THREE SHOT, OyE FATALLY.
Condemned Men Who Escaped From PittEisr@rg Jail and Jnfler's Wife Who Aided Them Captured
 After a Desperate Fight.

BUTLER, Pa, Feb. 1.-Edward Bid- dle. in jail dying, John Riddle riddled' with buckshot and in a precarious con- dition and Mrs. Peter k. Soffel lying in the hospital with q self inflicted bullet wound through the breast is the sequel of the, sensational escape of the Riddle brothers from the Allegheny county jail, aided by Mrs. Soffel, the wife of the jail warden, on Thursday morning.
 The story of the close of the Fiddle tragedy is a 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 McClure's barn, where two Gou- ble team sleighs, filled with eight off, ccrs, three of them Pittsburg detec- tiveS, John Roach, Albert Swinehart and Charles McGovern, met the two Riddles in a one horse sleigh, stolen at Perrysville, and at once opened fire on the trio.
 The Riddles returned the fire after jumping out of the sleigh. Mrs. Soffel. was shot through the breast.
 Edward Riddle was shot in the left arm, in the breast and in one leg. John Riddle was riddled with buckshot ill the breast and head.
 The Pittsburg officers were met at Butler by Deputy Sherifrs Rainey and Hoon and Officers Frank Holiday and Aaron Thompson, the latter under con- mand of Chief of Police Robert Ray Of Butler.
 The officers were certain that they were on the right trail It was only question of time when they would catch up 10 the escaping condemned murderers and their guilty companion.
 The Riddles and Mrs. Soffel ate din- ner at J. J. Stephens at Mount Chest nut, five miles east of Butler. They had made a detour of the town of But Ter and, after going several miles east. turned north and then west. The Pitts burg officers, only few miles in the rear, took the wrong road for about eight miles, but when they found their mistake they made up for lest time by telegraphing ahead for fresh horses. They reached Mount Chestnut not less than half an hour after the Bid dles and Mrs. Soffel. At this point Will l liam Watson, storekeeper, had fresh horses awaiting them, and the chase began anew
 The two sleighs, with the eight off, cers aboard, started westward and met l the Riddles and Mrs. Soffel at Me Clure's barn, two miles from Mount Prospect. The Riddles, having learned that they were almost oyertaken and taking what they considered the only chance had driven eastward and met their doom.
 The PittSburg and other officers were armed with Winchester rifles and re- Solvers Of large caliber. They shot to kill, and their aim was perfect. The Riddles tried to kill to the last of. their string, but not one of the eight dNicers l has a wound as the result of the battle.
 At the jail Ed Riddle called for a priest and made the following state ment:
 ssI have been accused of a great many serious crimes. I admit that I I could have committed many, the op- I portunities for them having presented } themselves. want to say now that I i lid not kill Detective Fitzgerald, nor : did l shoot Thomas Kahney, nor was my brother implicated in the latter af- ! lStlI. NIB. kcOAGi Il1lGG us III SGlllIS put of the county jail, and had it not l been for her we would have made our escape. She gave up everything for us, and I was bound to back her. I did not shoot her. She shot herself. Oh, fa- Iher, bless me and tell me that my sins nre forgiven.
 Although I have been pictured to you as desperate man, I still have some heart and gratitude for the wo- man who helped us to escape. She merely did it out of good sympathy for us. persuaded her to do it. told her I was guiltless of the crime for which was about to be executed, and she was impressed and yielded to my sug- Eestion. I planned it all."
 Looking up, he saw several reporters md recognized them as the men who l had reported all his nefarious crimes for which he was tried.
 You blackguards, you are the cause of the bitter feeling that has been en- gendered against us. You created the l public sentiment against us. Are you sorry? You are not? You are too heartless."