Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1902-02-03


ner breast bone. Her chances for recov-
cry are favorable, but as 1 said, the at
tending circumstances are likely 70 pro-
duce unfavorable symptoms before morn
ing. s.~
CAS- to Edward Biddie. think his
wounds are the worst Of any Of the three.
He was shot through the breast twice and
was also shot 10 the mouth.
His arm is broken. but whether by
a shot or by his fall from the sleigh has
not been determined.
Edward Biddle's left lung is full OF
blood. His breathing Is greatly impaired,
and I doubt n he can live.
The wounds of John Biddle are numer-
Gus. He has six gunshot wounds in his
abdomen and five in the right arm.
STRAY pieces OF shot also hit him in
the face. but none of John Biddle's
wounds are OF themselves necessarily Ia
tai. %
The chief danger in his case is from
blood poisoning. which is not unlikely"
Suicide Was Planned.
From the statement made this morn
ing by Jack Biddle. in his cell. Il is evil
dent that the escaped convicts and their
accOmplice had arranged 70 commit sui
eide In case capture became imminent. In
addition, Jack also told how they es-
capped
Their manner OF getting out OF jsil, ac-
cording TO his statement. was as has al
ready been published. McGeary, he says.
fell over the range when he jerked loose
from the hold the prisoner had on him.
He says Mrs Soffei helped them to es-
cape. but would not say she supplied the
saws. The saving OF the bars Of the cells,
he said. was completed before January IA
and that several times previous TO the day
on which the escape was made their plans
failed through some little detail.
a
killed anyone. and that he never put a
bullet into anyone except Keeper Rey-
holds. He said the first crime he ever
committed was assisting to rob a liquor
store at Carnegie. but admitted that he
had participated I'm number Of robberies
after that.
After they had left the SAN they went to
ash0tse near a railroad In Pittsburg. They
remained there all OF Thursday. The peO-
pie In the house. Jack said. when they
read Of the escape from the Jail. recog-
mixed them and would only let them re-
main after the Biddles gave them a
bunch Of money"
They remained az the house until Thurs
day night leaving il as soon as n grew
dark. Jack says he wanted 70 stay
there and that Ed" was also willing 70
stay, but that the woman was nervous
ed fEai8 tl4ey -wUufd Re eau f1t.
I wouldn't let them go alone. " Jack
said. land as soon as 1t grew dark we
went down the street and took Perryse
Vile avenue car. We rode to the end Of
the line and from there walked untn we
reached the farm where we stole the
horse.
If Il had not been for the woman we
would not have been caught, for we could
easily have gotten another horse and by
this time been more than 100 miles away.
It's lead-pipe cinch that we would have
escaped, but we could not let that poor
woman go by herself.
she did all she could with us-betraved
her husband, deserted her family, ali to
help us out, and we would have been a
great deal worse than we are thought to
De II we had thrown her down.
When we saw the officers coming to-
ward us on the road yesterday ayening
we knew IL was all up. We did not fire a
shot at the officers. but agreed to kill our
selves / shot myself in the mouth Ed
shot himself over the heart and the wo-
mon shot herself In the breast. We knew
We had no chance to get away and we
knew we would swing IL taken back. and
that is why we wanted 10 kill ourselves
IL has been discovered that Jack has
two bullet holes through his mouth. in
stead OF one. as first thought. One of his
other wounds is through his abdomen and
Il Is thought into his bowels and this may
ally results from wounds Of this kind.
Bullets from two OF his other wounds
about the stomach were taken out this
morning.
The Kahney murder. Ed" alleged. was
committed by Walter Dorman. assisted bv
man who had that day come from Chi
cago. and the Zebers woman. who put on
mans suit. This. Ed" said, she had
OFTEN done before when she had assisted
Nnnm ~nhhrwfnH =.
ing committed a great many robberies
but stoutly maintained that he had never
killed any one.
Suicide Theory Confirmed.
Drs. Greer and Bicker. who have been
attending the two Biddles. made a report
this morning that apparently confirms
Jack Biddle's story that the fugitives
had tried TO kill themselves. They had
come TO this conclusion after a complete
examination and a partial probing Of the
wounds OF both men.
Ed Biddle. who is generally supposed
70 be worst injured. has several powder
marks on his left breast. which would go
20 show that he attempted to kill him
self. In Jacks mouth are three bullet
wounds. which would be prima facie evil
dence that he wanted TO rid the world of
himself. One Of the bullets. which evil
IDENTIFY came from a revolver carried
away a portion of his tonsil. which the
doctors say would only have happened
BY the holding Of a revolver TO his mouth
The declaration by Edward Biddle that
he did not shoot Detective Fitzgerald. and
was not implicated in the Kahney murder
Is given no credence by Superintendent Of
Police Demmel and Detective Kelly
AS to the Biddles' declaration that
neither OF them was at the Kahney house
the night OF the murder. Detective Kelly
said:
THAT is absurd. Fred Ohlinger posi-
lively identified them. as did several 9TH
ers. The Zebers woman was accounted
for that night The Bid0les' statement in
this regard is absurd. as a prepOnderance
or evidence shows
Former Warden Soffel made the start
ling revelation that he had been under
the influence OF chloroform during the
night when the Biddles broke Jail. Mr..
Soffel believed the anaesthtic was admin
istered by his wife.
The Butler officers demand half the re-
ward Of $500 and in order TO hold the
prisoners. warrants were sworn out for
the Biddles. charging them with felonious
shooting I'm attempting to klI Mrs. SOffel.
District Attorney Haymaker says the
position taken by the Butler officials is
wholly untenable. and steps viii be taken
at once TO compel them TO relinquish their
claims.
BOTH DIDDLES ARE DEAD;
SoFFEL WOMAN STILL LIVES
ur-rsf ZIP ia Feb At tha cloea Of