Daily new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1897-1906, 1902-02-03
JURY'S VERDICT
ON B|DDLES' DEATH.
After Hearing Before the Coro-
ner, at Butler, Pa, They
Decided That Ed. Com
mitted Suicide.
JACK DIED OF BULLET
FIRED BY AN OFFICER.

duct and Faithful Performance of
Dutv-The jury Found That the
Two Biddles and Mrs. soffei All
Fired on the offcers--Then the
Posse Began Shooting.
Butler. Pa, Feb 3.-The text Of
the verdict of the eoroner's jury on
the death of Ed and Jack Biddle is
as follows.
sButler county. ss.--An inquisition
indented taken at Butler, in the coun
ty of Butler, on the Sd day of Feb
ruary, A. d. 1902, before me, John l..
Jones, coroner of the county afore-
said. and upon the view of the body
of Edward Biddle then and there w.
ing dead, upon the oath and solemn
affirmation of Jacob Keck, Jacob Wal
ter, Louis B. Stein, Arthur M. Flack,
William A. Stein, Harry I. Rattigan,
good and lawful men Of the county
aforesaid, who, being duly sworn and
dtIli iliEQ diia GDol Egd w iAAdlAO oR2h
the part of the commonwealth when,
where and how and after what man
ner said Edward Biddle came to his
death, do say upon their oaths and af-
firmations aforesaid, that the said Ed
ward Biddle died in the Butler county
jail at Butler, Pa. on Saturday, Feb.
l, 1902, from the effects of gunshot
\ H. hand
while resisting arrest in Franklin
township, Butler county, Pa, on the
public highway known as the Butler
and New Castle road on Friday Jan.
81, 1902, at about 5 o'clock p. m.
1--WE find further from the evidence:
Had Been Sentenced to Be Hanged.
"First-That the said Edward Bid
die is one of the Biddle brothers who
were charged with, arrested and con-
yicted for the murder Of Thomas
Kahney, a citizen of Allegheny eoun-
ty. and sentenced by the Allegheny
county courts to be hanged for the
said offense.
"Second-That the said Edward
Biddle. while confined awaiting the
execution Of said sentence, escaped
from said Allegheny county Jail on
Thursday, Jan. 80, 1902, and was a
fugitive from justice.
Third - We find that the Allie
gheny county commissioners offered
a reward of $4,000 for the arrest and
return to the proper authorities, dead
or alive, of the said Edward Biddle
and his brother, John Biddle; and In
said offer infinitely described the
prisoners and warned the public that
they were desperate characters.
"Fourth-We find further that on
Jan 81, 1902, at about o'clock D. NJ,
posse consisting OF the following per-
sons, Rainey Hoon, Aaron &c. Thomp-
son. Robert Ray, Frank Holiday and
J. A. Snyder, of Butler county, Pa,
and John Roach, A. Fl. Swinehart and
Charles McGovern, detectives of Allie
gheny county, Pa, met said fugitives,
Edward and John Biddle and Mrs.
Kate Soffel, in Franklin township,
Butler county, Pa, on the public high
/ way known as the Butler and New
Castle road.
All Three Fired Upon Officers.
"F'ifth-Tbat the said posse, when
about 100 feet from said fugitives,
stopped their sleighs, dismounted,
I leaving their teams in charge of j. A.
Snyder, and formed in line prepare
tory to attempting to capture said
| fugitives, and that then aud there
said fugitives. including Mrs. Kate
Soffel, drew loaded revolvers and be-
gan to shoot at said posse. That said
posse returned the fire and a battle
ensued, and that the said Edward
Biddle, to avoid being captured, then
and there, with his own hand, infiict-
ed upon himself the wound which
caused his death.
And so the jurors aforesaid, upon
! their oaths and affirmations ais afore.
said, say that the aforesaid Edward
Bfddle, for Che canse aforesaid, in
manner and form aforesaid, came to
his death, and not otherwise.
In witness whereof, as well of the
aforesaid coroners, we, the jurors,
have hereunto put our hands and
seals on the day and year and at the
place above mentioned.
John L. Jones, Coroner,
Jacob Keck,
u. A. Walter
Louis B. Stein,
Arthur M. Flack,
William A. Stein,
Harry T. Rattigan."
Continued on 4th page.)