The Savannah morning news., 1902-02-03
ED BIDDLE A SUICIDE
CORONER'S JURY brings IN YER
DICT TO THIS EFFECT.
THE AUTOPSY SHOWED THIS.
BOTH MEN PREFERRED DEATH To
RECAPTURE.

the MOuths Dut inns Wouhu Oiu
Not Cause His Death-He Had Nine
Wounds in All, Only One of which
Was FataI-Biddles Were Shot
Down Like Dogs While Unnrmed,
Says Father Walsh.
Butler, Pa, Feb. 2.-The terrible fate
of the Biddles is the sole topic of con-
versa tion here to-day and curious
throng of people have been defying the
storm and hanging about the Jail en-
trance in vain attempts to get in to see
the bodies of the dead murderers. A
great deal of sympathy for the boys
is expressed on all sides, and not
few of the female portion of the crowd
expressed a desire to see what manner
of a man Ed Biddle was that he could
exert such a wonderful influence over.
men and women. The Jail doors were
closed all day and no one got in but
the doctors, who attended the autopsy,
and the coroners jury, which organ
lied at o'clock this morning. Even
the newspaper reporters were excluded
from the inquest, which was held in
the JAIL and nothing concerning their
deliberations could be learned until late
in the afternoon.
The testimony of all the officers
concerned in the capture was taken ex
cept Rob Ray, the Butler policeman,
who is sick. The testimony of DR.. r.
B. Greer, who was one of the doctors
who attended the Biddles and of
Sheriff Thomas r. Hoon, was also
taken.
The verdict of the jury is that Ed
Biddle came to his death by a revolver
shot fired from a S2-calibre revolver by
himself, and that Jack Biddle met his
death from a gunshot wound inflicted
by the officers in discharge of their
lawful duty.
Under the instructions of Coroner
John L. Jones. an autopsy was held on
both the Biddles this morning.
The evidence secured by the autopsy
bears out the statements that the Bid
dies intended to kill themselves rather
than be taken alive, and that Ed sue
ceeded in. his attempt, while Jack fall
ed though. hiskli ife1NsaS forfeited
AOOhS k1&t0 AOE DttCGttfes
TIL testimony taken at the inquest
was voluminous making about II 900
words and some parts of it quite SEN
sational. The testimony given by Dep
uty Sheriff Rainey Hoon reflected Sc
verely on McGovern, one of the Pitts
burg detectives. The latter part of sec
tion five of the Jack Biddle verdict
reads as follows:
That said posse returned the fire
and a battle ensued, in which said John
Biddle received the wound which
caused his death. We hereby exoner-
ate the officers from all liability and
commend them for their brave conduct
and the faithful performance of their
duty"
Deputy Hoon said:
I'VE put our two teams in charge of
Mr.. ]. A. Snyder. We then got in line
and came down the hill, and the first
thing 1 saw Ed Biddle pulled a re-
volver. When he pulled the gun all be-
gan to shoot 1 could not tell who fired
the first shot. We all shot ] should
judge we were $50 feet from them"
Question: Did they fall out of the
sled?
Answer: They both fell out.
Question: How many shots had been
fired before they fell?
answer. i nave not InuCn lue0, L
suppose forty or fifty shots.
Question: Describe your approaching
the Biddle boys.
McGOvcrn's COwardIy Conduct.
Answer: McGovern and 1 walked up
to them. They were both lying on
their faces. l walked up first and
McGovern swore at me for it. l had
q revolver in my hand and had it
HaroIIra6 IN n fhan1 and ha
walked up and hit lack on the back
of the head a good hard biff with the
butt end of his Winchester when he
was on his face. Then / turned Ed
over on his back. l was the first TO
touch either of the men, and he was
going to shoot them again. He stepped
back and shot Jack again after he was
on the ground. 1 turned Ed over and
he said: For Gods sake, don't shoot
again. let me die"
Question: The slugs that entered the
arms and side of Jack Biddle were
from the shot fired by McGovern after
he was lying face down on the snow at
close range?
Answer: Yes, sir. / am sure Of
that. l was within few feet
The BiddIes Badly shot Up.
Dr. Bricker gave the following state
ment after the autopsy:
Jack Bddle was the worse shot of
the two men, although he was in bet
ter condition than Ed, when the men
were brought to the jail on Friday
night. He had two gunshot wounds on
the right side in the region of the liver,
the bullets passing up and around the
body and did no damage. They Were
removed on Saturday. A bullet wound
was found in the roof Of the mouth. but
It was slight and would not have
caused his death. This wound was in
flicted by himself with the evident in
tention of committing suicide. His right
arm was shattered by five bullet
wounds. The wound that caused his
death was made by 4l.75 calber bull
let. that passed through the crest of
the illium, on the right side, and passed
back through the kidney.
"In all, Jack was suffering from nine
wounds. but excepting the one that
penetrated the kidney, none OF them
would have been fatal. Eds terrible
gufferings were caused 10y bullet
wound that struck him on the left
breast, about an inch and a half 10
the right Of the nipple, and passed
down. between the fourth and fifth ribs
10 the left Of the heart and through the
lung. This wound was made By Ed
himself the powder marks being visible
on the skins. Death was caused by
hemorrhaRes. and the man suffered IN
told agony 20 the lart breath. IN the
opinion Of the doctors who held the
autopsy. there IL no doubt that be killed
himself"