The Billings gazette., 1902-02-04
ESCAPED MURDERERS RECAP
TURED BY OFFICERS.
ALSO WOMAN ACCOMPLICE
Mrs. SoffeI Turns Her Revolver on
Herself When She Thinks the
Fight is Over.

Pittsburg, Pa, Jan. 31.-A telegram
from Butler at $3.50 p. M, says: Ed
ward Biddle in Jail dying; John Bid
die riddled with bullets and in pre-
carious condition, and Mrs Peter K
Soffel lying in the hospital with a
self-infiicted bullet wound in her
breast, is the sequel of the sensational
escape Of the Biddle brothers from
Allegheny county Jail, aided by Mrs.
Soffel, wife of the jail warden, on
Thursday morning.
The story of the close of the Biddle
tragedy, which came at 5:45 this af-
ternoon, is a thrilling one. The scene
was snow covered road two miles
east of Mount Prospect, Butler coun-
ty, near Mount Chestnut and the exact
place was at McClue's barn, where
two double team sleighs, filled with
eight officers, three of them Pittsburg
detectives, John Roach, Albert Swim
hart and Charles McGovern, met the
two Biddles and Mrs. Soffel in a one
horse sleigh stolen at Perrysville, and
at once opened fire on the trio The
Biddles returned the fire after jump
ing out of their sleigh.
Mrs. Soffel was shot through the
breast.
Edward Biddel shot in left arm,
breast and one leg.
John Biddle was riddled with buck
shot in breast and head.
The Pittsburg officers were met at
Rutler this afternoon by Deputy Sher-
ifs Rainey and Hoon, and Officers
Frank Holiday and Aaron Thompson,
the latter under command of Chief of
Police Robert Hay Of Butler.
The officers were certain that they
were on the right track 1t was only q
question of time when they would
catch up to the escaping condemned
nurderers and their guilty companion
The Biddles and Mrs. Soffel ate dinner
at J. ]. Stephens at Mount Chestnut
FIVE miles east of Butler. They had
made detour of the town of Butler
and after going several miles east
turned north and then west. The
Pittsburg officers were only few
niles in the rear, but took the wrong
road for about eight miles. When
they found their mistake they made
up for lost time by telephoning and
telegraphing ahead for fresh horses
They reached Mount Chestnut not
less than half an hour after the Bid
dies and Mrs. Soffel.
At this point William Watson,
storekeeper, had fresh horses waiting
for them and the chase began anew.
The two sleighs with eight officers
aboard started westward and met the
fugitives at McClue's barn, two miles
from Mount Prospect
The Biddles having learned that
they were almost overtaken, and tax
ing what they considered the only
chance they had, drove eastward and
met their doom. Pittsburg and other
officers were armed with Winchester
rifles and revolvers of large caliber.
They shot to kill and their aim was
perfect
The Biddles tried to kill to the last
of their strength, but not one of the
eight officers has wound as the re-
suit of the battle
When the detectives were within
about 60 yards of the fugitives they
opened fire. The Biddles promptly
answered with a shotgun and revolv
ers. Mrs. Soffel too, stood up in the
sleigh with revolver in each hand
and blaed away at her pursuers. When
Ed Biddell fell and she saw she was
about to be captured she fired bull
let into her own breast.
Examination by physicians show
that she will recover as the bullet was
DETECTED by her corset and the wound
is comparatively slight
Ed Biddle got bullet in the breast
which penetrated his right lung and
will probably end his life before
morning.
John may recover, his wounds
though numerous, failing to reach a
vital spot, The escape of the officers
is miraculous. The Biddles have dem
onstrated on several occasions that
they are good marksmen, and why
they should have failed today to
bring down their men is mystery.