Evening star., 1902-02-04
MRS. SOFFEL'S NEW STORY
SAYS THE BIDDLEs SHOT AT THEIR
PURSUERs.
Also Gives Additional Details of the
Escape From the Jail at
Pittsburg.

A dispatch from Pittsburg last night says:
Mrs Soffel made a statement tonight to
some newspaper men in the presence of DR..
Bricker, in which she said:
Il had not intended going with the Bid
die boys on the night of their escape, but
Eds entreaties won me over"
She told of how she remained in the libra
ry on Thursday morning awaiting the sig
nal for the outbreak. 1t was her intention
to let the boys go and she would meet them
later. While sitting in the library she was
almost paralyZed when the two brothers
came crashing through the door. In their
excitement they had lost the key to this
door and had to break it down.
ED asked me to come with them. Come
with u.s. he said to me- 1 resisted and told
them to go.
'They told me they had not an instant to
lose, and If the officers were to get away 1
would be discovered.
Il tried to persuade them to go. Then
felt myself giving way to Eds persuasons
and yielded. We all dashed out Ross
street. We passed along the court house to
the alley. Ed and Jack went out Grant
street, and crossing the river, met in Allie
gheny at their friends house. Well, we
could not remain there, and we were soon
out on the road again.
THE night in the school house was per-
ishing cold. The exposure affected me
greatly. Now, 1 want to say the state
mentS that l was intoxicated are untrue.
Ed and Jack bought a half pint Of whisky
and 1 drank some of it. 1t seemed to stm
ulate me. Now, that was the only time l
drank anything on the trip.
ED and Jack took several drinks, and
told them to go sparingly on it, as they
would not be able to get any more without
CHANGING detection. We secured a sleigh
and drove through the country all night.
The night was bitter cold. There was no
robe in the sleigh, and I suffered terribly.
When daylight came was nearly perished
by the cold.
We'll, the next day brought us to the ter
r1ble scene. We drove through Butler and
knew that we had been suspected.
Then we soon reached Mount Chestnut,
and getting something to eat started out
again. I was feeling ill and was frightened
The boys learned that the detectives were
after US, and they consulted about defend
ing themselves. Ed said to Jack: It's a
life for life; let's shoot them down.
The boys drove on. They were bewilder-
ed about the whereabouts of the detectives
Ihey thought the Pittsburg detectives were
behind them When they saw them appear
Ed told Jack to get ready He recognized
Detective Roach.
Detective McGovern got out Of the
sleigh and was followed by the other two.
saw Detective McGovern fire The shots
were returned by Ed and Jack. Then
there was a fusillade of bullets 1 saw Ed
and Jack fall out Of the sleigh
Il was shot. The horse took fright and
ran away. Detective McGovern said: XIII
all the ID rascals,' and pointed his pun
at me. Detective Swinehart called to him
TO nave mercy on me, that it was only a
woman, and not to shoot me. The horse
turned into the field and made a circle info
the road again 'o
Il did not fall out of the sleigh. iumned
OUT OUT now remember setting my foot on
the step and then in jumping 1 fell. That
was was an l remember Detective Swinehart
ran 10 me, and calling to me he asked me if
l was hurt, and l said 1 was shot. He
raised me up and held my head on his
knees Then felt myself fainting and the
next thlnS knew was In the Sleigh We
known. A
1T Is my gratitude to Detective Swine
mart for his treatment Of me, and saving
me from being shot down. The detectives
were justified in shooting at the bows. for
they intended to kill them.
we were forced to leave the jail before
our arrangements were complete learn
ed on Wednesday that the bars on the doors
spected on Friday. I knew the sawed
bars on Eds and Jacks cage would he
discovered. 1 gained admittance to the
!al ana conveyed this informat ton to the
did not intend to go with them Tbev
We're to make their flight alone. I intended
TO go to the country for few DAYS and
then meet them 10
Il will say nothing about my future plans
until have consulted a lawyer"
10 prevent the demolition of the cofins
and the mutilation of the bodies of Edward
ana John B1ddle, which, in all probability.
would follow their burial if the SPOT were
Known generally, Harry Biddle has ar
ranged secret plan to dispose of his
orotherS remains without letting the nuh-
nc Know Where or when the interment will
AXE place. wa
A dispatch from Butler Pa, saws. Had
Id Blddle failed in his plans to escape from
NE Allegheny county Jail he was prepared
o cheat the hangman, and most likely |
would have done so.
ms discovery was made in a purely ac- !
.ldental way yesterday by Mrs. Mary Redd,
Who lives in Butler, and whose son, Thomas
Redd, was in the jail at the time Ed Bid.
lie clothlng, that he wore when captured !
was packed for shipment to Pitt sbure with |
ne pody. Young Redd managed to secure |
piece or strap on the back of Ed Riddles |
rousers, which he carried home as a SON. |
'ver to his mother. 0N
MRS Redd thought she would rim the |
strap apart, and with a pair of shears |
,egan cutting out the lining from the ont |
'loe CLOTH She had not made more than
me or two cuts till the blades snanned |
mo something hard and cut it in two. Re-
moving the pieces, she found that the hard
was large pill, securely sewed
between the outside cloth and the lining
'ut what the nature Of the pill was she
ould not tell. A-e
Young Redd took the pieces of the mill
o Dr. j. j.. Shultis of this place. who
ronounced them strychnine. There was
'1lled' two or three men.