The Nezperce herald. (Nezperce, Idaho) 1900-1957, 1902-02-07
BOTH THE D|DDLE BOYS DIE
THEIR WOUNDS PROVE FATAL
Mrs. soneI Has a Chance of Her Life
-Jnek. as Long as Able. Was Very
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. Belief
i'm God-story OF Their Love At
fairs and Escape From Prison.

chances Tor life of the wounded Bid
die brothers and Mrs. Kate Sohel tn,
unexpected has happened. John Bid
lei wko was considered the more
ely Of the brothers to escape pres
death. succumbed first and dies
al 1885 p. m. His brother Ed who has
been unconscious all day and who was
considered in a dying condition last
night. survived until Il o'clock. when
he TOO. went over the great divide
Both men died without any apparent
suffering at the close.
Mrs. Soifel developed symptoms Of
pneumonia after passing through an
operation for the extraction of the
bullet She has a chance for her life.
and unless some unforeseen complca-
ton sets in she Will recover.
The death OF Jack Biddle was caus-
ed by the bullet wounds in his abdo-
men and body Early in the day
physicians thought peritonitis was the
principal danger in his case, but in
ternal hemorrhage set in and proved
fatal in a short while.
As long as he was able. Jack was
extremely talkative and was at times
boastful But as soon as the shadow
OF death began to fall On him and he
recognized it he became repentant.
Il know" said he. that my time is
short, and you can say for me that
am Christian and viii die a sincere
believer in God. and hope | will have
strength enough to say so at the last.
l know | have taken part in many
wrong deeds, but have never killed
any man. and was never implicated
with any one who did. wish | could
see Mrs. Kahney. would tell her the
truth about the killing OF her husband
This life has been pretty tough TO me-
and the end can not come too quick
and | don't care how
A sister of the Biddles arrived in
town and was admitted to the Jail. but
Ed was unable to recognize her.
After a consultation at the hospital
in the case of Mrs. Soffel District At
torney Haymaker decided to allow the
woman to remain here, as her eondi-
tion is such that the trip TO Pittsburg
hight DC dtlthdCu viii Anioi lCoAAtc-
Mrs. Soffel is suffering much from her
wound, and the attending physicians
fear that her removal now would 1
cause gangrene TO set in.
Excitement continued undated and /
a dense crowd of people hung about
the jail doors all day trying to get in
to see the two criminals. The most
= -
many of whom expressed the deepest
concern and sympathy for Ed Biddle.
and declared their belief in his inno-
cence. This belief seemed to deepen
when It became known that Ed Bid
die made a deathbed confession 10
Rev. Father Walsh Of this place last
night. declaring his innocence Of the
crime Of shooting Groceryman Kah-
ney and Detective Fitzgerald.
A lost letter from Ed Biddie to his .
prison sweetheart. Mrs Kate Soffel.
found in the snow near the bloody
scene Of their capture, reveals the
long. careful plot for their escape
from the Allegheny county jail The
letter clearly shows the hazardous I'M
dsrtakings Of the infatuated woman
to secure the escape Of the Biddles.
Since December 2. 1901. they had been !
preparations to escape. The :
epistle tells how Mrs. SoffeI carried
the saws to the cells Of the Biddles.
II manifests the extreme infatuation !,
Of Mrs. sofel for the murderer and
burglar. It clearly shows the wonder
fuI influence Ed Biddle had over Mrs
sonel
. Mrs. Soffel fell in love with Ed Bid
die in November. The burglar soon n
realized his power over her. It was D
rot long until he started to write love
letters to her. His affection was re-
Mrs. SoRel fell madly in
love with Ed Biddle and about the t.
early part Of December he proposed q
plan Of escape to her.
She consented to lend him her aid
Between December IA and Is they had Il
completed all arrangements to escape
rom the jail. Then they learned Of Il
he governors respite After this Ed b
3iddle almost persuaded Mrs. Soffel TO
ly with him and his brother. The
contents Of the letter show it was or
ginally agreed that Mrs. Soffel was =
o leave the city for Canada on the :,
we Of the boys escape. 7,
The letter in part follows: =,
I'VE were searched pretty close to- 2
lay and these fellows would swear on
! stack Of Bibles 10 feet high that we
Ould not have the att1ff IN ua since
saturday. See that you clear your
elf Of all suspicion, without the fellow 81
vhere you bought the saws would
ONE to the surface. They never "a
ould convict you. but come neonle d