The Savannah morning news., 1902-02-02
BOTH BIDDLES DEAD
THEIR MOVE FOR LIBERTY AND
LIFE PROVED FATAL.
MRS. SoFFEL MAY RECOVER.
BOTH ASSERTED INNOCENCE OF
CRIME CHARGED.

Pittsburg Detectives Now Seeking
to Secure Possession of Bodies in
Order to Obtain $1,000 Reward.
A Lengthy Letter From Ed Bid
die to Mrs. SoffeI shows How
Completely She Was Under His In
fiuence and How Much She Aided
in the Escape.
Butler, Pa, Feb. 1.-At the close of
a day of great excitement and many
conflicting stories concerning the
chances for life of the wounded Biddle
brothers and Mrs. Kate Soffel, the un-
expected has happened. John Biddle,
who until late this afternoon was the
more likely brother to escape present
death succumbed first and died at Z: 35
p. m. His brother, Ed, who has been
unconscious practically all day, and who
was considered dying man last night,
survived until II o'clock, when he, too.
went over the Great Divide. Both men
died without any apparent suffering at
the close. Mrs. Soffel, who developed
symptoms of pneumonia this after
noon, has chance for life,
and unless unforeseen complica-
tion sets in, will recover. Mrs.
Soffel is the only one of the trio who
has any chance of living. The death
of Jack Biddle was caused by the
bullet wounds in his abdomen and
bladder. Early in the day the physi-
clans thought peritonitis was the prin-
cipal danger in his case, but tonight
internal hemorrhage set in and the
man bled to death in 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 upon him and he
recognized it, he became rePantant.
II know said he, that my time
here is short and you can say for me
that am a Christian and will die a
sincere believer in God and hope l
have strength enough to say so at the
last 1 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 cannot come too quick and
I don't care how quick"
Ed Biddle has been Unconscious the
greater part of the day, and it is evil
dent that his lease on life is short
Tntar,,oI 1,ar,,,0r,., oo Of the I,nge
keeps him almost continually choked.
A sister of the Biddles arrived in town
this evening and was admitted to
the Jail, but Ed was unable to rec
ognize her.
The principal topic of conversation
on the streets to-day has been whether
the Butler county authorities would
permit the removal of the Biddles to
Allegheny county in the event of each
or both surviving their injuries. Dis
trict Attorney John R. Henninger dis
PEELED any doubts on that point this
evening, by stating that 1T was the
intention to turn the men over to the
Allegheny authorities as soon as they
were in condition to be moved safely,
and the same action would be taken
with reference to Mrs. Soffel.
AILeT d COHSulldllOI at the nOSDlLdl
in the case of Mrs. Soffel, District At
torney Haymaker decided to allow the
woman to remain here, as her condi-
tion is such that the trip to Pittsburg
tonight might be attended with fatal
results. Mrs. Soffel is suffering con-
siderably from the wound, and the at
tending physicians fear that her re-
movai now may cause gangrene to set
in.
The Question of Reward.
Attorney Haymaker said there would
be no decision made of the prize money
until the claims of the Butler people
had been heard and the latter would
take steps to notify the commission
ers of Allegheny county of their claims.
The excitement was unabated to-day
and a dense crowd hung about the
Jail doors all day trying to get in
to see the two criminals.
One sensational development of the
day, which the authorities tried to
keep secret, was the finding on the
person of Mrs. Soffel, when searched
at the hospital, of a long letter from
Ed Biddle, setting forth in detail the
plan for the escape of the brothers
from the Jail, naming their destina-
tion afterwards.