The daily morning journal and courier., 1902-02-03
INQUEST ON THE RIDDLES
PERDICT SHOWS THAT EDW4RD
 TOOK HIS OWN LIFE.

l Jacks Death Duo to Guhshot Wounds
 Evidence Sets Forth That Both lien
 Intended to Commit Suicide-Womem oil
 Showing Great Interest in the Case -
 sympathize With the Dead Murderers. Butler, Pa, Feb 2-The terrible fate
 of the Biddles is the sole topic of con-
 versation here to-day, and a curious
 throng of people have been defying the
 storm, hanging about the jail entrance
 in a vain attempt to get In to see the l bodies of the dead murderers, who died
 within few hours of each other Sat
 urday night A great deal of sympathy for the boys is expressed on all sides, and not a few of the female portion of
 the crowd expressed a desire to see what manner of man Edward Riddle 1 was that he should exert such a won derful influence over men, and particu- | larly women.
 The jail doors were closed all day and no one got in but the doctors who at- tended the autopsy and the coroner's jury, which organized at 9 o'clock this morning. Even the newspaper report CTS were excluded from the inquest, which was held in the jail, and nothing concerning the deliberations could be learned until late in the afternoon.
 The testimony of all the officers con- cerned in the capture was taken, except that of Robert Ray, the Butler police man, who is sick. The testimony of pr. rxy11o pf tta who attended the Riddles, and of Sher- if Thomas R. Hoon was also taken
 The verdict of the jury is that Ed ward Riddle came to his death by bull let from a thirty-two-cali revolver fired by himself, and that Jack Riddle met his death from gunshot wound inflicted by the officers in discharge of their lawful duty.
 Under the instructions of Coroner John T. Jones an autopsy was held on both the Biddles this morning. The evidence secured by the autopsy bears out the statements that the Riddles in tended to kill themselves rather than be taken alive and that Edward Riddle succeeded in his attempt. pr. Bricker gave the following statement after the autopsy:
 Jack Riddle was the worst shot of the two men, although he was in better condition than Edward when the men were brought to jail on Friday night. Jack had two gunshot wounds on the right side in the region of the liver. The balls passing up and around the body did no damage. They were re- moved 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 inflicted by himself with the evident intention of committing suicide. His right arm was shattered by five bullet wounds. The wound that caused his death was made by fl 75-calbre bullet that passed through the crest of the illiun on the right side and passed back through the kidney, causing hemorrhages.
 Tn all Jack was suffering from nine wounds but excepting the one that pen etrated the kidney none of them would have~been fatal.
 'Edward's terrible sufferings were caused by bullet wound that struck him on the left breast about an inch and a half to the right of the nipple, and passed down between the fourth and fifth ribs to the left of the heart 1 and through the lung. This wound was made by Edward himself, the powder marks being visible on the skin. Death was caused by hemorrhaees and the l man suffered untold agony to the last breath. Another wound found on his i body was on the same side, about an inch from the left nipple but the bullet | struck the fourth rib, passed under the | skin and did no damage. Both bullets | found in Edward were 32-calibre, and in the opinion of the doctors who held the | autopsy there is no doubt that he killed | himself"
 After the autopsy the bodies of the Riddles were taken in charge by Un- lertaker w. r. Roessing, of Butler, who them for burial. Arrange nents are being made to take the bod es to Pittsburg tomorrow morning. They will be in charge of Sheriff T. R. Hoon.
 Since the officers concerned in the fight and capture of the Riddles have rad time to cool off a little there ap- pears to be a disposition to be fair to- wards each other in the matter of the distribution of the prize money, and an to divide the S5,0OO equally ,mons the four officers here, the driver. r. A. Snyder, and the three. Pittsburg detectives has been practically consent d to by all of the men except Detective IcGovern, who is not here to- day. The testimony taken at the inquest ras voluminous making about Il ,000 vords and some parts of it quite sen ational The testimony given by Deputy Sheriff Rainey Hoon reflected everely on McGovern, one of the Pitts urg detectives. The latter part of section of the ack Riddle verdict reads as follows: That said posse returned the fire and | battle ensued in which said John Bid le received the wound which caused \ is death,
 "We hereby exonerate the officers 'om all liability, and commend them e IT their brave conduct and the faith + Il performance of their duty" Deputy Hoon, after describing the ', unt of the fugitives and the final ', ghting of them coming over the hill, ., lid:
 We put our two teams in charge of z A. Snyder. We then got in line and - ley came down the hill, and I saw Ed a ard Riddle pull revolver Then all <, agan to shoot. I could not tell who T.