Republican news item. [volume] (Laport, Pa.) 1896-19??, 1902-02-06
BlDDLE BROTHERS DEAD
After Desperate Battle Murderers
Are Reoaptured Near Butler.
MRS. soFFEL SHOOTS HERSELF

| TIC oTotneTs Fou9nt desperately, ana
Were Only Taken After One Was
MortaIiy Wounded and the Other
Riddled With Shot.
Butler, Pa, Feb. Edward and
John Biddle, who escaped from the
Allegheny county jail last Thursday,
aided and accompanied by Mrs. Peter
H. Soffel, wife of the warden. was
recaptured last Friday by a posse of
officers. They were traced to near
this place and the authorities at Pitts
bug were notified.
The Pittsburg officers we're met at
Butler by Deputy Sheriffs Rainey and
Noon and Officers Frank Holiday and
Aaron Thompson. The officers were
trail. 1t was only question of time
when they would catch up to the es-
Gaping condemned murderers and their
guilty companion.
The Biddles and Mrs. Soffel ate din.
ner at ]. ]. Stephens at Mount Chest
nut, 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
the rear. took the wrong road for
about eight miles, but when they found
out their mistake they made up TOR
lost time by telephoning and tele.
graphing ahead for fresh horses They
reached Mount Chestnut not less than
half an hour after the Biddles and
Mrs. Soffel. At this point fresh horses
were awaiting them, and the chase for
life began anew.
The two sleighs, with the eight Off
GERS aboard, started westward, and
met the Biddles and Mrs Soffel at
McClure's barn. two miles from Mount
Prospect. The Biddles having learned
that they were almost overtaken, and,
taking what they considered the only
chance they had, drove eastward and
met their DOOM The Pittsburg and
other officers were armed with Win
chester rifles and revolvers Of large
calibre. They shot to kill, and their
aim was perfect. The Biddles tried
70 kill to the last Of their string, but
not one of the eight officers has
wound as the result of the battle.
When the detectives got to within
about 60 yards OF the fugitives they
opened fire. The Biddles promptly
answered with shot gun and revolvers.
When Ed Biddle fell and Mrs. Soffel
saw she was about to be captured she
fired bullet into her breast.
Ed Biddle got bullet in the breast
toL I, t. IL
Biddle may recover, his wounds, al
though numerous, failing to reach a
vital spot. The escape of the officers
Is miraculous. The Biddles have
demonstrated on several occasions
that they are good marksmen. and
why they should have failed yester-
day to bring down their men is q
mystery.
After the Biddles fell to the snow
covered ground the officers picked up
the apparently lifeless bodies of Mrs
Soffel and the Biddles and came
back to Butler. bringing the stolen
sleigh. patched up harness and worn
out horse that the trio had tried so
strenuously to get away with toward
Canada and liberty.
John Biddle died at 7.35 on Satur-
day evening. His brother, Ed, who had
been unconscious" practically all day,
survived until II o'clock, when he. too,
went over the great divide. Mrs. Sof-
fel, who developed symptoms Of pneu-
monia, has a chance for life. and un-
less some unforeseen complication sets
In, will recover.
A great deal Of sympathy for the boys
is expressed on all sides, and not
few Of the female portion Of the crowd
expressed desire to see what manner
of man Ed Biddle was tnat he should
exert such a wonderful influence over
men, and particularly women. The
Jail doors were closed, and no one got
in but the doctors, who attended the
autopsy and the coroner's jury, which
organized Sunday morning.
The verdict of the jury was that Ed
Biddle came to his death by revolver
shot fired from a 32-calibre revolver
by himself. and that John Biddle met
his death from gunshot wound in,
ficted by the officers in the discharge
of their lawful duty.
A lost love letter from Ed Biddle to
his sweetheart. Mrs. Kate Soffel,
found in the snow near the bloody
scene of their capture. reveals the
long and careful plot for their escape
from the Allegheny county Jail. The
letter clearly shows the hazardous un-
dertakings of the infatuated woman
to secure the escape of the Biddles.
Since December 2. 1901, they hal been
making preparations to escape. The
discovered epistle tells how Mrs Sos.
fel carried the saws to the cells OF the
Biddles. it manifests the extreme
enumeration Of Mrs. Soffel for the
murderer and burglar. 1t clearly shows
the wonderful influence Ed Biddle had
over Mrs. Soffel.