The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-02-01

.OtE-
Butler, Pa, Feb. 1.-The condition this
morning Of the fugitives from justice, Ed.
ward and John Biddle and Mrs. Kate
Soffel, who were wounded in the battle
with the Pittsburg and Butler police last
evening, has not changed since midnight,
except in the case of Ed Biddle, who has
grown noticeably weaker. and it is be-
lieyed that death is only a matter Of a
few hours: There is evidence of almost
continual hemorrhage. Unless peritoni-
tbs sets in, Jack will be taken, to the
hospital where an operation will be per-
formed in the hope of saving his life.
The doctors have just secured evidence
that his bladder was reached by a bullet,
| but his general condition seems to- be
! good.
| Mrs Soffel is resting easily. Her only
wound was made by bullet which pene-,
trated the left breast within an inch OF
! the nipple. 1t was from 80 calibre re-
| volver and coursed around the RIB to. the
left side, lodging in the shoulder blade.
About 3 o'clock this morning Dr. G. K.
McAdoo removed the bullet and her re-
| covery is believed to be- assured Mrs.
soffel tells two different stories Of the
shooting, one that she shot herself during
the fight and the other tlaat she was shot
by Edward Biddle. The kANe did not go
through her outer gaasas 81 leh ind
,Seates thatpt ae SHOT VIZ 1Fssf, 1ss hefssit
or Biddle, Wy Putting the Aand under the
coat. +
A legal battle is expected when the
Pittsburg authorities arrive to-day and
at the Jail it is said the only way the
Pittsburgers will be able to secure the
Biddles will be by writ of habeas cor
pus. The Butler authorities are deter
mined to fight against their being takeI
away.
Suicidal Arranged.
From the statement made this mornin
, by Jack Biddle in his cell, it is evi
dent that the escaped convicts and thei
accomplish had arranged to commit sui
eide in case capture became imminent
In addition "Jack" also told how the
: escaped Their manner of getting out %
, Jail, according to his statement, was a
has already been published. McGeary
he says, fell over the railing when h
jerked loose from the hold the prisone
t had on him. He says Mrs. Soffel helpe
them to escape, but would not say sh
supplied the saws. The saving of tn
9 bars of the cell, he says, was complete
= before Jan. IA, and several times previou
h to the day on which the escape was mad
=. their plans failed through some little dc
tail.
Il "Jack' again reiterated that he neve
s killed any one, and that he never put
bullet into any one except Keeper ReJ
- holds. He said the first crime he eve
committed was assisting to rob liqut
CT mr. hIt o6 Init tod "a
had participated in a number Of robberit
~. after that. After they had left the ia
> they went to a house near a railroad
/ Pittsburg. They remained there all
IS Thursday. The people in the hous
l. "Jack'' said, when they read of the escal
W from the Jail recognized them, and wou
p let them remain only after the Biddl
,e gave them bunch Of money.
no They remained at the house until Thur
p day night, leaving it as soon as it gre
in dark. Jack" says he wanted to st
80 there and that ED" also was willing
o. stay, but 'the woman was nervous al
ty afraid they would be caught" Said JAG
~ Would Not Desert the Woman.
I wouldn't let them go alone, and so as So
!, as it grew dark we went down the sire
4 and took Perrysvlle avenue car. We 70
to the end of the line and from there walk
1 until we reached the farm where we ste
the morse. Ii IL naQ not Deen fOr the WON:
we would not have been caught for we cou
- easily have gotten another horse and by til
time have been more than 100 miles away. II
l. a lead pipe cinch that we would have escape
but we could not let that poor woman go
herself. She did all she could for us-b
trayed her husband, deserted her family;
to help out; and we would have been
great deal worse than we are thought to
if we had thrown her down.
When we saw the officers coming toward
on the road yesterday evening we knew
y was all up. We did not fire a shot at t.
ed officers, but agreed to kill ourselves. I sh
s. myself in the mouth. Ed shot himself ov
:, the heart and the woman shot herself in t
breast. We knew we had no chance to g
8. away, and we knew we would swing if tax
in back and that is why we wanted to kill GU
selves.
ut 1t has been discovered that 'sJack'' b
le two bullet holes through his mouth i
is stead of one as first thought. One
a his other wounds is through his abdom
ir and it is thought into his bowels, and th
ne may cause his death, because pert omit
le usually results from wounds of this kin
IS Bullets from two of his other woun
ne about the stomach were taken out tt
v morning.
~ Involves the Seekers Woman.
] oil n