Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1902-02-06
30 H THE BIDDLES DEAD.
Their Fate he Sole Topic at Batie~. Pa
Mrs. Sonei's Wound Is Likely
to Prove Fatal

Dutiei, fd., req. E.-lne terrlDie
ate of the Biddles is the sole topic
VI conversation here to-day, and a
curious throng of people have been
defying the storm, hanging about the
Jail entrance in vain attempts to get
In to see the bodies of the dead muir
derers. A great deal of sympathy for
the boys was expressed ON all sides,
and not a few OF the female portion
of the crowd expressed a desire to
see what manner of a man Ed. Bid
die was, that he should exert such a
wonderful influence over men and
particularly INT
The Jail doors were closed all day,
and no one got in but the doctors
who attended the autopsy and the
coroner's jury, which organized at
nine O'Clock this worning. Even the
reporters were excluded from the in
quest, which was held in the Jail.
Coroner John L. Jones arrived at nine
o'clock at the Jail and selected the
jury.
The testimony of all the officers
concerned in the capture was taken
except Robert Ray. the Butler po-
liceman, who is sick and abed. The
testimony of DR.. Greer, who was one
Of the doctors who attended the
.Biddles, and of Sheriff Hoon, was
also taken.
The verdict of the jury is that Ed.
Biddle came to his death by
a revolver shot fired from a 32-
caliber revolver by himself, and
that Jack Biddle met his death from
a gunshot wound inflicted by the Of
6cers in the discharge of their law
full duty.
Under instructions of Coroner
Jones, an autopsy was held on the
Biddles this morning. The evidence
secured by the autopsy bears out the
statements that he Biddles intended
to kill themselves rather than be ta-
ken alive, and that Ed. succeeded in
his attempt, while Jack failed, though
his life was forfeited.
Arrangements are being made to
take the bodies to Pittsburg to-mor-
row morning. They will be in charge
of Sheriff T. R. Hoon.
Since the officers concerned in the
fight and capture of the Biddles have
had time to cool off a little, there
appears to be a disposition to be
fair towards each other in the mat
ter of the distribution of the prize
money, and an agreement to divide
the $4,000 equally among the four Of
ficers here, the driver, j. A. Snyder,
and the three Pittsburg detectives,
has been practically consented to by
all the men except Detective McGov-
ern, who is not here to-day.
At six o'clock this evening the
bodies of the Biddles were removed
from the Jail to one Of the Railways
of the sheriff's dwelling, and the pub
lie was given an opportunity of look
ing at the two notorious criminals.
Hundreds of people to-day braved the
worst blizzard of the year, besieg.
ing the Jail door for admittance,
which was refused until this evening.
Late tonight a long line of people
are standing in front of the door, the
wind blowing about their ears and
the driving snow singing their faces
like i%cicles, waiting their turn, and
noticeable among the crowd is the
number of women, who are curious
in the death, to see Ed. Biddle,
the man who is said to have had
such a charm over women when he
was alive.
Mrs. Soffel is reported to be spit
ting blood tonight at the hospital,
and her condition is not considered
favorable. The track Of the bullet
wound in her breast runs close to the
pleura, and the doctors are not yet
able to tell whether the hemorrhage
is caused by the wound or is attrib-
utable to some other cause, which
has not yet fully developed.