The age-herald., 1902-02-01
One 0t the Riddle Murderers is Dying and Other is Rid-
 ded With BuckshOt
BATTLE OCCURRED ON
 4 SNOW COVERED ROAD
Escaped Felons Answered the Posses Fire and Mrs, Soffel Stood Up In Sleigh and Empted Re-
 Volver at the Officers.

Pittsburg, January 3l.-Edward Riddle in jail dying, John Riddle riddled with buckshot and in a precarious condition, and Mrs Peter K. Soffel lying in the hos pital with a sef-inhlcted bullet wound in the breast, is the sequel of the sensa- tional escape of the Riddles from the Alleghany jail, aided by Mrs. Soffel' the wife of the jail warden, on Thursday morning. The story of the close of the Riddle tragedy is thrilling.
 The scene was a snow-covered road, two miles east of Prospect Butler Coun' tv. and the exact place was at McClure's barn. where two douple-team sleighs filled with eight officers, three of them Pittsburg detectives, overlook the Riddles in a one-horse sleigh, stolen at Perrys- vile.
 The Riddles returned the fire after Jumping out of the sleigh Mrs. Soffels wound was through the breast.
 Edward Riddle was shot in the left arm, in the breast and in one leg.
 John Riddle was riddled with buckshot in the breast and head.
 The Pittsburg officers were met at But Ter this afternoon by deputy sheriffs and two other officers.
 Were on the Right Trail.
 The officers were certain that they were on the right trail. The Riddles and Mrs. Soffel ate dinner at J. J. Stevens at Mount Chestnut, five miles east of Butler. They had made a detour of the town of Butler, and after going several miles east, turned north and then west. The Pittsburg officers only few miles in the rear, took the wrong road for about mistake, they made up for lost time by telephoning and telegraphing ahead for 1 fresh horses. They reached Mount Chest nut not less than half an hour after the Riddles and Mrs. Soffel At this point they secured fresh horses.
 The two sleighs with the eight officers aboard started westward and met the Riddles and Mrs. Soffel at McClure's barn, two miles from Mount Prospect. The Riddles having learned that they were almost overtaken. took what they considered the only chance they had, drove eastward and met their doom.
 When the detectives and officers came i to within 50 yards of the fugitives they opened fire with Winchesters. The Bid- dies promptly answered with shotguns. Mrs. SoffeI Shot Herself. Mrs. Soffel. too, stood up in the sleigh with a revolver in each hand and blazed away at her pursuers. When Ed Riddle | fell and she saw she was about to be captured she fired bullet into her breast. An examination by physicians shows that she will recover, as the bullet was defected by her corset and the wound is comparatively slight.
 | Edward Riddle got a bullet in the breast which penetrated the right lung and will probably end his life before morning. John Riddle may recover from his wounds, which, though numerous. may not prove fatal.
 1 The escape of the officers Is miraculous. The Biddles have demonstrated on sev- eral occasions that they are good marks | men. and why they should have failed today to bring down their prey Is mys- tery. After the Biddles fell to the snow covered ground the officers picked up the apparently lifeless bodies of Mrs. Soffel and the Riddles and came back to Butler. bringing the stolen sleigh. ratched-up harness and worn-out horses that the trio had tried so strenuously to get away with toward Canada and lib- erty.
 Detectives Describe Fight.
 The story of the fight as told by one of the dectives is as follows: "The Riddles were sitting on the right side of the cutter. Mrs soffel was on | the left side.
 Hold up your hands and surrender" cried Detective McGovern.
 Ed Riddle jumped up from his seat and raising a shotgun fired at Mc- Govern. He aimed badly and shot scat | tered the road alongside McGovern "Detectives McGovern and Roach dis charged their winchesters at Ed Riddle. Both shots took effect. Jack Riddle raised | from his seat and discharged his revolver | at the three officers. Detective Swine | heart steadied himself and fired his for | ty-hve calibre Colt revolver at Jack. The | ball took effecs in Jacks arm. Then the dectectives opened fire on the boys in rapid succession the shots knocked