STOKJI OF SLEET.
Its Mantle Covers a Largo Portion
of the Cotton States.
The Losses Arc I)nurmmm--llainn <;e
at l.iltle Hock, Ark.., IXimated
at * 100.000 Kentucky lilt
llurd—The Storm ut
Other Places.
Little Hock, Ark., Jan. 30.—The
heaviest losses ever sustained in Lit
tle Kock from a like cause arc the
results of the terrible storm of sleet
anil cold rain which has prevailed
here for the past three days.
The business section of the city is
a scene of desolation and business
men on every hand are mourning
heavy losses that cannot be recov
ered by insurance. The damage will
exceed $400,000.
The fall of sleet amounted to about
five iitches. Little Rock is practically
shut off from the world. The Western
I'nion lines are all down throughout
the state. The Southern Telephone
and Telegraph Co. reports a loss of
$25,000. The Little Kock Telephone Co.
has not a line operating in the city.
Most of its wires are broken and
many of its poles are down. Fully
5,000 shade trees were completely de
molished.
Lexington, Ky., Jan. 30.—Lexington
was in darkness last night anil almost
every street is blocked with fallen
trees, telephone poles anil tangled
wires. Ihe sleet continued without
•cessation yesterday and last evening
the snapping of trees and poles was
like cannonading. The mayor ordered
all electric currents, except those
supplying street car lines, which are
yet open, cut off for safety. Eleva
tors anil several small plants had to
suspend. Telephone companies he e
suffered seriously. Beautiful trees,
for which the city is noted, are fall
ing by hundreds.
Owensboro, Ky., Jan. 30. —Owens-
bo ro is completely buried in sle?t.
The dan.age to business interests is
estimated at $75,000. The Cuinberlan'J
Telephone Co. and Home Telephone
Co. wires are broken, blockading the
streets. The electric plant is shut
down and the giis plant is in bad
shape. Business of all kinds is practi
cally suspended.
Padueah, Ky., Jan. 30.—The weather
yesterday was the worst in the city's
history. Sleet, snow anil rain fell
steadily. Mayor Reed had all electri
city shut off, closing factories, lire
alarm currents, street cars and shut
ting off lights. Telephone wires are
down everywhere, poles snapping like
straws. No electricity will be turned
on until the danger from broken
wires shall lie over, and as yet then
is no relief in sight. It, is estimated
that the total damage here will reach
SIOO,OOO. The damage at Mayfielil is
$60,000, with corresponding losses in
other adjacent cities.
Atlanta. Ga.. Jan. 30.—This section
of the country was yesterday, accord
ing to the weather bureau, the meet
ing point of a high and low area.
The former bringing a cold wave and
the latter rain, produced unsettled
conditions. A drizzling rain gave way
last night to a dense fog which inter
fered with all kinds of wire communi
cation and hampered local street car
traffic.
A sleet storm extending from the
Ohio river as far south as Memphis
ano east to Chattanooga, almost
paralyzed telegraph wires, while
snow in Texas isolated some parts of
that state from the outside world.
A BRIBERY SCANDAL.
It Mill lie Thoroughly Investigated
by the Grand Jury ut St. I.ouls.
St. Louis, Jan. 30. —Yesterday ai
ternoon Judge Wood issued a bench
warrant for the arrest of Ellis Wain
wright, president of the St. Louis
Brewing Co., and a director of the
St. Louis and Suburban Co. The war
rant was handed to a deputy sheriff
■for service, lie returned to the of
fice of the district attorney several
hours later without finding Mr. Wain
wright. The arrest could not be
made because, it was stated, Mr.
V/ainwright is now in New York.
Investigation of the Central trac
tion bribery scandal, which was un
earthed in 1898, was commenced by
the grand jury yesterday under the
direction of District Attorney Folk.
Mr. Folk declares that the state
will not. rest with the Suburban in
vestigation, but will go back to the
Central traction scandal of ]S9B, and
the North and South bill, lie says
the state is confident that bribery
was attempted or accomplished in
Viot h those instances, anil he is pre
pared to sift the matter to the bot
tom.
All of the 28 members oi last year's
house of delegates have been sub
poenaed to appear before the grand
jury. Charles 11. Turner, president
of the Suburban Co., was before the
graivl jury for a time yesterday, af
ter which he was closeted with As
sistant District. Attorney Hancock.
Late in the afternoon it was stated
oti authority at the Four Courts,
tnal bench warrants, other than that
for Wainwright, have been issued.
According to Mr. Folk the $135,000
In bills locked in two safe deposit
boxes for bribery purposes in the
iSuburban bill . affair, cannot be
claimed by anybody without the
claimant, by that act. showing him
self to be guilty of a felony.
Some I'rinttn*: Statistics.
Washington, .lan. 30.—The census
bureau's preliminary report regard
ing printing and publishing, news
papers mhl periodicals, in 1900, fol
lows: Number of establishments 15,-
305, increase 24 per cent.; capital
$192,443,703, increase 52 per cent.;
wage earners, average number 94,604,
Increase 10 per cent; total wages $50,-
333,637, decrease 1 per cent.; miscel
laneous expenses $38,544,637, increase
8 per cent.; cost of materials used
$50,214,904, increase 29 per cent.;
value of products $222,983,569, In'
ortilafc 21 iH* CttJlt.
RUNAWAY TROLLEY CARS.
They I*l unite Down « Steep 11111
Three I'eople Killed, Injured.
Pittsburg', Jan. 30.—Three people
killed, two fatally hurt and a score
of others more or less injured is the
record made by two runaway cars
on the.M onongaliela branch of the
Pittsburg Railway Co. last night. The
dead:
John McFadden, aged 24 years, East
McKeesport.
Mary Kinkaid, 11), East McKeesport,
passenger on second ear.
Robert Trush, 29, conductor, Pitts
burg.
Injured: Charles Wright, motor
man, arms broken, hurt internally,
will die.
Alex Sanders (colored), both legs
broken, hurt internally, will die.
James Fryne, motorman, seriously
cut and bruised.
Frank Small, East McKeesport, leg
broken in two place!, badly cut.
Thomas Campbell, Wilmerding, tel
ler Farmers' national bank, Pitts
burg. cut and bruised all over body.
Comer Davis, Walls Station, eut and
bruised.
Jacob Smith, Walls Station, seri
ously cut about head.
A number of others were hurt, but
none seriously enough to be taken
to the hospital.
The accident happened at the foot
of the long hill running into Wil
merding from McKeesport. A ear
without passengers got beyond con
trol of tne motorman and dashed
down the hill one and one-fourth
miles long at terrific speed. At the
bottom it jumped into the Pennsyl
vania railroad station, carrying away
the side of the depot and tearing up
the platform.
Charles Wright, the motorman, waa
so badly hurt that he cannot recover.
A large crowd gathered about the
wreck and 12 minutes later a second
runaway car came tearing down the
hill and ploughed into the crowd
with death dealing force. The second
car ran into a carriage containing
James Broad and Lizzie Miner, on
their way to McKeesport to be mar
ried. The carriage was completely
wrecked and the driver, Alex Saun
ders, was fatally hurt, 'i lie young
couple escaped with comparatively
slighht injuries and later were mar
ried.
The scene at the wreck when the
second car was hurled into the
crowd was beyond description. A
blinding sleet storm prevailed at the
time and it is said the two cars
"skated" down the hill with brakes
tightly set..
THE STEEL TRUST.
B*\li'\v of Its Operation* During Ten
.Hon His—Surplus IN
Mew York, Jan. 30. —A preliminary
report covering the operations of the
United States Steel Corporation since
it came into existence ten months
ago was made to the stockholders
yesterday. It was a forerunner of
the more extended resume to be sub
mitted at the annual meeting on
February 17, and was designed to
familiarize the share owners with the
financial status of the company and
the trade situation in the market
where it buys and sells, 'the report
declared present business and the
future outlook, viewed ahead through
1902, to be highly satisfactory.
The report said that great pro
gress had been made in the general
plan to harmonize the work of the
many plants, to secure perfect co-op
eration and to effect economy in
manufacture, but that the end had
not been reached and that the favor
able results might still be accom
plished. The departments of ore
mining, coal mining, coke manufac
ture and lake transport ion, the re
port stated, have been thoroughly
systematized and the managements
of manufacturing plants have been
brought into closer relationship. Ad
vantage has been taken of the cheap
est distribution in the sclieme'of eco
nomics.
The condensed balance >;heet for
November 30, showed that on that
day the accounts receivable aggre
gated $-15,209,453, the bills receivable
$2,831,463 and the cash on hand $55,-
315,527, a grand total of $103,400,444.
In the list of assets in the balance
sheet was a credit of inventories
amounting to $90,303,997 and a sub
joined tabulation showing that it in
cluded ores on hand valued at $34,-
776,058, finished products $15,322,636,
manufacturing supplies and miscel
laneous stores $12,170,161, anil ma
terials, labor and expense locked up
in current uncompleted bridge con
tracts $9,268,361.
The current liabilities on Novem
ber 30, were stated at $50,269,630, and
the surplus of the corporation and
the subsidiary companies was placed
at $174,344,229. The cost of the prop
erties owned and operated by the sev
eral federated companies was given
as $1,437,494,862.
"The business of the companies,"
said the report, "had been put.on
practically a cash basis. The losses
actually incurred through bad debts
! have been very small and little if any
loss in the collection of accounts and
' notes receivable is anticipated."
Cone to the Jury,
Frankfort, Ky., Jan. 30.—The fate
of Jim (Howard, the alleged Goebel
assassination principal, is now in the
hands of the jury. The case was
given to the jury last evening.
I''altli < uriots' Trial ICnded.
Hamilton, 0., Jan. 30.—The trial of
Sylva find Leota Bishop, faith curists,
on the charge of manslaughter, was
brought to an end yesterday. The
Bishop refused to call a physician
to attend their child, which had been
burned, and it was alleged that death
resulted from failure to employ medi
cal remedies. A demurrer was en
tered to the state's testimony, on the
ground that Ohio law does not re
quire medical aid to be procured for
the sick. The court sustained the de
murrer and the prisoners were TO
leased.
CAMERON COUNTY PRESS, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 6, i 902.
APPEAL OF SCHLEY
Lemly and Hanna Comment Upon
It as Submitted to the President.
lie viewers ol the Appeal Say the <;ior7
ul Victory llelousis to Sumpsoii"
Commentators Claim Court ol'
liKitilry Would Mot Hear
Sampson's Story.
Washington, Jan. 31.—The "com
ment" of Judge Advocate General
Lemly and Solicitor Hanna upon the
appeal of Admiral Schley, as submit
ted to the president by Secretary
Long, is less than a third as long as
the appeal. The commentators begin
with the statement that Admiral
Schley and his counsel have shitted
their ground. They say the chief
features of the case were "the retro
grade movement," "disobedience of
orders," "inaccurate and misleading
official reports," "failure to destroy
vessels of the enemy, lying within
sight," anil "injustice to a brother of
ficer."
The first. w».v that the finest aggre
gation of African navai vessels un
der une command was, by Schley's
direction, turned about and headed
for Key West, more than 700 pyles
distant, when within 22 miles of San
tiago, where the enemy's ships were.
The second was that Schley deliber
ately disobeyed the secretary's order
overtaking him in his retrograde
movement.
The third was that Schley's reason,
officially given for the retrograde
movement and disobedience of or
ders, i. e„ "that the flying squadron
was short of coal," was not true.
The fourth was that for three days
some of the Spanish fleet lay within
reach of the flying squadron, and no
sufficient effort was made to destroy
tli em.
The fifth involves the point of hon
or. The commentators say: "Upon
all the above named features, be
lieved by us to be the most important
matters into which the court made
inquiry, the conduct of Admiral
Schley was condemned by that most
distinguished tribunal. Admiral
Dewey and Bear Admirals Bcnham
and Hamsay united in their opinion
upon all of these several points."
The commentators charge that
Schley now ignores all these grave
matters and bases nis appeal upon
unimportant features of the case as
compared with the grave matters
referred to, "upon which there was
not, and, in the face of the testi
mony, could not have any difference
of opinion in the court."
The commentators say they recog
nize the fact that Admiral Schley
devoted by far the larger part of his
appeal to the question of command,
and consequently give that question
a proportionate space in their com
ment. They declare that the ques
tion is between Sampson and Schley
both alike interested, and to investi
gate it fairly both should be heard.
Such testimony on this point as came
before the court was on Schley's side
only, and the doors were closed to
Sampson.
As showing Schley's own opinion
of who was in command, they quote
this passage from his dispatch ol
July 10, 189S, to the secretary of the
navy; "Feel some mortification that
the newspaper accounts of July C
have attributed victory of July 3 al
most entirely to inc. Victory was se
cured by the lorce under the com
mander-in-chief of the North Atlantic
squadron, and to him tin- honor is
due."
Further, they quote Schley's letter
of December IS, 1901, to Secretary
Long, justifying the "loop" on the
expressed ground that it was made
"in the execution of the standing
order.to close in." It is asked "but
if lie was then himself in command,
how happens it that he was execut
ing the orders of somebody else in
command? Before the court of in
quiry, every prop raised to support
the contention that Schley did any
thing to achieve the victory by is
suing orders as commanding officer
of the American fleet was removed.
The plain truth was for the first
time revealed that Schley did not ex
ercise command on that day over any
ship, except to some extent, his own
flagship, the Brooklyn."
The commentators declare: 'The
question is not so much one of possi
ble credit to, but of possible censure
of Admiral Schley, in connection with
the work of that vessel in the bat
tle of Santiago. The plain truth is
ttiat Admiral Schley did not during
the battle in any way direct or con
trol the splendid performances of
the Gloucester and the three battle
ships, Indiana, lowa and Texas. The
officers in command of these ships
neither received nor obeyed a soli
tary order from him."
Syndicate Wants to Diu Canal.
Chicago, Jan. 31. —The Chronicle
says: A syndicate of Chicago and
New York contractors representing
a working capital of $70,000,000 a
year is ready to take the contract
for building the Nicaragua!! canal.
Eight of the largest construction
firms in the city have made careful
estimates of the cost, and when con
gress shall evince a willingness to al
low private enterprises to do the
work, they will offer their services.
In case congress shall not act, how
ever, the interests which have band
ed together will make no fight for
the contract.
Sent to Jail lor Contempt.
Chicago, Jan. 31.—Judge Smith ye*s
terday sentenced John F. Bent ley, of
the printing firm of Bent ley, Murray
& Co., to 60 days' imprisonment, in
the county jail for contempt in re
fusing to bring the books of the firm
before the grand jury. The jury waa
investigating scandals in the busi
ness management of the town of
iSoulli Chicago. The printing firm had
the contract to do the town printing.
The charge was made that IT. 11. Ful
ler, the town collector, had private
work done by the firm at the town's
expense.
A CENSUS BULLETIN.
It (liven Flu 11 row llunonio
lllllmfoer ul I'luLL t* 111 IWJ Uu>
51-4,585.
Washington, Jan. 31.—The statis
tics of th»- manufacturing' industries
for the United .States as shown by
tne official returns of the twelfth
census, were announced in a prelimi
nary report issued Thursday by the
census bureau. These figures do not
include establishments with a pro
duct nf less than SSOO, government
establishments, or penal, eleemosy
nary, and educational institutions,
which were not reported at the elev
enth census. The summary, as com
pared with the figures for 1890, fol
lows:
Number of establishments 512,585,
increase 4 per cent.
Capital $9,853,630,789, increase cl
per cent.
Wage earners, average number
5,310,598, increase 25 per cent.
Total wages $2,1123,407,257, increas'
23 per cent.
Cost of materials used $7,340,910,
030, increase 42 per cent.
Value of products, including cus
tom work and repairing. $13,019,251,-
614, increase 39 per cent.
The 71 irector of the census has is
sued a bulletin on the results of an
inquiry into the accuracy of the
methods of estimating population in
vogue, especially in large cities, lie
points out that the criticisms of the
accuracy of the count have mainly
rested upon a discrepancy between
the census figures and the directory
estimate, the vote cast at a recent
election, the city's prior rate of
growth, or the number of children of
school age reported by a state school
census. The bulletin says:
"The study has been confined for
the most part to the 7S cities having
at least 50,000 inhabitants. The per
cent, of increase for all these cities
taken collectively from ISSO to 1890
was 46.8, and from 1890 to 1900, it was
32.5, there having been a sharp check
in the rate of growth of large cities
during the last ten years. This
shows the impossibility of estimating
the population of a city under exist
ing conditions from its rate of
growth between the two preceding
censuses.
"The city directory often prints its
guess of a city's population in the
prefatory note. These guesses have
been compared with the results of
the census and in every case but one
in 1890 to 1900 the directory estimate
was found too large. In two-thirds
of the cases the directory was over
10 per cent, and in nearly one-third it
was over 20 percent, in excess of the
census count. As a basis for estimat
ing the population of a city the vote
cast is little, if any better. In Al
bany, Columbia and Dayton there
were less than four persons to a vote
at the last presidential election; in
Fall Itiver there were more than nine
persons to each vote, and in Atlanta
more than 17.
"The school census, if accurate, is
better than cither, but is so fre
quently inaccurate that the method
can seldom if ever be used with con
fidence."
ESCAPED FROM JAIL.
Tw <> II II rderer* Overpower Ilie <. uu r<l«
ami Take Leave »l a PrlMou- If lie
ul (lie Warden l» 'lin»tiii;.
Pittsburg, Jan. 31. —Edward and
John Middle, awaiting execution in
the county jail for the murder of
(jrocer Thomas I). Kahney, of Mount
Washington, overpowered the guards
at t o'clock Thursday morning and
escaped.
Iloth prisoners had been provided
with saws with which they cut the
bars in their cells. The prisoners oc
cupied adjoining cells on the second
range.
Shortly before 4 o'clock one of the
Kiddles called to James iMcdeary,
who had charge of the outside gates,
and asked for some cramp medicine,
saying his brother was dangerously
sick.
Mcdeary hastened to the cell with
the medicine, when John liiddle
sprang through the opening in the
cell and, seizing the guard around
the waist hurled him over the railing
to the stone floor oeneatli, a dis
tance of Hi feet.
Edward liiddle joined his brother,
and both, with drawn revolvers, hur
ried to the first floor, where they
met (iuard Ueynohls and shot hiin.
There were but three men on duty,
and the third was on one of the up
per ranges. 'He was ordered down at
Ihe point of revolvers, and the three
guards were putin the dungeon.
The keys were taken from Keeper
Melicary, and the two prisoners went
to the wardrobes where the guards
keep their clothing and each put on
a new suit. They then unlocked the
outside gates and passed out into the
street.
The escape has been explained.
Warden I'eter K. Soffel says his wife
is responsible for the furnishing of
the revolvers and saws to the Bid
dies, which enabled them to escape.
In her infatuation for Edward Middle,
it is alleged that she left her husband
and his four children, and it is sup
posed is to meet the escaped con
victs at a place agreeil upon.
The county commissioners have of
fered a reward of $5,000 for the re
capture oi the murderers. The prison
board began an investigation and an
nounced upon adjournment that War
den Soffel, at his own request, had
been relieved from duty pending the
in\ cstigation.
Arrest ul u l'"or*jcr.
l'eoria. 111., Jan. 31.—llenry P. Rus
sell, an alleged forger, was arrested
here Thursday. When his room was
searched a grip full of blank checks
on hanks all over the country was
found, as was a perforating machine
and a rubber stamp outlit u&ed to
certify checks
Nenleneed to be Kleetriieiitod.
Springfield, Mass., Jan. 31.—.John D.
Cassels was sentenced yesterday to
be electrocuted during the week of
May 4 for file murder of Mrs. Mary
J. Lane, in Longmeaduw, February
26, lUOi.
GOOD MAN FOR PLACE.
Mr. IMillip Watt* A|ipoinled OI rector
of Aaval toimt r net ion at the
llrltlah Admiralty.
Mr. Watts, F. 11. S., who has been ap
pointed to the office of director of
British naval construction, in succes
sion to Sir William WhiTe, F. U.S., who
is retiring on accounT of ill-health, has
been colonel of the First Northumber
land volunteer artillery for many
years, and our portrait is from a pho
tograph in the unfform of his corps.
When difficulties occurred in South Af
rica, he at once offered a battery, which
was accepted by the government, and
under the title of the ElswTck battery,
did splendid service. A second bat
tery was "prepared by .YTr. Watts, and
•
PHILIP WATTS. F. R. S.
(New Director of Naval Construction at
British Admiralty.)
could have been sent out if occasion
required it. Mr. Watts is, of course,
best known as a naval designer. He
was trained in the service, passing
through the college of naval architec
ture with high honors, and became a
constructor at the admiralty, under
Sir Nathaniel Barnaby. He left the
service in 16*85, and became naval arch
itect to" Ihe distinguished firm of Sir
W. Armstrong, Whit woTtTT & Co., when
Mr. White, as he then was, vacated that
post. During his stay at Elswick, he
has built whole fleets of ships for more
than one navy. In the war between
Japan and China his ships fought on
both sides in the fight, and those best
able to judge have declared that they
fulfilled all the conditions for which
they were designed in a very high de
gree. Amongst other nations, Chili
possesses many ships of Mr. Watts'de
sign, and so does the Argentine Re
public. From the first Mr. Watts'
ships have been well shaped and have
possessed well-balanced engines of
great power; they have had greater
speed than most other ships of sim
ilar construction and size and they have
carried heavier armaments. Mr. Watts
is 52 years of age. He is the chairman
of the Federation of Shipbuilders in
England, a good shot and rider, and a
keen, all-round sportsman.
NEW CABINET POST.
Should CoiiKre** Create l(. \\ illiani
li. Merriam May lie Selected
to Kill It.
If the recommendation of President
Koosevelt for the addition d? one more
member of the cabinet, to be known as
the secretary of commerce, is adopted
by the present congress, the first sec
retary will probably be the present di
rector of the census, ex-Gov. William
K. Merriam, of Minnesota. The prob
ability rests upon the fact that no
other name has thus far been prom
-IWs 112
v M
WILLIAM B. MERRIAM.
(Suggested for Proposed New Secretary
ship of Commerce.)
inently mentioned in connection with
the position. A bill for the creation OT
the department has been introduced
by Senator Nelson, of Minneseota.
There seems to be no doubt of it's pas
sage by both houses of tlie present
congress. Mr. Merriam's work a3
head of the census bureau has famil
iarized him with the commercial and
industrial conditions of the country,
and by reason of this he is peculiarly
fit for the discharge of the dutiesof the
proposed department. Mr. Merriam
is alert in his business methods, and byt
his strict integrity he has a personal
following which makes him a strong
factor in his party. The president,
says Leslie's Weekly, is said to be favor
aide to Mr. Meriam's appointment
not because of the latter's equipment
for the position, but because such an
appointment would strengthen the ad
ministration in the northwest.
l'oor Country for Wizard*.
There are some astrologers in China,
but not many, as astrology is a very
perilous profession. When one of
these so-called prophets predicts an
event which does not occur, he loses his
head.
Aml-Jetrlah I.OKlnlatlon,
Bavaria's legislature has passed a
bill limiting the number of magistrate a
in the kiugium who may be Jews.
DESPERATE BATTLE
Between the Biddle Boys
and a Posse.
EDWARD BIDDLK DYING.
John Middle Riddlctl with Buck
shot and in Had Condition.
MRS. SOFFEL SHOT HERSELF
In (lie Uremic, Iful Will Recover—ThA
Scrne «!' tlic />li;lit WHH In llutlcr
Count)', §*•».-Tliey Were Overtaken
Wlillc Trjlnjj to Kucope In u Slolijli.
Pittsburg, Feb. 1. —A telegram from
•Butler at 9:30 p. in.says: Edward
Biddle, in jail dying; John Biddle,
riddled with buckshot and in a pre
carious condition; and Mrs. Peter K.
Soffel, dying in the hospital with a'
self-inflicted bullet wound in the
breast, is the sequel of the sensation
al escape of the Biddle brothers from
the AHegheny county jail, aided by
Mrs. Soft'el, the wife of ttie jail war
den, on Thursday morning. The
story of the close of the Biddle
tragedy, which came at 5:4.1 Friday
afternoon, is a thrilling one.
The scene was a snow-covered road
two miles east of Prospect, Butler
county, near Mount Chestnut, and
the exact place at, McClure's barn,
where two double team sleighs, tilled
with eight officers, three of them
Pittsburg detectives, John Roach,
.Albert Swineliart and Charles Mc-
Uovern, met the two 'Biddies in :i
one-horse sleigh, stolen at I'errys
ville, and at once opened fire on the
trio.
The Biddies returned the fire, after
jumping out of the sleigh. Mrs. Sof
fel's wound was through the breast.
Edward Biddle was shot in the left
arm, in the breast and in one leg.
John Biddle was riddled with buck
shot in the breast and head.
The Pittsburg officers were met at
'Butler yesterday afternoon by Depu
ty' Sheriffs Rainey and Iloon, and Of
ficers Frank Holliday and Aaron.
Thompson, the latter under command
of Chief-of-Poliee Robert Ray, of
Butler.
The officers were certain that they
were on the right trail. It was only
a question of time when they would
catch up to the escaping condemned
murderers and their guilty compan
ion.
The Biddies and Mrs. SofTel ate din
ner at J. J. Stephens', at Alt. Chest
nut, 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 a few
miles in Ihe rear, took the wrong
road for about eight miles, but when
they found their mistake they made
up for lost time by telephoning and
telegraphing ahead for fresh horses.
They reached Mount Chestnut not
less than half an hour after the Bid
dies and Mrs. Soffel. At this point
William Watson, storekeeper, had
fresh horses awaiting them, and the
chase for life began anew.
The two sleighs with the eight of
ficers aboard, started westward, and
met the Biddies and Mrs. Soffel at
(McClure's barn, two miles from
'Mount Prospect, the Biddies having
learned that, they were almost over
taken, and taking what they consid
ered the only chance they had drove
eastward and met their doom.
When the detectives got within
about 60 yards <>i' the fugitives they
opened fire. The Biddies promptly
answered with shotgun and revolvers.
When Ed Biddle fell anu Mrs. .Soffel
saw that she was about to be cap
tured she fired a bullet into her
breast. An examination by physi
cians shows that she will recover, as
the bullet was deflected by her cor
set and the wound is comparatively
slight.
The Pittsburg and other officers
were armed with Winchester rifles
and revolvers of large calibre.
Ed Biddle got a bullet in the breast
which penetrated his right lung and
will probably end his life before
morning. John Biddle may recover,
his wounds though numerous, fail
ing to reach a vital spot. The escape
of the officers is miraculous.
After the Biddies fen to the snow
covered ground the officers picked
up the apparently lifeless bodies of
Mrs. Soffel and the Biddies 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 to
ward Canada and liberty.
At the jail last night Ed Biddle
called for a priest and made the
following statement: "I have been
accused of a great many serious
crimes. I admit that I could have
committed many, the opportunities
for them having presented them
selves. I want to say now that t
did not kill Detective Fitzgerald nor
did I shoot Thomas lvahney, nor was
my brother implicated in the latter
affair. 'Mrs. Soffel aided us in get
ting out of the county jail, and had
it not been for her we would have
made our escape to-day. She gave up
everything for us and I was bound
to back her. 1 did not shoot her. She
shot herself. Oh, father, bless me,
and tell me that my sins are for
given. Although I have been pictured
to you as a desperate man,l still
have some heart and gratitude for
the woman who helped us to escape.
She merely did it out of good sym
pathy for us. I persuaded her to do
it.l told her 1 was guiltless of the
crime for which I was about to bo
executed and she was impressed and
yielded to my suggestion. 1 planned
it all,"
3