Image Not Available for Sleigh
Sleigh
Image Not Available for Sleigh

Sleigh

Object number2011.127.253
Date1902
MediumWood; Metal; Mohair; Straw; Paint
Credit LineGift of Pittsburgh Police Historical Association
DescriptionTwo passenger, horse-drawn, wooden sleigh.Dimensions47 x 42 x 72 in. (119.4 x 106.7 x 182.9 cm)
InscriptionsManufacturer's Mark Image appears to depict a set of red curtains around a gold, heart-shaped filigree design with a crown at the top.

Also appears to have been a similar design painted on the front but is now very faint and mostly worn off. Painted Back of sleigh
Historical NotesDuring their getaway, Jack and Ed Biddle stole this sleigh and a horse from a farm in Butler County. It was owned Herman and Christ Schwartz, who eventually got both the horse and sleigh back. It was donated to Pittsburgh History and Landmarks Foundation in 1987 by Marjorie Roberts, who was a distant relative of the Schwartzes. In 1991 it was transferred to the Pittsburgh Police Historical Association and then the Senator John Heinz History Center in 2011. Jack and Ed Biddle, the reported leaders of "The Chloroform Gang" in Pittsburgh, were convicted of murdering a Mt. Washington grocer after robbing his store on April 12, 1901. While they were incarcerated at the Allegheny County Jail, a romance developed between Ed Biddle and the warden's wife Kate Soffel. In February 1902, Kate helped the Biddle brothers to escape from the jail and went on the run with them. They took a trolley to West View and walked to a farm on Route 19 where they stole a horse, sleigh, and a shotgun. As they headed through Butler County on their way toward Canada, the Pittsburgh Police as well as the Butler County Sheriff's Department formed a posse to intercept them at the Graham farm. A shootout occurred that left the brothers mortally wounded and Kate seriously wounded. She survived and was later tried and convicted of helping the brothers escape, serving a two-year sentence at Western Penitentiary. This type of sleigh can be referred to as an Albany cutter or a swan/swell-body sleigh. Label TextThe Biddle brothers, reported leaders of “The Chloroform Gang” in Pittsburgh, were convicted of murdering a Mount Washington grocer after robbing his store on April 12, 1901. While incarcerated at the Allegheny County Jail, a romance developed between Ed and the warden’s wife, Kate Soffel. In February 1902, Kate helped the Biddle brothers to escape from jail and then went on the run with them. They took a trolley to West View and stole a horse, this sleigh, and a shotgun from a farm in Butler County on Route 19. While heading through Butler County on their way to Canada, a posse made up of officers from the Pittsburgh Police and the Butler County Sheriff’s Department intercepted them at the Graham farm. A shootout ensued, the brothers were mortally wounded, and Kate suffered a serious gunshot wound. Kate survived, was put on trial, and sentenced to two years at Western Penitentiary for her role in the brothers’ escape. After serving her sentence, she worked as a seamstress on the North Side. This Albany cutter or swell-body sleigh used in their getaway was owned by Herman and Christ Schwartz, who eventually got it back along with the horse.
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