History & local legend
The old Allegheny County Jail on Ross Street in Pittsburgh is known both for reported unexplained voices and for a very real escape. In January 1902, brothers Jack and Ed Biddle were awaiting execution when Kate Soffel, the warden’s wife, helped them flee.
Kate had visited prisoners under her husband’s authority and developed a relationship with Ed. On January 30, she left with the brothers. They traveled north, eventually taking a horse and sleigh, before detectives caught up with them. A gunfight left both brothers fatally wounded. Kate survived and later served a prison sentence for her role.
VisitPittsburgh’s ghost lore adds whispers and other voices to the old building’s reputation, without identifying them as the Biddles or Kate.
