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Col Drexel Biddle Dies Taught Marines Hand to Hand
SYOSSET Col Anthony J Drexel Biddle 73 Philadelphia millionaire who became a leading expert in hand to hand combat died yesterday He taught U S Marines in World Wars I and II the arts of jujitsu knife fighting gouging strangulation and bayonet skills He was an author publisher executive and sportsman father of Antigny J Drexel Biddle a colonel in Germany and former American minister to Norway and ambassador to Poland He died at the home of his son Livingston Ludlow Biddle II who said the death was due to poisoning followed by a cerebral hemorrhage Surviving are a daughter Mrs Thomas M Robertson of New York City and other relatives Biddles arms were scarred and his fingers broken from training Marines He once demonstrated at Quantico and was hospitalized He also ran a boxing arena at home sparring with Jack Johnson Kim Cordell and Bob Fitzsimmons He engaged in religious work and Bible classes growing a movement to 300000 on three continents His wife Cortney Randol Bendley is a granddaughter of Alexander Bradley The family ties him to banking and social circles