The San Francisco call., 1910-02-09
NURSES STORY
SHARES DOCTOR
IN POISON PLOT
Sensational Testimony Given at
the Inquest of Colonel
Thomas SWOpe
Aged MiIli0naire's Death Fol-
lowed Taking of Capsule
Given by Physician

uIVen by Physician
KANSAS CITY, Feb. S--With the tes-
timony Of Miss Pearl Keller, a nurse;
Of Dr. Ludwig Hektoen, Of Mrs Logan
Il Swope and OF DR.. Frank Hall in the
inquest over the body of the late Col
onel Swope IN Independence today came
developments in the mystery of the
millonaires death more startling than
any facts heretofore sdduced
TESTIMONY PRODUCES SENSATION
Miss Keller's detailed story of the
last moments Of Colonel Syvope's life,
Deple1e with startling features of hap
penings in the SIope household, pro-
duced a sensation So carefully had her
story been guarded that. although much
had been written and rumored about
the case. not until today had any one
outside the Immediate circle interested
in the inquiry heard her narrative.
Miss Keller testified that:
Immediately following the death OF
Colonel Thomas Moss Hunton, Dr b. C
Hvde asked her TO use her influence
with Colonel Swope 10 have him ap-
pointed administrator of the Swope es-
tate Hunton had been the administra-
Tor.
On the morning Of Colonel Swope's
death she gave him a three grain cap
sule. supposed 10 contain dyspepsia
medicine This she did a [ the direction
Of Doctor Hyde Twenty minutes later
Colonel SwOpe was in q convulsion- His
death soon followed
Five minutes after Colonel SWope-s
death Doctor HYDE appeared and. with
Attorney John q. Paxton. took Colonel
Swope's viii from his vest pocket
sTRTCHNINE IN BODY
Doctor Hektoen testified that:
One-siXth of a grain of strychnine
was found in one-seventh part OF Col
Onel Swope's liver. He believed there
might be = grain in the entire organ.
Half grain b would cause death. Traces /
Of strycluine were found in the stom-
ach
Strychnine might have been injected !
into the body after death. He did not
believe the taking OF medicine contain !
ing stTychnine would leave much [
as grain Of the poison in the liver.
Mrs. SwOpe testified that DR.. Hyde /
knew of Colonel Swope's intention to /
give Sl5OO.000 to charity and of his /
plan to change his viii to this effect. /
She also said that Colonel Swope had 1
told Dr. Hyde he had planned to give 1
Thomas Swope the largest part of his 1
estate. She denied she entertained any /
iu feeling against DR. Hyde.
Dr. Frank Hall said he was abso-
lutely certain Colonel Swope did not |
die from cerebral hemorrhage or
ap0pIeXy.
sTBKCHNINE IN MEDICINE
o. r. Gentry. a druggist of Indepen- /
dence. said he prepared the medicine
for Colonel Swope that contained elixir 4
OF iron quinine and strychnine. The |
strEChnine in a teaspOOnful amounted /
TO only one one hundredth and eightieth /
Of "A grain. he said.
Dr. Hyde was again present at the /
inquest today, and heard every word Of /
the testimony Especially did he fol- /
low the testimony of Miss Keller close
ly. But he gave no sign that her mar
rariVe perturbed him in the least.
I'm the tense moments when Miss Kel- /
Ter described the dying actions Of /
Colonel SwOpe, jurors and spectators /
leaned forward and listened eagerly 10 /
every word She told in detail how
she gave the man capsule and how
Die passed into convulsions. While un-
conscious ne cried.
"Oh. my God. 7 wish had not aiken
that medicine; I wish that I were
dead"
SUGGESTED INCREASED PAY
Miss Keller also said that DR. HYDE
suggested TO her that she ought to
charge S35 instead OF SIS week for
her services.
After she had given most of her
testimony, and the room was quiet.
Coroner B. Fl. Zwart asked her:
DO you know Of anything that
might have caused Colonel Swopes
death other than that capsule2"
n a. he
The report made by DR. Hektoen on
the liver was supported by afidavits I
from Drs. Walter s. Haines and Victor
g.. Vaughn. The report on the condi-
tlon of the stomach was given verbally
10y DIR. HektOen.
Dr- Hektoen said the examination of
The organs Of the body had not been
completed.
question that may have great
Deatlhg on the case was asked by a
Juryman in the afternoon. II was:
could the body absorb strvchnine |
that had been injected after death2r
Yes, Doctor HektOen replied. IF
strychnine had been injected after
death and the body had lain for a long
time, the poison could have found its
way to other parts Of the body through
diffusion. Strychnine would have ia
DE ia solution for. that. and il would
spread through the tissues"
MANY ECCENTRICTTIEs
Mrs. Swope told Of the many eccen-
tricities Of Colonel Swope. She said
he had thought for 25 years that his
death was imminent.
" I'm the same as a dead man. she
testified that he once said to a reIa-
tive I'm just walking around to save
funeral expenses
Among the witnesses to be exam
ined today We're Mrs. Logan Fl. Swope
and her daughters The latter told
Of their illness while suffering from
typhoid fever during the siege follow
ing Colonel SwOpe's death and during
which nine members of the family were
stricken.
Mrs. Swope, the sister in law Of
Colonel Swope and mother of Chris
man Swope and Mrs. B. c. Hyde, has
kept in seclusion since the Swope mys-
terry became a sensation. She was an
object Of great interest as she testified
regarding Colonel Swope's illness and
death IN her house
Mrs Hyde was again absent, and il
was announced that she was still sick
IN bed.