Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-04-29
DOCTOR PREDICTED DEATH
Red Spots on Legs Said to Indicate
Cyanide Poisoning.
BATTLES BETWEEN EXPERTS
Clash of Medical Men Expected to
Begin Before End of
Week

KANSAS CITY, Mo, April 29.-R. b
Mitchell, an undertaken. who cared fol
the bodies Of Col Swope and James Moss
Hunton. was the first witness today IL
the trial of DR.. Hyde for the murder OF
Col. Swope. While he was at the Swope
home preparing for burial the body OF
Mr.. Hunton a day before the death OF
Col. Swope, said Mr.. Mitchell, he me-
Mrs. Hyde, and she spoke about getting
a casket for the millionaire.
She told me DR.. Hyde said Col Swope
could not live," he testified. Judge Lat
shaw ordered this alleged conversation
stricken out.
Upon the taking of the body of Col
Swope from the vault in Forest Hill Gem
etery on January II. testified the under
taker. the casket was in good shape ant
the corpse had not been disturbed. Or
cross-examination he said the screw.
were not set as tightly as he had ex
pected them to be- His assumption was
that they had settled.
Mr.. Mitchell said he saw red spots OF
the legs Of Col. Swope. The state con
tends they are signs Of cyanide poisoning
No Cause Of Death Entered.
Although DIR. Hyde signed the deatt
certificate Of Chisman Swope with the
names 'Twyman and Hyde he did moi
enter the cause Of DEATH testified Henry
j. OFT, an undertaken.
''Dr Hyde also marked out line read
ing Hyde treated the case. and made II
we treated the case.
Mr.. OFT said he sent the certificate Il
DIR. Twyman's Office, but the physician
was not there. The ''cause Of death
blank has never been filled.
He told me DR.. Twyman treated the
case and l should take the certificate te
him and have him give the cause o
DEATH said Mr.. Ott-
Thomas Ravenscamp and Ira w. Nc
Pheters, policemen, and w. F. Stein ant
F. L. Nichols. undertakers, testified thai
the body of Col. Swope was not disturbed
while 1t lay in the Kansas City Public
Library for two days.
Medical Experts to Testify.
At the outset of the trial today it wa.
expected the contest between the medica
experts in the case would be on before
the day was over. DR.. Ludwig Hektoen
the first scientist called into the case BY
Mrs. Logan Swope, and who made al
autopsy ON Col. Thomas H. Swope's body
was summoned from his home In Chicago
Thursday. He was told he probabi,
would be called as a witness today.
Announcement was made at the time
that DR.. Walter S. Haines and Victor G.
Vaughn, other scientists in the employ
ment Of the prosecution, would testify be-
fore tine end of the week.
Advising DR.. Hyde's attorneys in the
examination of the scientists will be hall
dozen chemists and toxicologists DR.
E. E. Smith of New York is chief of the
defense medical corps. He has beer
here for several weeks, making tests anC
comforting with the defense.
The defense efforts will be directed
mainly toward attempting to discredit ex
pert medical testimony. One of the sa-
IIent questions asked veniremen before
the jury was selected was. 'Do you be-
are several men on the jury who said
they old not.
Juror Called Away From Trial.
Delay became imminent in the tria
when at noon today William Beebe, 4
juror, was called to the bedside of his
dying wife. Reports from the hospital ir
which she is i'll said that she would
probably live but few hours.
Mr.. Beebe was accompanied to the hos
pital by a deputy marshal Court wa,
adjourned until O'Clock this afternoon
If at that time Mrs Beebe's condition /.
SO critical as to require the presence o1
her husband at her bedside the adjourn
ment Will be extended.