The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1910-02-08
HOW SWOPE DIED.
Testimony Before Coroner in the
Mysterious Case
Makes the Crowd Sit Up and
Take Notice.
THE DEAD MANS NURSE
Tells Story of His Closing Hours
on Earth.
Only DIR. and Mrs. Hyde Present
When He Died.

followed sensation today at the in
quest at Independence into the death
of Colonel Thomas H. Swope.
A few days before Colonel Swope died,
DR.. B. C. Hyde asked the millionaire's
nurse to try to persuade the patient to
name him, Hyde. as one of his execu-
tors according to the testimony given
by Miss PeaS+ Kellar.
Then she lJld of the happenings on
the morning that Col. Swope died; or
the giving of a capsule that apparent
" was a digestive taplet, the following
convulsion within 20 minutes, the symp-
toms of the attack. the diagnosis by
DIR. Hyde as apoplexy, the treatment
and finally death.
Told in a quiet unassuming manner,
Miss KeIars testimony produced
sensation in the crowded court room.
DR. Hyde, his lips tightly set watch
cd the nurse closely as she told her
story while Mrs. Logan o. Swope, his
mother-in-law, heavily Veiled, listened
attentively from another part of the
room.
Vital interest attached to the tes-
timony of DR.. Ludwig Hektoen, the
toXicologist who had arrived from
Chicago during the morning. The
specialist, it was expected, would give
the first complete and official report
of the three chemists who examined
the viscera of Colonel Swope. Upon
this report alone might ultimately be
determined the question as to Wheth-
er the philanthropist had died from
natural causes or as the result of
poison administered with criminal
intent.
Among the other witnesses to be
examined today were to be Mrs. Lo-
gan H. SWope and her daughters. The
latter were expected to tell of their
illness while suffering from typhoid
fever during the siege following Col
onel Swope's death and during which
nine members of the family were
stricken.
Mrs Swope, the sister-in-law of Col
onel Swope and mother of Chrisman
Swope and Mrs B. c. Hyde, has kept
herself in strict secIusion since the
Swope mystery 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
it was announced she was still sick
Ebed.
DIR. Hyde and the other principals
were on hand early and occupied their
usual chairs, and another expectant
audience completely filed the court
room.
When the inquest was resumed to-
day Miss Pearl Keller, nurse who
attended Colonel Swope in his last
illness, again took the stand. Late
yesterday this witness had given the
significant evidence that her patient
had. up to within a few days of his
death. taken a self-prescribed tonic
that that contained c, strychnine. Today she
told the more important details of
Colonel Swope's symptoms and ac-
tions on the day of his death
J. E. Trogdon, the deputy coroner.
who is interrogating the witnesses, is
going into the minutest details. This
10 n1It En ,~s- IL A
the investigation would be most
searching.
Crowd Listens IntentIy.
Within five minutes after Miss Kellar
went on the stand this morning there
began {. recital of incidents that caused
the crowded court room to become 81
lent For Miss Kellar. after the few
preliminary questions had been asked
began to pull aside the curtains that
have SO long shielded the mystery OF
the Swope home.
First, of all. Miss Kellar told of an
interview she had with DR.. B. c. Hyde
on the night that Col. Hunton. Col
onel Swopes administrator died.
Il was passing in and out of Colone
Hunton's room just about 20 minutes
after Colonel Hunton died" Miss Kel-
lar said, when DR.. Hyde met me ir
the hall and said that he wanted q
private interview with me- 1 said thai
] would see him later and so DR.. Hyde
went to the car line and came back in
about an hour and half. When he
got back to the house. he went into
the parlor and dismissed a nurse who
had come to nurse Colonel Hunton
The nurse left; and then just Dr. Hyde
and Mrs Hyde and the undertaken
were awake in the house and soon the
sitting room was empty. 1 went in
there and DR.. Hyde came in and sal
too"
Miss Kellar stopped for moment
and her hands pulled at a handker-
chief they held. The book nurses chart
lay in her lap, unnoticed.
And then -" Attorney Trogdeu
suggested.
"A Good Man Gone,
We'll then DR.. Hyde spoke about
low good a man Colonel Hunton had
been and said how awful it was thai
he died. Then he said that he had
something to ask of me. 4 am not :
business man. he told me, but ther
can care for things pretty we'll Col
Hunton is gone now and in few day.
he'll make a new will and put a new
man in the place of Colonel Hunton as
administrator. Now. you have infiuenc,
with the old man and l want Won tt
suggest me as his administrator. Yol
see,' he said, Colonel Swope intends t.
put another man in the place of CoIone
Hunton and he isn't good man TO,
the place and 1 want you to sugges
me-"
And your answer was?" Trogdol
asked.
Il told Dr. Hyde that I could not d,
that, that 1 would be overstepping m,
bounds. Then DR.. Hyde tried to per
suade me that it would be al right 70
me to talk to Col Swope about tin
matter and that I could do it very nice
ly But ] wouldn't consent to this
The next day, DR.. and Mrs Hyde wen
into the city and did not get back unit
$3.50. When he met me in the hall. h
asked me if l had spoken to Mr.. Swop
about that matter. 1 told him that