The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1910-02-11
MURDER CHARGE
LEADS TO ARREST
OF DIR. DYDE
CONTINUED FROM PAGE -

vulsions. His neck and limbs stiffened
and he groaned in great pain. he raj
lied long enough to say: Il wish ]
had not taken that medicine.
Then, with greater effort, the dy-
ing man gasped: Il wish were DEAD
He died a few minutes later.
Miss KcIIar's Testimony
Miss Kellar. a nurse, was alone with
Colonel Swope when the commissions
began She said the patients face was
pale Throughout and that che was
amazed upon hearing the raady had
been diagnosed as apoplexy-
Only two days before, James Hun
ton, Colonel Swopes cousin and named
as an executor of the Swope WILL hao
died of apoplexy in the presence of
several persons. In this case there was
every symptom of apoplexy.
December 20 the nurses attending
Christian Swope, who was being treat
ed for typhoid fever, were surprised
when he had commissions and became
unconscious exactly as his uncle had
done two months before. Chrisman
Swope died December s.
Miss Margaret Swope, Chrismans sis
ter, also had commissions in a milder
form.
Her illness was diagnosed as typhoid
fever
Cases In the Family
December Miss Cora Dickson, COVER
ness In the Swope home, and a cousin
of Colonel swope, and a negro servant
in the Swope home were both stricken
with typhoid fever,
December Steward s. Fleming of
Maury county. Tennessee nephew of Col
onel Swope, who was visiting at the
Swope home, was taken Ill, typhoid fever
being given as the cause.
December 9 Miss Saran .wope, IA years
old. niece of Colonel swope. became Ill
of typhoid fever and December II Miss
| Stella Swope, another niece of Colonel
Swope, was also stricken with the same
disease
December IS Miss Lucy Lee, daugh-
ter of Mrs. Logan Swope. was afflicted
with typhoid fever four days after her
arrival from Europe. Dr. Hyde had gone
to New York, accompanied the young
woman home and had treated her In the
early stages of her illness.
Five Nurses Alarmed
The five nurses employed at the swope
home became SO aroused by the mani
festations in the disease prevailing there
that finally they notified Mrs. Swope they
would all leave unless another physician
be secured Then Twyman was sum
moned and resumed his work as the fam
| lily physician.
Shortly thereafter DR.. Hyde himself
WAS stricken.
Later the body of Chrisman Swope was
| secretly exhumed and that of Colonel
Swope was taken from it's tomb. After
an autopsy had been held the stomachs
of the two dead men were forwarded to
| Chicago and analysed by Drs. Haines,
Hektoen and Vaughan.
DR., Hyde, in a statement made soon
after the investigation began, said:
colonel swope died of apoplexy. There
| is no doubt about 1t. 1t was as plain a
case OF apoplexy as / have ever seen.
| Colonel Swope was getting old and feeble,
He had been sick for more than three
months of old age, lack of appetite and
| senlity. Only a few weeks before his
death he had severe fall
"Mr. Hunton's death was also due to
apoplexy. He had the same symptoms
ana was effected almost exactly the same
as was Colonel 6wope."
DR.. Hyde's History
Dr. Bennett Clarke Hyde II the son OF
the Rev G. w. Hyde, retired Baptisl
minister of Lexington, Mo. DIT. Hyde
| was born near Buncetcn. Mo-. 40 years
ago. He was graduated from wentworth
| Military academy. Lexington, Mo-, In 1889
| and then entered University Medical col
lege. Kansas City. After securing his
degree he began the practice of medi'
| cine here.
DIR. Hyde's name previously figured be-
fore .-.e public.
In August, 1897, DR.. Hyde. then police
surgeon of Kansas City, was ousteo IRON
OFFICE because of alleged inhuman treat
ment Oh Annie Clements. negro woman
who had attempted 10 commit suicide ant
who had come under his care al thu
police station.
DIR Hyde's name appeared even more
con.picrously In the newspapers In the
finter of 1sSs-se, when he was CHARGED
with erave-robbing At this time DR..
IIvde was demonstrator Of anatomy IT
the University Medical college. the ac-
c,,sation was made by Samuel McClain
md CHARLES Perry, negroes. who had
been arrested on suspicion. Perry con-