The Washington times., 1910-05-16
Life Sentence Given Kansas
City Physician In
Famous Case.
WIFE BREAKS DOWN,
PRISONER is STOICAL
Judge Refuses TO Admit Convicted
Man TO Bail Pending Motion
For New Trial

KANSAS CITY, No, MAY 1s-After
deliberating sixty hours. the jury In
The trial Of Dr. Bennett Clarke HYDE
today found him guilty Of numbering
Col Thomas n. SWope. the millionaire
and philanthropist.
He was given a sentence Of life i'm
prisonment-
Thus ended one Of the most remark
able murder cases OF decade, IN which
1t was charged that the doctor planned
20 secure the immense Swope fortune
by killing on MS wifeS entire family
with disease germs and subtle poisons-
As the verdict Of murder fl the first
degree was announced eoy the foreman
Of the jury, Dr. Hyde bowed his head.
HIS wife broke into sobs, and tried
70 rush 10 his arms as he stood in the
dock
Hyde Sits MotionIess.
The verdict was returned at 1922
O. clock. central time
Dr. HYDE sat motionIess during the
reading Of the verdict, which was as
follows:
"We the jury. find the defendant
guilty OF murder in the first degree as
charged in the indictment, and asSess
his punishment at imprisonment ia the
state penitentiary during his natural
FRANK CIAYPOOL Foreman"
As the words Of conviction were spok-
el Mrs Hyde broke down completely
and hurried TO the side Of her husband
Her two sisters-lu-laWs Mrs. Z NJ Hop
kins and Miss Laura Hyde mingled
their tears with hers. but the physician
sCoiCaIIy, and with tie same IXeo eX-
preston Of the mouth. said not a word
Tor time he was even unable to
whisper a word OF eucOura cement 10 the
strong, brave woman VINO sat at his
side
Verdict Reached.
A. lo.l5 O'Clock the jury raped On
TIE door OF fts room 20 indicate that q
verdict had been reached
E From almost the first the majority.
e was learned earlier 81 the day, had
F been overwhelmingly IN favor Of convic-
tiOn, so that when Il became known that
an agreement had been reached il was
generally supposed that the State had
Won its case
4 Judge Latshaw had been IN the court
room since early morning, expecting
/ With Dr. and Mrs. Hyde sat MIS-.
Hopkins and Miss HYDE the sisters OF
the physician Prosecuting Attorney
F Virgil COukling and James A Reed
were in their places early and the court
room was rhrCnEed with spectators and
{ crowds pressed into the aisles to hear
F dict ''-''--' '-'' ''-'i'4 q me 's'-
/ Every. eve IN the court room vas turn
1 ed on the physician His face was as
E ir1moblie as ever He scanned the faces
I OF the Jurors. heard their words and
I then turned 20 bis wife
Mrs. Hyde Overcome.
] Mrs. Hyde had slept UttIe during the
Z time the jury had been celebrating on
/ the verdict She was Immediately taken
/ into an anterO0m. where sObs that shook
{ her fraH body could be heard IN the
court room Dr. HYDE chewed gum in
q nervous fashion while he waited for
1 the report Of the jury, but his jaws
{ frightened suddenly as his fate was
I sealed and even a few words Of comfort
/ for his wife were not forthcoming.
! Judge Latshaw said Dr. Hyde would
/ be Temauded without bail and treated
. Ike every other convicted man.
DIT. Hyde cannot De admitted to
ball. said the Judge. u shall give his
( 20 make their motion for a new trial
and shall then sentence him in open
court This. VIII probably be next Thurs
+ day or Friday"
Model Verdict, Says Judge.
: No member Of the Swope family was
/ in court when the verdict was re.
[ turned
TT was a model verdict tersely
said Judge Latshaw when the convic-
I tiOn had been entered on the record
Mrs. Hopkins and Miss Laura Hyde.
/ sisters Of the convicted man. were too
{ dazed by the verdict to talk for sew
erol minutes. but when they recov-
/ cred somewhat Mrs Hopkins said:
/ 1T is inCOmpTehenSible how a jury
/ can return such a verdict. We know
I that Clarke Hyde is innocent Of these
awful charges"
/ Miss Hyde said:
/ MY brother never did the things he
/ is charged With doing. The accusations
/ are too terrible to be believed by those
( who know him"
/ Dr. Hyde viii file IN appeal.