The Birmingham age-herald., 1910-02-01
pr. Hyde,a Statement.

Kansas City, January 8.-Dr B. c, Hyde and his wife, the niece of Colonel Swope, this afternoon for the first time since the publication of the question re- garding the cause of death and illness in the Swope family, broke silence.
 Each issued statement both of them signed. pr. Hyde's statement follows:
 Tt has been IS days since I was in- describably shocked by the newspaper statements regarding the suspicious sur rounding the illness and deaths in the Swope family. have refrained from giv- ing expression to my feelings in the face of palpable insinuations contained in statements alleged to have been made by various persons connected in one way or the other with this matter on the advice of friends who stood loyalty at my side In this trying situation as well as my counsel
 Il cannot and do not believe that any person of fair mind could consider me such monster as to have even wished the death of any or all of these unfor- tunate people who were near and dear to me, much less to have had a hand in any of their deaths.
 The first publication came at a time when was convalescrng from an attack Of typhoid fever. and I hastened to sug- gest through the press that any thorough and fair investigation would be welcomed by me.
 My counsel and friends have urged upon the county coroner during all these days of terrible suspense that justice to me demanded fair and speedy investjea- ton and we will gladly render this official all of the assistance in our power in such an inquiry and have no doubt that the erorts put forth in my own litigation will ha ba1nfII in arr{,ri clusion.
 The suits which have brought today l expect will present the opportunitv which l most earnestly crave of making searching investigation under oath into every circumstance surrounding these de- plorable illnesses and deaths to the end that l may be completely yindicated in the minds of my fellow men,
 Mrs. Hyde's Statement.
 Mrs. B. c. Hyde in her statement saws.
 T have noticed the cruel fnsinuations refecting on my husband in connection with the deaths. I have followed very closely all of the so-caIled circumsta ncaa that surrounded our misfortunes. The most of these circumstances do not exist In every instance where there ia any basis of fact. There are so many racts Within my knowledge and probably -~o~ ANNS"i Oy diAy OtItT person Which would make any investigation more thor ough and which seem to me vitally neces- sary to fair and final conclusion. No person connected with this matter has however, called upon me for any of the facts.
 T hope an Investigation will be made along lines that will be fair to all and put an end to a situation that is painful and almost beyond the power of human endurance.
 My conviction of my husbands inno- cence is the only thing that makes the situation bearabe during these awful days
 No person in the world Is more in- terested in the outcome of an investiga- tion into the deaths of my beloved rela- tives than myself. Of theathree who have passed away Colonel Swope was my fa- ther's oldest brother and Chrisman Swope who was my dear brother. Mir Moss Hunton was my fathers friend and never since the death of my own father has MT. Hunton been unkind. but has been as affectionate as d father could have been
 My brother Chrisman was the oldest of our family and l am next to him in point of age.
 Remained in the House.
 "I was present during the last sad hours of all of them. My husband and were called to the house on the evening of my cousin Moss's death, and remained in the house continuously until a week after the death of my uncle.
 My husband and were at my mothers house the evening of Thanksgiving Day, which was November 25, and neither of us returned to Independence until Fri day, December 3, when I was called to the house on account of my brothers illness and Sister Marguerite. At that time my mother was visiting in Chicago
 When arrived at the house in Inde- pendence December 8, l found both my brother and my sister Tn bed. Chrisman