Omaha daily bee., 1910-05-17
HISTORY OF THE FAMOUS CASE
Convicted Physician Accused of CRuS-
ing Death of Several Persons.

Convicted PhysicInn Accused of Caus-
ing Death of Several Persons.
KANSAS CITY, Mo-, May 16.-Dr. B.
Clark Hyde has been under suspicion in
connection with the mysterious deaths and
illness in the Swope family ever since the
death of Colonel Thomas II. Swope on
October. 3, 1909
The death Of Colonel Swope followed soon
after he had suffered severe CONFUSION
and the convulsion 1t was charged by
members of the swope family, followed i'm
mediately after the administration of a
capsule given at the direction Of Dr.
Hyde. DR.. Hyde said it was a digestive
tablet.
1t was proven at the trial that Dr. Hyde
had purchased cyanide of potassium in
five-graiu capsules and he was prose-
cuted on the belief that he gave one of
these capsules to Colonel Swope. DR.. Hyde
said he bought the cyanide capsules to
kill cockroaches in his office.
Two days before the death Of Colonel
| Swope, Moss Hunton. a cousin of the mil
| lionaire philanthropist. died at the Swope
home, following a stroke of apoplexy. DR..
Hyde and DIR. c. T. Twyman of Independ-
ence treated IIunton. The patient was
gestion of DR.. Hyde After six pints of
blood was taken from Hunton the bleeding
process was stopped, but not until DR..
Twyman had repeatedly protested that too
much blood was being taken from the old
man.
Beginning early in December an epidemic
of typhoid fever broke out in the Swope
home, during which ten members OF the
20 tlNy
Swone. a brother of DIR. Hyde's wife, died.
! Chrisman died after taking capsule
given at Or. Hyde's direction and after ,suf-
fering CONFUSION similar to the one that
attacked Colonel Swope.
Margaret Swope, Chrisman's sister, who
also was treated by DR.. Hyde, had a con-
vulsion after taking a capsule, but she was
given an emetic Immediately by DIR. ivy
man and she recovered.
On January I, 1910, the body of Chrisman
Swope was secretly eXhumed, and four
days later the body Of Colonel Swope was
removed from its tomb and the viscera OF
the bodies were taken to Chicago for
analysis.
The analysis of the liver of Colonel
Swopes body resulted in the finding of
fifty-two sixtysixths of a grain of strych-
| nine ny lHe chicago chemists.
The coroner OF this county then sum-
moned jury, which after investigating the
death of Colonel Swope decided that he
died as the result of strychnine poisoning
administered at the direction of DR.. Hyde
The county prosecutor then issued a war.
rant charging DIR. Hyde with murder In the
first degree after John G. Paxton, executor
of the Swope estate. had filed an informa,
tion against the physician.
Judge Latshaw then empanneled a CRANE
jury, which was ordered to Investigate
every phase of the Swope mystery. The
grand jury returned indictments charging
DR.. Hyde with murder In the first degree
lin connection with the death of Colone
Swope and Chrisman Swope and man
slaughter in connection with the death OF
Moss Hunton.
In all. DR.. Hyde was indicted on clever
counts, the remaining indictments charging
him with trying to murder members of The
Swope family. introducing typhoid germ.
ard poisons into the medicines administered
by him.