The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1910-04-18
The Attorney for the State Out
lines the Evidence
Which He Expects to Produce
Against the Defendant.
DIGS DEEP INTO PAST.
Says the Accused Physician Was
Always Cruel.
Charges the Most Colossal MUIR
der Plot Ever Conceived.

Kansas City, Mo-. April 1S.-Before a
court room that was crowded to its ut
most capacity long before the regular
opening hour James a. Reed today de-
hvered the opening statement of the
prosecution in the Hyde murder trial
The opening Of the case was marked
by a sharp clash between attorneys OF
the two sides. The defense waged a
lard fight on the court permitting Mr.
Reed, as special counsel. to deliver the
opening statement.
Judge Latshaw held that it was en-
tirely legal, but as a precautionary
move, suggested that Mr.. Reed be ap-
pointed a special prosecuting attorney
This was done.
Before Mr.. Reed was fairly launched
upon his address. Frank P. Walsh, lead
ing counsel for the defense, interposed
objection to the prosecution tntroduc-
ing statements regarding any feature
of the case except that dealing direct
Iy with the death of Colonel Swope, for
v hose alleged murder DR.. Hyde Is
now being tried.
He was overruled.
Walsh spoke in loud tone of voice
and branded many of the persons VINO
had gathered evidence against Dr.
Hyde as liars and thieves"
Mr.. Reed sought later to tell the
story of the courtship of Dr.. and MRS.
to this feature being gone into was
sustained by Judge Latshaw.
The greater part of the statement
vas a repetition of the charges made
by state witnesses against the physician
in dispositions given before DR.. Hyde's
attorneys, recently. The deaths of Col
Thomas H. and Chrisrnan Swope and
James Moss Hunton were dealt with IN
detail The charges that DR.. Hyde was
responsible for the spread of typhoid
fever in the Swope house, and that on
three occasions he tried to poison MISS
Margaret Swope. comDosed a consid-
cradle Iart of the address
Findings of Scientists.
Little new developed regarding the
findings of the Chicago scientists who
made the analyses in the cases OF the
two Swopes. 1t was stated by Mr..
Reed for the first time that the state
would show Col. Swope was poisoned
with cyanide of potassium as well as
strychnine and that strychnine and
cyanide had been given to Chrisman
Swope-
Death was mace a little more clear
According to the statement, DR.. G. T.
Twyman protested against Dr. Hyne
bleeding Hunton to such an extent as
negligently killing Hunton by bleeding.
For the first time since the trlai
started the court room seats could not
accommodate the people HUNDREDS
turned away They who were fortu-
nate enough to obtain seats heard Dr.
Hyde severely grilled. for Reed dld not
Inince words.
The charge that brings the Defend
ant to this bar of justice is that OF
having with deliberation. premedita-
ton and cold and calculating purpose
murdered one OF MisSourfs most dis
tjngulshed citizens. the kinsman of his
wife, a benefactor to him." said MI
T9aed in oOeninq his address.
THE proper investigation of this
charge compels. the state believes, the
investigation of a series of crimes, eacn
of which is a part and parcel OF gl-
eantic scheme of crinlinality; and in
vestigation of a sequence OF laW-lnVad-
iIg wrongs SO far-reach1ng' so tremend-
Gus and ruthless in its conception and
rartiaI execution as to challenge the
horror and astonishment of the world
end to stand without parallel in the
annals of crime.
Hvde's exclamation when he was first
told by DR.. G. I. Twyman OF 1ndepend-
ence of the suspicious against him was:
well, wouldn't that beat you, ac-
cording to Mr.. Reed
The deaths in the household were
taken up chronologically. Mr.. Reed at
tempting to show that DR. Hyde had
nlanned his conquest of the wealth of
fhe Swope heirs with careful cunning.
The first step, according to Mr.. Reed.
was to do away with HuDton. an ex-
get the position himself. Therefore,
said Reed, the physician drew two
quarts of blood from Huntons body
after he had been stricken by apoplexy
and in four minutes Hunton was dead
Said Mr.. Reed:
Now for the purposes that moved
Hyde to do this thing: Hunton was
executor of the will; as the evidence
will show, Hyde wanted his place.
within a few minutes, less than
ten, after Hunton had died, while the
mans blood was still wet on his hands. |
Hayde called Miss kellaE, nurse, TO |
him and said he wanted to see her.
Shortly thereafter, within an hour, he |
did see her and requested that she in
rprNAde with Colonel Swope to the end |
that he, Hyde, be made executor in |
Huntons place. This was declined by |
Miss Kellar.
Death of Colonel Swope.
Details of Colonel Swope's death |
were then entered into 1t was re-
hearsed how, at DR.. Hyde's orders Miss
Keller gave Colonel Swope capsule |
Commissions followed. Again, at Hyde's |
orders, a hypOdermic injection was
given. Death followed. Having com |
pleted the history of the case to this /
point. Mr.. Reed said:
''The foregoing evidence might be
said to be the first evidential chap |
ter that makes plain the plan and the |
scheme OF d.. Hyde to accomplish an |
acquisition of a large part of the |
Swope fortune. Hunton was dead. and |
Hyde had not been specified |
as executor in Hunton's place, Swope |
was dead, and dead, too. without a |
change in the will that left the family, |
of which Hyde's wife was one, the |
great bulk of the vast fortune.
1.-The next testimony that will be in
troduced will be indicative of the fact
that the next move in the carrying out
OF this plan and purpose was to re-
move as many members of the Swope /