Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1910-05-17

Complete History, of f@.: =.
$50 n Hyde Murder Case
The history of,ethe ,Swope case is as
terest has never been so keen since the
famous Guinness tragedy.
II was on October 8 last that Colonel
Thomas H. Swope, a multi millionaire,
died very suddenly and under most mys-
terious circum stances following brief
illness The attending physician was
DIR. Clarence B. Hyde. the husband OF
the dead mans niece, and he diagnosed
the cause of the colonels death as apo
plexy II developed, however, that on
the fatal day Colonel Swope was feeling
in good spirits, until after he had swal-
lowed a capsule given him by DR.. Hyde.
He was seized, with commissions, and one
hour later was dead. Just two days be-
fore the colonel's death, James Moss
Hunton, his cousin and an executor of
the Swope will. also died of apopleXy.,
Colonel Swope left an estate. estimated
at $4,0OO.OO0. the principal beneficiaries be-
ing the unmarried children of his sister
'in-law. Mrs. Logan o. Swope. To the
married daughter, Mrs. Frances Hyde,
wife of Or. Hyde, he left $4,000.
N L
death until December. when an epidemic
OF typhoid broke out in the Swope house
hold. Elisha, -,t" &.
Chrisman Swope,a nephew of, Colonel
Swope, was one. of the first to fall a VIC
tim. Possessing a. strong constitution.
however. he seemed on fair road to
recovery, when on December 2 he was
suddenly attacked with commissions and
became unconscious exactly as his uncle
December 6. -..,.
Other cases. in the Swope. household in
cluded Miss Margaret Swope, Miss Cora
Dickson, governess; Coppage, a colored
servant; Stewart S. Fleming, a nephew
of Colonel Swope Mrs. Sara Swope. "a
niece, and Miss Stella Swope, another
niece. ~ .- &c., .., &c.
WAS. .swoPE;s PHYSICIAN.
DR.. Hyde, had been, treating Chrisman
Swope and on the sudden death of the
latter, the nurses BECAME alarmed and
refused to stay, in, the, house unless Mrs.
Logan .Swope would. summon another
physician, This she, did, but the physi-
clan was unable to locate, the. cause of.
the typhoid. On. December Is, Miss, Luz
cy Lee, a daughter of Mrs. Logan Swope,
was stricken with typhoid fever four
days after her arrival from Europe, DR..
Hyde had met the young lady In New
stages of her. illpess- a.. az -s -.r
Mrs. Logan Swope acquainted John. q.
Paxton, the attorney forsythe Swope -es-
tate, with her suspicious, and as a result
the bodies of Colonel Swope, and his
nephew were exhumed and autopsies per-
formed. Strychnine was found in large
quantities, and an examination of the
stomach of Miss Margaret Swope, who
recovered from the attack of typhoid, re-
vealed the presence of this poison
Attorney Paxton and Mrs. Swope pur-
sued the Investigation with relentless
'vfgor and as a result Of their activity
DR.. Hyde brought, a. libel suit. for $500, 900
against Attorney Paxton, DR.. Frank L.
Hall and DR.. Edward j. Stewart, and an
other for 100000 against Attorney Pax
ton. Later the $50, 600 suit was dismissed.
1t was on February that the coroner's
jury in Independence, Mo, handed down
a verdict holding DIR. Hyde responsible
for the death of Colonel Swope Devel-
opments now came thick and fast The
following day Or. Hyde was arrested,
charged with murder in the first degree,
the warrant being issued at the request
Of Attorney John G.. Paxton, executor
of the Swope estate DR.. Hyde took his
arrest cooliy and pleaded mot guilty"
when arraigned before Justice w. F.
Loar at independence, Mo. He was re-
leased on BOND or S5O,OOO.
81. TEN INDICTMENTS.
The Climax came on March 5, when
the grand jury handed down ten indict-
ments charging DR.. Hyde with the kill
ing of Col. Thomas H Swope and Chris
man Swope with poison and with the at
tempted murder of eight members of the
Swope household with typhoid germs
Another Indictment accused him of man.
slaughter by bleeding Col. James Moss
Hunton. a cousin of Colonel Swope.
It developed during the investigation
that DR.. Hyde had secured some typhoid
bacteria on November 10. Mrs. Logan c..
Swope. while giving her deposition in the
Islander suit brought by DIR. Hyde. swore
that he had tried to poison her by placing
; something in the water:
|. Dr.. Hyde. however, is confident of his
lacquittal.s and his young wife. Frances
Swope Hyde is sure of his innocence
| In 1897. DR. Hyde.v then police surgeon,
vas ousted from rofffce Because Of al
lei ed inhumAn. traetn1ent of a colored wo-
man zwllo had attempted to commit sui
eide His name was more 'conspicuously
| i'm the newspapers In 1S9s-9e. when he was
arrested with grave robbing. The case
never cams to trial. -'
In 1905 he "claitdeseinely married Miss
Farncest Swope. a niece of Colonel Swope.
against the wishes Of her mother. Mrs.
Logan A. Swope. AS a result of the mar
riage Dr. Hyde and his wife's family
were aiienated until short time ago,
Nlfen "a reconciliation was brought about.
Following the announcement of DIR.
Hydes marriage Mrs. Sarah II. Frank
brought suit against DR.. Hyde asking