The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1910-02-11
ACCUSED MN UNMOVED
WHILE IN COURT ROOM
Remarkable series of Deaths and
Illness With Which DIR. Hyde
Was Connected

| to the long investigation of the mysteriou.
death of the late Col. Thomas II. Swope
October 3, 1909. DIR. b. c. Hyde, husban,
of the late milionaire's niece. was ar
rested here today on the charge of MUIR
| dering the philantropist.
The warrant upon which the arrest wa
made was issued at the request of Al.
torney John G. Paxton, executor of tn
Swope estate. First degree murder J.
charged. The warrant says that Dr. Hyd,
with felonious intent administered strych
nine to Colonel Swope the day of hi
death.
Across the back of the complaint file
by DR.. Paxton, asking for a 'warrani
Prosecutor Virgil Conltling wrote abov
his signature: Il hereby indorse this con-
paint."
DIR. Hyde surrendered quietly. Il
learned that warrant was being sougi.
and with his attorneys went to the pros
ecutors office to await the return of M
Conlling. He said he submitted to arrc
without demanding to hear the warraf
read. From here the party went TO 1ndt
pendence, Mo-, where DIR. Hyde was al
raigned before Justice w. F. Loar.
was released on a bond of s50.000 whe
he said was the correct amount, and h,s
hearing set for February IL
Prosecutor ConlSling originally planner
to have the bond fixed at $4,000. b.
Hydes attorneys had arranged for So
900 surety, and as he expressed viii
ingness to give this amount it was az
cepted
DIR. Hyde Is Calm
The calmast man in the Justices offie
in Independence was DR.. Hyde While al
torneys busted themselves making out tn
papers in the case, and while the fes
specta tors whispered and We'd with
other for a view of the accused physicia'
he sat near County Marshal Joel b. May,
who made the arrest. and read papt
that told of the developments in TIN
Swope investigation.
"By the way, Mr. Mayer" said he folo-
ing up the paper. Il wish you would ca
up my house and have my wife informed
that I will be home for dinner. She wi
be worrying about me-
Just as soon as the bond was accepted
DR.. Hyde hurried to his home i'm an auto
mobile. The arrest followed quickly atte
Judge Ralph Latshaw called grand jura
today to investigate the death of Colone
Swope Prosecutor Conking made a re-
quest for jury.
BY dsmissing his libel suit for Ss0o,oe
against Attorney John M. Paxton. u
Frank l.. Hall and Dr. Edward j. Stew
ard, today, DR.. Hyde removed himself
from the range of the attorneys who have
been using every legal means known to
them to get his dispositions in the case.
One suit for 100000 is still pending
against Attorney Paxton. 1t alleges
slander.
History of Case
The death of Col. Thomas H. Swope Oc-
III ~t.s
stances which mysthed the mllionaires
family and close friends. DR.. Hyde, who
had treated Colonel Swope during his last
hours, signed the death certificate giving
apopexy as the cause of his demise.
When in December an epidemic of ty-
phoid fever ragged in the Swope household,
during which eight persons were stricken,
and one, Chrisman Swope. died under con-
ditions that caused much apprehension
among the attending nurses John Paxton.
the executor and Mrs. Logan Swope,
mother of Chrisman, instituted vigorous
investigation.
DIR. Edward L. Steward came forward
with the statement that November L
DR.. Hyde had secured from him an
active typhoid culture. After DR.. Stew
ard had divulged this information DR..
Hyde was placed under constant sur
veillance OF detectives. DR.. Steward In
telling his story to the attorneys Of
the Swope estate and to Prosecutor
Virgil Conkling, explained that q
typhoid culture consisted of test tube
filed with a media on which the
typhoid bacteria lived. This media was
covered with a healthy growth of bac-
teria The test tube given DIR. Hyde
he said, contained an algai media and
millions of the minute typhoid bac-
terra.
December 20 DIR. Hyde himself suf
H.. A.
fever, which added TO the compiled
tions of the case. DIR. Steward later
supplied the prosecuting attorney with
some interesting evidence bearing on
DR.. Hydes illness.
DR.. Hyde's Blood Tested
"yyhen DR.. Hide became ILL., said
Dr. Steward. "I was asked to make an
examination OF his blood for typhoid
RE asked that / make the Vidal test
This will show typhoid fever even "
the subject whose blood is examined
suffered from the disease several wears
before. An examination of the blood
of DR. Hyde showed a faint trace Of
typhoid.
II then asked permission to make
the culture test. This is an absolute
test for typhoid if it is actively pres
ent in the blood when the blood IL
taken from the patient"
DR. Steward said that although DR.
Hyde's blood was placed side by side h
his incubator with blood taken from
typhoid patient in Kansas city hos
pital 1t remained absolutely sterile Of
typh old and contained no typhoid
germs.
After It was decided that the bodies
of Colonel Swope and Chrisman Swope
sh ould be disinterred Mr.. Paxton and
Mrs. Logan swope recalled DIR. Hyds's
insistance that he be permitted to act
as physician for the family, although
DIR. G. r. Twyman had for years served
in that capacity.
DR.. Hyde prescribed for Colonel
Swope during the latter's Illness. The
patient was given digestive capsule
October s. Twenty minutes later, while
reading a newspaper he went into con-