The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1910-04-18
DR.. HYDE
SCORED BY
COUNSEL
OPENING STATEMENT is
MADE IN SW WOPE
MURDER TRIAL
BITTERNESS Of FEELING
APPARENT FROM START
-
Attorney for Defendant Severely
Cr|icizes Alleged Methods
Of Prosecution

Kansas City, Mo-, April 1S-Pictur
Ing DR.. B. C. Hyde as man whose
evil propensities led him during his
boyhood to torture animals, in later
life to abuse the poor and helpless
and in the fullness Of professional
snccess to conceive the most colossal
murder plot in the history of erin
inality, Attorney James A. Reed
made the opening statement for the
state in the physicians trial here TO-
DAY.
In leading up to the motive which
the state claims caused the alleged
murders TO be committed, Mr.. Reed
explained an overpowering greed fol
money had manifested itself in Dr.
Hyde. With a purpose of adding tc
his wealth. said Mr.. Reed, the phy
sician made love to women and then
chained money from them.
The greater part of the statement
was repetition of the charges made
by state witnesses against the phy
sician in depositions given before Dr
nyde's attorneys, recently. Inc
deaths OF Col. Thomas H. and Chris
man Swope and James Moss Hunton
were dealt with In detail. The charg
es that DR.. Hyde was responsible fol
spread of typhoid fever in the Swope
house, and that OH three occasions
he tried to poison Miss Margaret
Swope, composed considerable par'
OF the address.
Cyanide of Potassium used
Little that is new developed ie
garding the findings of the chicago
scientists, who made the analysis II
the cases of the two Swopes. II
was stated by Mr.. Reed for the firs'
time that the state would show COZ
onel Swope was poisoned with cyan
ide of pottassium as well as strych
nine. and that srychnne and cyna
ide had been given to Chrismai
Swope.
The story of Colonel James NJ
IIuntons death was made littie
more clear. According TO the state
nent, DR.. G. II. Twvman protested
against DR.. Hyde bleeding Hunton
Ia such an extent as he did Df
HYDE was indicted for negligenllS
killing Hunton by bleeding.
For the first time since the trla
stated, the court room seats coulo
rot accommodate the people. Hun
dreds who came to hear Mr.. Ree'
sneak were turned away Those wh'
were fortunate enough to obtain seats
heard DR.. HYDE severely grilled iol
Mr.. Reed did not mince words. /.
The charges that brings the delend
ant to this bar Of justice is that o
having with deliberation, premedita
tion and cold and calculating purpose
murdered one OF Missouri's most dis
tj,guished citizens, the kinsman o.
his wife, a benefactof to him. sal'
Mr.. Reed in opening his address.
"The proper investigation of this
charge compels, the state DelleVes
the delving into a series OF crimes
each of which is part. and parce
Of gigantic scheme of criminality
An investigation of sequence OF law
invading wrongs, so-far reaching, Sc
tremendous and ruthless in its con
oeption and partial execution as Z
challenge The horror and astonlsh
ment of the world and to stand with
cut parallel in the annals of crime.
Ivde And The swope Family
Early In his address Mr. Ree'
ewelt ut some length upon the intro
duction of DR.. HYDE into the Swop'
family. Mrs. Swope, when impor
tuned bv the physician to give hin
The hand of her daughter started al
investigation of the physician AM
thus. said the attorney, Hyde's cha
acter was first shown to her IN II
true light Regarding the inquiry
he said:
Her investigation disclosed tn
fact that he was possessed OF at
normally cruel tendencies. That a
boy he tortured animals. q chara'
teristic which manifested itself whe
MS a man and q physician he hel
the position of city surgeon and !
that position he so demeaned hin
self toward unfortunate paupe
patients that fell to his charge tha
he was discharged for cruelties.
"The specific occasion for his di
charge was The injection OF oil
mustard into the body OF an unfo
tunate woman, who was In HI
charge as police surgeon. The Il
lection OF oil of mustard is as pr
duetive OF acute agony as would !
occasjonea hy soaring the part 5
treated with white hot hon.
Mrs. Swope's further investlg
tion disclosed upon his part an a
r...;.. -. xnouov In III