The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1910-01-21
! AS STUART FLEMING
POISONED BY USE
OF TYPHOID GERMS?
SENSATIONAL DEVELOPMENTS AT
KANSAS CITY, SUGGESTS
THE QUERY.
5 NOW STRIKEN WITH TYPHOID
Which May Have Been Contracted
w a Away From Home as Execu-
tor 6sSwope Estate-stil Confined
To Room.
(Saturday's Daily.)


Was Stuart S. Fleming poisoned by
a subtle incubation with typhoid fever
germs? This query naturally suggests
Itself, following the publication of SEN
sational dispatches from Kansas City,
Regarding the alleged poisoning Of Col.
Thomas Swope, many times a million
aire, and discovery of plot to poison
all the S7 ope heirs. According to the
dispatches several of the heirs to the
Swope millions have recently been
stricken with typhoid fever under pc
cuilar circumstances. And the story
goes that typhoid germs were pur-
chased by a person now being shad-
owed, and it is believed that they were
administered to the Swope heir by
some occult and nefarious process.
1t will be recalled that Col. Swope
died suddenly, and shortly after the
death of his private secretary, another
member of the Swope family. Stuart
S. Fleming, nephew, was notified OF
Col. Swope's death and left immediate
ly for st. LOUIS. He was named as
one II tie executors by the terms OF
the will, and remained at Kansas City
for some weeks. While there he was
taken i'll. and returned to his home
1eysr, rno a odu hQo hnnn
pronounced as genuine typhoid fever,
and at present he is confined to his
room. He is rapidly convalescing,
and will probably be out soon. But
as yet Mr. Fleming receives no callers
and does not answer the telephone, so
that it was impossible to interview
him today regarding the sensational
Kansas City stories.
W. S. Fleming, of this city, who
is Stuart s. Fleming's legal adviser
and near relative, drove out to the
country home of the later this morn
ing to acquaint him with the nature
of the newspaper reports, and to adj
wise with him 1t is believed that
Stuart S. Fleming has not yet heard,
of the alleged wholesale poisoning,
and that the intelligence which he re-
ceives today will come as a big sur
prise to him. 1t is not known here
whether or not Mr. Fleming had en-
tertained any suspicion as to Col.
Swope's having met with foul play, nor
is It known whether he suspects that
he himself is the victim of a fell con-
spiracy. What action he will take, II
any, is problematical.
The late Col Swope was a brother
OF Mrs. Margaret Fleming, mother OF
Stuart S. Fleming, of this county. He
has another sister, Mrs. Plunkett, or
Nashville, who is now prosecuting
suit to establish her sanity. Mrs.
Plunketts daughter, Mrs. Percy Brown,
Of Spring Hill, is a resident OF TINS
county.
w. s. Fleming was called up at
"Ouercus Lawn" the country home
of stuart s. Fleming, this morning by
a Herald reporter. Mr.. Fleming ad-
mitted that Stuart 8. Fleming had ty-
phoid fever, and that he was Ill with
the disease when he returned here
from kansas City. Mr.. Fleming adj
mitted reading the newspaper reports
Of the wholesale poisoning, but de-
clined to discuss the matter or make
any statement.
according to rumors that went the
rounds of the clubs last night, stuart
s. Fleming had suspected the poison
ing of at least one of his kinsmen' 1t
Is said that it had been hoped to keep
The matter out of the papers until
fun investigation could be made