Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1910-04-19
GREED FOR MONEY
LED HYDE To PLOT
MURDER of SNOPE?
Missouri Attorney Arraigns
Defendant in Opening Speech
of Famous Case, Telling of
Mysterious Deaths.
SAYS HYDE AS BOY
TORTURED ANIMALS
CBy Associated Press).


ing Lr. b c. Hyde as a man whose evil
propensities led rim during his boyhood
to tortu animals. in later life to abuse
the poor and helpless, and in the fuIIness
of the professional success to conceive
the most colossal murder plot in the his
tory Of criminality, Attorney James A.
Reed made the opening statement for tie
state in the physicians trial here today.
GREED FOR MONEY.
In leading up to the motive which the
state claims caused the alleged murders
to be committed Mr.. Reed explained an
overpOwering greed for money had man
ifested itself in DR.. Hyde With pur-
pose OF adding to his wealth, said Mr..
Reed. the physician made love to women
and then obtained money from them.
The deaths of Col Thomas H and
Chrisman Swope and OF 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 occa-
sions he tried to poison Miss Margaret
Swope, composed a considerable part Of
tie address
II was stated by Mr.. Reed for the
first time that the state would show
Colone. Swope was poisoned with eva
hide OF potassium as well as strychnine
and that strychnIne and cyanide had
been given TO Chrisman SwOpe.
Death STORY TOLD.
The story Of Col James NJ. Hunton's
death was made a little more clear. Ac-
cording TO the statement. Dr. G. T. ivy
man protested against DR.. Hyde bleed
ing Hunton to such an extent as he did.
DIR. HYDE was indicted for negligently
kiIlilg Hunton by bleeding.
The charge that brings the defend
ant TO this bar OF justice is that OF hav-
ing w4Gh elaboration. generalization AMI
cold and calculating purpose murdered
one OF Missourf's most distinguished cit
irens, the kinsman OF his wife. a bene-
factor TO him." said Mr.. Reed in open
ing his address.
The proper investigation OF this
charge compels, the state believes, the
delving into a series Of crimes each OF
which is a part and parcel OF gigantic
scheme of criminaIity. an investigation
OF a sequence Of law-aOiding wrongs so
farreaching. so tremendous and ruthless
IN it's conception and partial execution as
TO challenge the horror and establishment
of the world and to stand without par
aaIIeI in the annals OF crime"
Early in his address Mr.. Reed dwelt IT
some length upon the introduction or
DR.. Hyde into the Swope family.
CUNNING OF HYDE.
The deaths in the household were TAX
en- up chronologically. Mr.. Reed attempt
ing TO show that DR.. Hyde had planned
his conquest Of the wealth of the Swope
heirs with cunning The first step, &C
to do xxrfr n
Hunton. an executor of the Swope es-
tate and then get the position himself.
Therefore" said Reed. 1.-THE physician
drew two quarts of blood from Hunton's
body after he had been stricken by apo
plexy and in four minutes Hunton was
dead.
Within an hour after Hunton died,
he requested Miss Kellar. nurse. TO in
tercede with Colonel Swope," said Reed,
ito the end that he. Hyde, be made ex-
ecutor in Hunton's place This was de-
clined by Miss Kellar''
Details of Colonel Swopes death were
then entered into. It was rehearsed how,
at DR. Hyde's orders. Miss Kellar gave
Colonel Swope a capsule. Commissions en-
sued Again at Hyde's orders. a hypo-
dernic injection was given. Death follow
ed Having completed the history of the
case 10 this point Mr.. Reed said:
The foregoing evidence might be said
makes plain the plan and the scheme OF
DR.. Hyde TO accomplish an acquisition OF
a large part Of the Swope fortune.
FORTUNE BY DEATHS.
The next testimony that will be in
PRODUCED will be Indicative OF the fact
that the next move in the carrying out OF
this plan and purpose was to remove as
many members OF the Swope family "a
might be 10 the end that the fall of
each would swell the fortune that he.
through his wife. would be able to con-
troll"
lengthy recital OF how DR.. Hyde OBJ
tanned typhoid and diphtheria germs Of
DR.. Z /. Stewart and the appearance OF
typhoid fever in the swope residence fol-
lowed This typhoid could not have come
from the water used. IL was said. because
the water came from a cistern and was
well filtered. II was on the occasion of
Dr. Hyde taking dinner with the Svope
family on November = that he is thought
20 have spread the germs. II was said
CASE OF GIRL
The alleged attempt OF Dr. HYDE 10
poison Margaret Swope was then taken
up Reed said:
zone nizht while the girl was sup
posed q be almost recovered fro1, ty-
phoid. a nurse learned that Hyde had
given her a hypodermic injection.
when asked why he had made the
injection. Hyde replied he had given
her only some oil Of camphor for inter
mittent pulse. Miss Swope denied the
physician felt her pulse and the nurse
found no odor like oil Of camphor
"A scar haS>Tecently developed upon
the girls arm and the state believes II
r. due TO the physician injecting some OF
the germs he obtained from DR.. Stewart
into this member.
"a Few days af'er the injection in
cident DR. Hyde left capsule among
the me iicInes belonging TO the girl A
nurse administered the capsule Miss
swope was seized with commissions An
examination Of the contents OF her stom-
ach showed strychnine"
significant feature Of that section ~
the statement which referred to t4v,Ie
IsH chasing poison was the reference IL
the store Of the druggist Of whom the
poison was bought being burned recent
y. Said Sir Reed:
DRUG STORE BURNED
There is a druggist i'm Kansas Citv
whose store was near the office OF DR..
Hyde. ard at which the physic an OBJ
tanned some of his medicinal supplies
After Colonel and Chrisman Swope had
died. and after the rebellion Of the nurs-