The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1910-04-18
Prominent Kansas CityPhySi-
clan Stands Charged With
Multiplicity Of Grimes
FAMOUS SWOPE CASE
TO Be AIRED IN COURT
Case stands Absolutely Alone In Grim
Inal Annals-Hyde Is Said to Have
Attempted 10 Exterminate
Whole Family
BY JAMES b. YOUNG

Bt JAMES -. fOONU
Kansas City, Mo, April 17.-(Special.)-
In a dingy, smoke begrimed, ill-kept
little courtroom in this city tomorrow
morning. DR.. Bennett Clark Hyde will go
on trial for his life. With the beginning
of this trial an act in one of the strangest.
most mystifying and withal one of the
most absorbing dramas in the history of
this country will have been rung up.
DR.. Hyde, prominent Kansas city
physician, man hitherto looked up to
and respected by all, stands charged
with the murder of Col. Thomas H.
Swope, octogenarian millionaire. Nor is
this all. Dr. Hyde is under indictment
by the grand jury on a charge of murder
in the first degree He is charged with
having encompassed the death of Chris
man Swope, a nephew of the millionaire,
DIR. Hyde is still further charged with
manslaughter. He is accused of trying
killed Col. Nose Hunton, an old and
faithful servitor of the Swope family.
And as If this list of charges were not
enough. Dr. Hyde is accused of trying to
kill eight other members of the Swope
family by administering to them cul-
lures of typhoid germs.
Surely, an amazing list of crimes is this
with which to charge one man and man
whose whole life insofar as a microscopic
examination of 1t has revealed, has been
| that of an ordinary man-not blameless
by any means, but above the average in
respectbility, square dealing, truthful
ness and probity.
| The unfolding of the strange and mys-
| terious series of events in the household
| of the eccentric and aged millionaire
Swope and the complications that have
| arisen from ii has arrayed mother against
| daughter; has split one of the oldest and
wealthiest families in Missouri in twain;
has had its effect on state politics; has
caused endless discussion--and the end is
4 not YETI -
i The Hyde-Swope case, as 1t has come
to be generally known, stands absolutely
alone In criminal annals so far as is
known. 1t has opened up features never
before brought into criminal investiga-
ton. Physiology will play an important
part in the trial that is to begin tomor-
row. The doctrine of mental suggestion,
about which scientists hold divided opln-
ions, will come In for a share of atten-
ton.
And finally-while it does not directly
come into the case which so soon is to
go to trial-wil stand forth prominently
the question:
Did DR.. Bennett Clarke Hyde inoculate
nine members Of the Swope family with
! typhoid germs, hoping thereby to send
them to their deaths in order that the
| whole of the immense Swope fortune
| might go to his wife?
These are just a very few OF the many
| different angles and interesting PROPOSE
tons which the case presents.
AS preliminary to the actual OPEN
| ing of the Hyde trial. it is necessary to
go back and recount the incidents and the
happenings and the tragedies that have
| brought this physician into a court to
| fight for his life.
Colonel Swope came of an old southern
family. He was eccentric. No one denies
/ that he was thrifty His fortune is es-
timated at s2,Ooo0o0.
$50 History of Case
Colonel Swope died October 13, 1909,
after a brief Illness. He passed away
In convulsion. His death came only
| four days after the death of Col. Moss
| Hunton, who for years had been the
| confidant of Colonel Swope and the
manager of the latter's large property
interests.
Later Chrisman Swope. a nephew of
the Millionaire died. Typho old fever
caused his death. And just about this
time eight 9th er members of the Swope
| YER All recovered.
DR.. Bennett Clark Hyde, five years
| before this. had been married to Miss
Frances Swope. a niece of the million
aire There had been strong opposition
| on the part of Mrs. Logan o. Swope.
mother of Miss Frances. and Col Th om-
as Swope, to the marriage. Hyde was
| classed by them as an adventurer
| Frances Swope was told repeatedly thas
the athletic doctor was after the money
/ he knew she would one day inherit and
that he cared nothing for her. Frances
Swope was sent away to Hot Springs.
Ark. in the hope tn at she would forget
DR.. HYDE. He followed her and the
wedding was celebrated in the Arkan-
sas city.
| DR.. HYDE and the entire Swope family
were at OTIS for years. truce had
been patched up shortly before the mys-
| terious events began happening in the
Swope family.
Mrs. Logan O. swope while out
wardly friendly to her SON in-law,
seems to have cherished bitter hatred
toward him.
At any rate, after the death of Col
onel Swope there was much talk of foul
play in connection with his death
nurse told of having administered
strychnine to- the millionaire; and
| strange features in connection with the
death of Moss Hunton were recalled
The administrator of the Swope es-
tate John G. Paxton. openly charged
that there was something that the law
should make an effort to clear up
The Investigation
Mrs. Logan O. Swope stepped into tho
breach:
erou are murderer. You killed
Moss Hunton. You killed 'C~lonel Toni
You killed NV son Chrisman. And you
tried to kill all the rest of u.s." she sad
! in effect to Dr. HYDE. her son-in- law
! This started the investigation that
| has dragged itself through many
months. 1t has resulted in libel suits
instituted by DIR. Hyde against a St
Louis paper and against Administrators
Paxton. 1t brought about coronerss
inquest that held Dr. Hyde for the
deaths. and II resulted In II irdictments
being returned aga,rst Hyde by the
grand Jury.
Poison was found in the viscera OF
Col. Thomas H. Swope This fact seems
definitely established. DIR. Hyde aid
| buy some typhoid bacilli for c,r1turas