The Celina Democrat. (Celina, O. [Ohio]) 1895-1921, 1910-05-27

DR.. B. Clarke Hyde was found guilty
at Kansas City, Mo, OF murder in the
first degree in causing the death Of
his wife's uncle, Colonel Thomas H..
Swope, and his punishment fixed by
law at life Imprisonment. The jury
had been out two days and three
nights. The verdict is the climax to
the most remarkable homicide case
known to Missouri and adds to the
annals Of crime for the twentieth cen
tury the final word in murder as a
fine art. The man convicted of re-
sponsibility for the Swope tragedy
touched the edge of the cycle in
the devilish ingenuity with which he
employed modern science to consum-
mate his ends.
The circumstances attending the
deaths of Colonel Thomas II. Swope,
the Kansas City millionaire; his
nephew, Chrisman Swope. and his
cousin and confidential business agent
James Moss Hunton, and the epidemic
of typhoid fever that attacked eight
members of the Swope family and a
ward, have formed one of the most
mysterious cases in recent court and
police investigation.
The death of Colonel SWOpe on OctO-
Der 8, 1909, mystifed his family and
close friends. Dr. Hyde had treated
the colonel during his last hours, and
in signing the death certificate gave
apoplexy as the cause. Only two days
before Hunton had died at the Swope
home under similar circumstances fol !
lowing a stroke of apopleXy. DR.. Hyde |
and Dr. G. T. Twyman of Independence |
treated Hunton The patient was bled !
profusely, it was charged, at the sug |
gestion Of DR.. Hyde. After six pints |
of blood We're taken from HuntOn the |
bleeding process was stopped, but not
until Dr.. Twyman had repeatedly pro
tested that too much blood was being
taken from the old man. Hunton's
death soon followed
When an epidemic of typhoid fever
started in the Swope household in
which eight persons We're stricken and
one, Chrisman Swope, died, John G.
Paxton, executor Of the Swope estate.
and Mrs. Logan o. Swope sister Of
Colonel SwOpe, and mother of Chris
man, instituted a vigorous investiga-
tion.
Dr.. Edward J. Stewart came forward
with the statement that on November
10 Dr.. Hyde had obtained from him an
active culture of typhoid bacteria
After this DR.. Hyde was placed under
constant police surveillance. Then DR..
Hyde filed suit for 100000 damages
against Attorney Paxton, DR.. Stewart
and DR.. Frank /. Hall, alleging
defapation Of character.
Colonel Swope had been in feeble ]
health for some time, but was thought I
to have improved He was not so well ;
a few weeks prior to his sudden death I
and remained in bed On October 3
DR.. Hyde gave him what the physician
said was a digestive capsule. Twenty
minutes later Colonel Swope went into I
commissions. His neck and arms and s
limbs stiffened and he gasped in his
death agony, ooh! I wish I had not ;
taken that medicine" He died ten
minutes later
1t was proven at the trial that Dr.
Hyde had purchased cyanide of potas-
sium five-grain capsules and it was
charged that he gave one of these cap
sules to Colonel Swope. DR.. Hyde said
he bought the cyanide to kill cock
reaches in his Office and as a disinfect-
ant. Six days later Colonel Swopes
will, leaving Kansas City real estate
valued at $1600OOO to members of his
family, was filed for probate.
On December 1 Miss Margaret
Swope, niece of Colonel Swope, was
taken i'll with typhoid fever. Two
days later her brother, Chrisman
Swope was attacked with the same
malady. Nurses attending Chrisman
were surprised when he had convul-
sions exactly like those suffered by his
uncle. He also had been given a cap
sule by DR.. Hyde The young man {
died December 6.
Miss Cora Dickson, governess in the !