Los Angeles herald., 1910-02-09
SWOPE INQUEST
INVOLVES HYDE
NURSE SAYS DOCTOR ACTED
IN QUEER MANNER
Wanted Attendant to Help Him Be-
come dministrator-Muc1
Strychnine Found in
Viscera
CONTINUED from Page oss,

Miss Pearl Kellar, a nurse who at
ness, again took the stand. Late yes
terday this witness had given the sig
nificant evidence that her patient had
up to within two days of his death,
taken a self prescribed tonic that con-
tanned strychnine. Today she told the
Swope's symptoms and actions on the
day of his death.
Piles Probe Deeply
J. E. Trogden, the deputy coroner,
who is interrogating the witnesses, is
going into the minutest details. This
carries out the coroner's promise that
the investigation would be most
searching.
had with DR.. B. C. Hyde on the night
Moss Hunton, Colonel SWope's admin
istrator, died.
81 was passing in and out of Colonel
Hunton's room just about twenty min
utes after Colonel Hunton died." Miss
Kellar said, "when DR.. Hyde met me
in the hall and said he wanted a
private interview with me. l said 1
would see him later and SO DR.. Hyde
went to the car line and came back
in about an hour and a half. He then
dismissed a nurse who had come to
nurse Colonel Hunton. The nurse left
and Dr. Hyde and Mrs Hyde, the un-
dertaker and myself were alone in the
house and soon the sitting room was
empty. l went in there and DIR. Hyde
came in and sat, too"
Miss Kellar stopped for a moment
and her hands pulled at handkerchief
they held.
"And them Attorney Trogden,
suggested.
'fWell, then DIR. Hyde spoke about
how good a man Colonel Hunton had
been and said how awful it was that
he died. He said he had something to
ask me. I am not a business man. he
told me, but then l can care for things
pretty we'll. Colonel Hunton is gone
now and in a few days he'll make a
new will and put a new man in the
place of Colonel Hunton as admins
traitor. Now, you have influence with
the old man and l want you to suggest
me as his administrator. You see,' he
said, Colonel Swope intends to put an
other man in the place of Colonel Hun
ton, and he isn't a good man for the
place ana L WANT you " suggest IIlS'
"And your answer WaS?"
Refused to Do 1t
''I told DIR. Hyde that 1 could not
| do that; that 1 would be overstepping
NV bounds. Then DIR. Hyde tried to
persuade me that it would be all right
| for me to talk with Colonel Swope
about the matter and that l could do
| it very nicely. But I wouldn't con-
sent to this. The next day DR.. and
Mrs. Hyde went into the city and did
not get back until $50. When he met
me in the hall he asked me If l had
spoken to Mr.. SWope about that mat
ter. [ told him that I had not and
there was nothing more SAID ABOUT
it,
Sitting close behind his attorneys,
DIR HYDE listened to the testimony
At first his eyes were half closed and
his head was bowed. Later he raised
his head and watched the nurse closely
The courtroom was very quiet. In
the closely crowded benches not per-
son moved, so intent were they not to
miss a word of the testimony.
Then Miss Kellar told of the scenes
at the SWope home on the morning
that Colonel Swope died.
IT was seated at the breakfast table
when DR.. Hyde came in,' Miss kellar
said.
"He asked me If Colonel Swope had
eaten, and I told him he had
""Then come with me- DR.. Hyde
said and left the table. The doctor
told me that he had brought out some
digestive tablets and he wanted Col
Swope to have one.
'''I want him to have it right now,
he told me. I got fresh glass OF
water and took it upstairs with me-
When I got there DR.. Hyde stood near
the foot of the bed and took a capsule
out of a small pink box he held IN MS
hand He was standing at the foot OF
the he'd but he was not near Colonel
swope's head, because Colonel Swope
always laid in bed upside down
Hyde Does Not Laugh
Miss Kellar waved her hand in
queer little way that made every one
in the court room laugh-every one
except Dr. b. C. Hyde. Not a change
came over his face.
"I believe that it was a three grain
capsule" the nurse continued, "and L
don't remember whether it was gray
or white. But I do remember that it
was not brownish in color.
Now, give this to him. DR.. Hyde
Colonel Swope to take the medicine,
hut he wouldn't do it. I nodded my
head to DR.. Hyde, as if to tell him
that Colonel Swope would take the
medicine after while, and so l laid
the medicine and the glass down on
table and we went downstairs.
"When I came upstairs again L
asked Colonel Swope If he would take
the medicine and he assented. Then
he took one of the papers and told me
to read the others. Suddenly pecu-
Iiar breathing sound came from the
he'd which caused me to look up.
Colonel Swope's face had changed.
His ewes were set and wild and the
nupils were dilated. He began TO
tremble and the color of his face COM
menced to change.
Colonel Swope,' I called; Colonel
Swope! Colonel Swope, what's the
matter? Tell mel but Colonel SWope
could not answer me"
Miss Kellar was leaning far over in
her chair toward Attorney Trogden,
and her hands trembled just bit as
she raised and lowered them to add
expression to her story. DR.. Hyde
watched her closely.
"And then" Trogden said.
Draws Last Breath
"Suddenly his eyes turned from the
window to the ceiling, and the wide
open, dilated appearance was sun
there The colonels face was terribly
pallid, and in that palor there began
to creep a slight blueness.
"From his throat there came pecu-
liar sounds, and then the eyes became
expressionless. 1 ran to the door and
jerked it open.
Run and tell DIR. Hyde TO come
here quickly l said.
Mrs. Hyde was just passing. 1t