The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1910-05-09
MRS. HYDE HEARD
Wife of the Defendant in the
SWOpe Murder Trial
Begins to Weep as Soon as She
Takes the Stand.
ILLNESS OF HUNTON
And Treatment Administered
Described by Witness.
Drank No Water at Her Mothers
for a Year.
ILLNESS OF HUNTON

Kansas City, Mo-, May 9.-Mrs. B.
c. Hyde took the witness stand in her
husbands trial for murder at 9:2O
O'Clock this morning.
Scarcely had the witness taken the
stand when she began to cry. She
was asked first 20 tell of the illness
of James Moss Hunton. For several
minutes she was unable to speak. Re-
gaining her composure, she said:
My mother summoned me and my
husband to her house from our home
when Mr.. Hunton was attacked on
the night of October 1. We knew
nothing of his illness until then.
DR.. Twyman, my husband and I
were in the room when Mr.. Hunton
was bled. I held his head. DR.. Hyde
made the incision in the right arm
and DR.. Twyman held the string that
fastened the artery
After L had held Mr.. Hunton's
head while the physicians began to
discuss the advisa bility of stopping
the flow of blood. I told them the
temples were throbbing violently.
Finally they agreed the bleeding
should stop and then DR.. Twyman tied
the string
Did DR.. Twyman say to your hus-
band that enough blood had been
taken and ask him to stop the bleed
ing?" asked Mr.. Walsh.
He did not" answered the witness.
Did you ask your husband to close
the artery, saying DR.. Twyman want
ed him to stop the bleeding?"
Il did not"
THE blood drawn from Mr. Hun
tons body was placed in a bowl which
contained water" said Mrs. Hyde.
1t was at her order, said Mrs. Hyde,
that the drinking water was taken
to the Swope house. Her husband,
said the witness, never saw the bottle
until it was on the way to the house.
For more than a year prior to her or
dence she had not drank any of the
water at the Swope house. said Mrs.
Hyde.
quently adopt the use of the filtered
water?" asked Mr.. Walsh.
They did, the witness answered.
The water cooler in the house was
a barrel and the ice was dropped di-
rectly into it. said the witness. On ac-.
count of this condition. and also be-
cistern. she refused to drink the Ii
Quid, she said.
Disputes Her Mothers Testimony.
Mrs. Hyde then told of Col Swope's
habit of using a medicine, containing
strychnine, iron. and quinine. There
room up to the time of his death, she
said.
On the morning of October 3, said the
witness, her mother was not at the
breakfast table in the Swope house. Mrs.
Swope testified that she talked at the
breakfast table with Miss Pearl Kellar,
Col. Swope's nurse. regarding the medi-
cine Dr. Hyde had left for the million
aire.
Mrs. Hyde's description of Colonel
Swope's convulsions varied greatly from
that given by Miss Kellar. The arms,
she said, were not drawn and the
twitching was apparently on one side
of his body. He made no sound bur
that of snoring, she said.
Did your Uncle Thomas say: L wish
1 hadn't taken that damned medicine?'
queried Mr.. Walsh.
mo, sir he only said he wished he
was dead" answered Mrs. Hyde.
Mrs. Hyde said she was in constant
attendance on her uncle until he diei
Her Mother and her brother, Thomas.
were in the room but once on the day
of Col. Swope's death, she testified.
Did you have a conversation with
any one in the presence of Miss Kellar
the appointment of your hus-