The San Francisco call., 1910-04-19
DIR. HYDE BRANDED
king OF PRISONERS
Accused of Colossal Murder
Plot in Prosecutors Open
ing Statement
An Important Witness Against
Swope's Alleged Slayer
Dies Suddenly

~
ly had the state completed its opening
statement in the murder trial of DIR.
B. C. Hyde today when DR.. G. T. Twy-
man, one of the prosecutions most inn
portant witnesses, died at a local hos
pital. He was stricken last Saturday.
Acute diverticulitis caused death.
Doctor Twyman was for years the
Swope family physician. When the
nurses struck. at the residence and ac-
cused Doctor Hyde. they carried their
complaint to Doctor Twyman. He called
Doctor Hyde to his Office and told him
he was suspected. In other matters
than those pertaining to his duties as
a physician, Doctor Twyman was In the
confidence of the Swope family.
Upon him the state depended largely
to prove Doctor Hyde bled James Moss
Hunton to death. He was also ex-
pected to testify regarding the alleged
attempt of Doctor Hyde to poison Miss
Margaret Swope. Miss Swope was Doc
tor Twymans patient when it is said
Doctor Hyde tried to kill him.
APPROVED OF DIR. HYDE'S WORK
When Doctor Hyde's attorneys took
a deposition from Doctor Twyman he
refused to criticise Doctor Hyde. With
out going into detail, Doctor Twyman
said he approved, in general, Doctor
Hyde's work in connection with the ILL
nesses of various members of the Swope
family.
SO valuable did the state consider
the testimony of Doctor Twyman that
at one time Prosecutor Conkling
thought of dismissing the jury which
had been chosen, but not sworn, and
| awaiting the recovery of the physician
before beginning the trial.
Doctor Hyde sat calmly between his
wife and his father in the criminal
court room today and heard himself
described as man whose greed for
gold had made him a poisoner and
murderer.
1t was Attorney James d, Reed who,
in the course of his opening statement
for the prosecution, thus painted the
physician.
SHOWS NO EMOTION
Throughout the long ordeal of the
excoriating address Hyde listened at
tentively. At no time did he reveal a
sign of perturbation. When Reed
closed Mrs. Hyde turned, patted her
husband on the shoulder, and said:
You did fine"
A few feet behind the Hydes sat Mrs.
Logan o. Swope, mother of Mrs. Hyde,
and employer of Attorney Reed. She,
100, PAID SIrlCt attention TO Ine dQ-
Dress, but displayed no emotion.
Many members of the Swope family
were present when court opened. The
state objected to the presence of Mrs.
Hyde, and Judge Latshaw ruled that
all witnesses in the case except Mrs.
Hyde and Mrs. Swope should be ex-
cluded from the room.
Clashes between attorneys kept the
spectators alert. The defense made
early and active objection to the state
telling the jury of any incidents in the
Swope home not directly connected with
the death of Colonel Swope. The court
decided to admit all circumstances the
state AYERS will tend to show a plot
existed to eXterminate the entire
Swope family. But although this rul-
ing was made early in the morning
session, counsel for the defense never
ceased to make strenuous arguments
against such procedure.
MAKES VICIOUS ATTACK
At one time Frank P. Walsh chief
counsel for Doctor Hyde, became so
exercised over the point that he made
vicious attack on states witnesses,
characterizing some of them as liars
and thieves"
AS a result of the courts decision
regarding introduction of this testi-
mony, the whole panorama of incidents
| in the Swope home from the first ILL
ness of Colonel Swope was displayed.
Every death in the house, every illness
of members of the Swope family and
others which the state alleges Doctor
Hyde caused, was reviewed.
At one time it seemed the innermost
secrets of the domestic warfare in the
Swope family would be exposed. When
Reed launched on the history of the
courtship of Doctor and Mrs. Hyde,
which ended in an elopement and for
years caused family estrangement.
spectators leaned forward eagerly.
Walsh quickly interposed an objection
to this story and the court sustained
him.
The charge that Doctor Hyde poi
soned Colonel Swope and Chrisman
Swope by cyanide of potassium, as well
| as strychnine, was the only new fea-
ture brought out in Reeds address.
Doctor Hyde purchased large quanti-
ties Of cyanide of potassium capsules
at a local drug store, which was re-
Gently burned it was said. According
to Reed, however, the poison books
of the druggist, containing records of
Hyde's purchases, were saved.
simultaneously with the buying of
the cyanide capsules, said Reed, the
physician obtained quantity of Hol-
lenden digestive tablets, similar in ap-
pearance to the poison. BY the use of
the digestive capsules, the attorney
charged, Doctor Hyde hoped to cover
up the fact that he had administered
poison to his victims
PRIzEFIGHTER KNOCKED oUT-Santa Rosa,
AprI 1S-Judge Thomas c. Denny granted a
Karu xvbn boS