Los Angeles herald., 1910-04-30
ILLNESS DELAYS,
DEATH MAY HALT,
TRIAL Of DR.. HYDE
Wife of Juror Is Lying Seriously
III in Hospital, and He Is
Called to Her
WEIRD EVENTS CAUSE TALK
DR.. F. L. Hail. First Expert to
Testify, Tells of SWOpe
Autopsy
WEIRD EVENTS CAUSE TALK
Associated Press1

IN SHADOWS OF aDoIneT lInpelullB
A tragedy darkened the courtroom
today and compelled a recess in the
trial of DR.. b. c. Hyde, who is charged
with having poisoned Col. Thomas
Swope. Mrs. William Beebe, wife Of
one of the jurors, Is lying at the point
of death in a local hospital and the
court recessed today while the griev-
ing husband hurried to her side, be-
lieving he must bid here farewell.
All Kansas City is discussing this
latest tragic development in the Swope
case and wondering if the weird chain
of tragedies are merely condolences.
The death of Dr. G. T. Twyman, one
of the states most important wit
nesses, almost at the hour he was eX-
pected to testify, caused wide comment.
The desperate illness of Mrs. Beebe,
which may compel postponement of the
trial at any instant, has increased it.
With the calling of DIR. Frank l..
Hall, a epathologist, to the witness
stand today, the trial entered the COM
plicated realm of expert testimony.
DR.. Hall assisted DIR. Ludwig HEX
toen of Chicago to make the autopsy
on Col Thomas II. Swope's body on
January 1, and later conducted an in
vestigation to determine, If possible,
the source OF the typnOlu ep1uenlc IN
the Swope residence.
Practically all the examination of the
pathologlst dealt with the condition of
Col. Swope's vital organs at the time
of the post mortem.
On redirect examination, DR.. Hall
said he believed there was nothing
about the organs to indicate death
from natural causes.
"Do you think Col. Swope died of
Atwood
for the state.
II do not" replied the pathologist.
ORGANS NOT NORMAL
Prompted by DR. Hyde and bringing
into use scores of medical terms, At
torney Frank p. Walsh cross examined
the Witness
The cross-examination developed that
Col. Swope's kidneys were not normal;
that uraemic poisoning would have
caused symptoms similar to those
caused by cyanide of potassium; that
there was some hardening of the ar
teries, and that the intestines showed
evidence of a humorous growth.
In closing his cross-examination, Mr..
Walsh asked Dr. Hall if he did not tell
him a few weeks ago that if he had
been called upon to give death GER
tificate in Col. Swope's case he would
have ascribed the cause to senile de-
bihty.
al did" answered the witness.
After presenting a long hypothetical
question in which the symptoms of Col.
Swope were fully described, Mr. At
wood asked:
NOW, in such a case, what would
you say?"
'T should say the patient had been
poisoned" replied DR.. Hall.
Mr. Walsh then asked a hypothetical
question emphasizing the old age and
weaknesses of Col. Swope and asked
If, provided II was not known poison
had been administered, the witness
would say death had resulted from
poisoning.
mo. / should not saw it in that
case" responded DR.. Hall.
UNABLE TO TRACE EPIDEMIC
The witness said he was unable to
locate the source of the typhoid epi-
demic in the Swope residence. 1t
seemed to him. he testified, the germs
had been introduced in a mass by
some one bent upon scientific expert
ment. This suggestion, made to Mrs.
Swope, shocked her, said the patho-
logist.
DR.. Elmer Twyman testified during
the afternoon session that he made
several tests for meningitis upon
Chrisman Swope and none of them
showed he was suffering from this af-
Election.
DIR. Hyde contended, however, this
was the cause of the young mans ILL
ness, DIR. Twyman said. Tests for
typhoid fever were readily responded
to, added the physician.
Mrs. William Beebe, wife of one of
the jurymen, is in a critical condition
at a local hospital 1t is feared the
trial may be postponed on account of
her illness or death at any time. Her
husband xyac ca1Iad tO her ha6Si1a tO-
day, compelling a short recess of the
conrt.
Dr. Hyde refused to enter the cause
of Chrlsman Swopes death in the death
certificate he signed, testified Henry ].
OFT, an undertaken, today. Mr.. OFT said
the physician told him to get DR.. G.. T.
Twyman, who also attended Mr., Swope, |
to fill out the blank This was not
done, and the certificate is still in
complete.
Mrs Hyde spoke to r. B. Mitchell, an
undertaken, a day before Col. Swope |
died about getting a coffin for him.
testified Mr. Mitchell today. The un-
dertaker said Mrs. Hyde told him her |
husband had said Col. Swope could not |
live
The morning session of court was de-
voted largely to the testimony of un-
dertakers, cemetery employees and per-
sons who guarded the bodies of Col. |
and Chrisman Swope and James Moss |
Hunton after their deaths.
U.tonsr 0ron IAIFNnInNs NsIo