Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-02-09
Jury bLAMES HYDE
Caused Col. SWope's Death
With Strychnine Capsule.
DOUBT AS TO HIS MOTIVE
Whether With Felonious Intent or
Not Is Not Determined.
HE REFUSES TO TAKE STAND
Miss Kellar Repeats Her Story OF
Paroxysms Attending Million
aires Last Moments.

KANSAS CITY. Mo-, February 9.-"Col.
strychnne, administered in capsule by
Dr. B. c. Hyde; but whether by felonious
intent or not we, the jury, are unable to
say"
This verdict was rendered at 1 O'Clock
this afternoon by the coroner's jury at
Independence, after being out one hour.
The Swope inquest was ended at noon
today. At that time the sensational in
quiry into the causes that led to the death
of Col. Thomas Hunton Swope, Kansas
City's millionaire philanthropist, was
given to the jury. 1t retired Immediately
to consider its verdict.
Hyde Declines to Testify.
The most sensational phase of the in
quest came when DR.. B. Clark Hyde,
physician to Col. Swope on the day he
died. and the prescriber of a digestive
capsule, the administration of which pre-
coded death only short time, refused to
testify or even to be sworn.
The scene lasted only few moments,
but those moments were full of sup
pressed excitement. The eyes of jurymen,
spectators, witnesses and even the Of
fetal stenographers were riveted on Dr.
Hyde and the three figures who may de-
termine an arrest in the case of the death
of Col. Swope-Frank p. Walsh, Hyde S
attorney: DR.. b. F. Zwart, county cor
oner, and Virgil Conkling, prosecuting at
torney of Jackson county.
The morning barely had started when
Dr. Zwart looked at piece of paper upon
which he carried the list Of witnesses. His
lips were just beginning to frame the
name of DR.. Hyde when Attorney Walsh
arose and slowly said:
1.-THE attorneys for DR.. Hyde have ad-
vised him not to testify. We dc. not care
to have him testify here. Therefore, at
our suggestion, he must decline to be
sworn
Prosecutor Conkling and Coroner Zwart
insisted, but Attorney Walsh refused to
let Dr. Hyde testify.
Expert Testimony.
Dr. w. v. Gayle. a Kansas City ply
stefan, was then called to give expert
testimony on the effects of strychnine
upon the human system and the symptoms
accompanying poison by that method.
Miss Pearl Kellar the nurse. was then
recalled. At the request of the coroner
Miss Kellar again detailed that part of
her story of yesterday in which she de-
scribed the condition of Col. Swope be-
tween the time OF his death and his TAX
ing the capsule prescribed by DR.. Hyde.
Miss Kellar described Col. Swope's first
CONFUSION.
Then" she continued, latter he had
turned his head from the window, his
eyes were fixed-he went into this quiv-
ering motion / told about yesterday. His
hands clinched, and there was a terrible
motion over the whole body.
He was making sound, not with his
mouth open. but evidently with his teeth
clinched somewhat. a tense sort of a
grind, would Judge, with the mouth
tightly closed. He made this sound
at the same time he made this motion.
II suppose that CONFUSION lasted ten
minutes. His arms were raised and his
hands clinched tight
did anything exude from the mouth %
Yes, sir His teeth, as / say, were
tightly clinched. / could see there was
a tenacious ropy substance, whitish.
continued washing .hat out for some lit
tie time during the convulsion.''