Los Angeles herald., 1910-02-11
HYDE ARRESTED
FOR MURDER OF
COL. TIL. SWOPE
Husband of Niece of Mil
lionaire Is Accused of
Poisoning Him
OUT ON $50, 900 BOND
Warrant Issued as Climax
of Series of Mysterious
Fatalities
OUT ON $5O, 900 BOND
rAssociated Press.

| II ANSAS CITY, Mo-, Feb. 10--As q
n climax to the lengthy investiga-
: tion of the mysterious death OF
Col Thomas H swepe On October g
1909, DR.. B. C. Hyde, husband of the
late millionaire's niece. was arrested
on a charge of the alleged murder
of the aged philanthropist, today.
The warrant upon which the arrest
was made was issued at the request
of Attorney John G. Paxton, executor
of the Swope estate. First degree mur-
der is charged. The warrant says
that DR.. Hyde. with felonious intent,
administered strychnine to Colonel
Swope on the day of his death.
Across the back of the complaint,
filed by Mr. Paxton asking for a war
rant, Prosecutor Virgil Conkling wrote
above his signature, "I hereby indorse
this complaint"
DIR. Hyde learned that a warrant was
being sought, and, with his attorneys.
went to the prosecutors office to await
the return of Mr.. Conkling. He sub
mitted to arrest without demanding to
hear the warrant read.
From the prosecutors office the
party went to Independence, Mo-,
where DR.. Hyde was arraigned before
Justice W. F. Loar. The physician
pleaded not guilty. He was released
on bond of $5O,OOO His preliminary
hearing was set for February II.
Bond Fixed at $4,000
Prosecutor Conkling originally
planned to have the bond fixed at
$25, 900, but Hyde's attorneys had ar
ranged fer q $50, 600 surety, and, as
they expressed a willingness to give
this amount, it was accepted.
The bond was signed by f. p. Neal,
president of the Southwest National
bank, and H. F. Hall, president of the
Hall-Baker Grain company; M. D.
seruggs, livestock dealer; William
Mclaughlin, a horseman, and John e.
Cleary, Frank p. Walsh and Judge
John Lucas, attorneys. These are all
wealthy men.
The calmest man in the justices Of
flee in Independence was DR.. Hyde
While attorneys busted themselves
making out the papers, and the spec
tators whispered loudly and Wed with
one another for a view of the accused
physician, he sat near County Mar
shaI Joel 3. Mayes, who made the ar
rest, and read a newspaper thai told
of developments in the Swope inVes-
tlgation.
folding up the paper, 81 wish you
would call up my house and have nv
wife informed that 1 will be home 10Y
dinner. She will be worried about
me-"
Just as soon as the bond was ae-
cepted, DIR. Hyde hurried to his nome
in an automobile.
The arrest followed quickly after
Judge Ralph S. Latshaw called
grand jury to investigate the death or
| Col. Swope. Prosecutor Conkling made
request for jury.
Escapes Attorneys
BY dismissing his libel suit for $60O,Ooo
against Attorney John G. Paxton, DR..
Frank L. Hall and DIR. Edward g.
| Stewart today DR.. Hyde removed nlHl-
self from the range of the attorneys
| who have been using every legal means
| known to them to get his deposition In
fine case. one suit for 100000 is still
pending against Attorney Paxton. The
suit alleges slander.
The death of Col. Swope on October
| last was attended by circumstances
that mystifed the millionaire's family
and close friends. DR.. Hyde had treat
ed Col Swope in his last hours and had
in signing the death certificate given
| apoplexy as the cause of death.
| When in December an epidemic OF
typhoid fever ragged in the Swope
household, in which eight persons were
stricken and one, Chrisman Swope, died
|
prehension among the attending nurses,
| John G. Paxton, the executor, and Mrs.
Logan Swope mother of Chrisman
Swope instituted a vigorous investiga-
| ton DIR. Edward L. Stewart came
forward with the statement that on
November IA DR.. Hyde had obtained
from him an active typhoid culture.
After DR.. Stewart had divulged this in
formation Dr. Hyde was placed under
| the constant surveillance of detectives
DR.. Stewart in telling his story to
attorneys of the Swope estate and 10
Prosecutor Virgil Conkling explained
| that a typhoid culture consisted of q
test tube filed with media on which
the typhoid bacteria lived. healthy
| growth of bacteria covered the media
| The test tube given DR.. Hyde, he said.
contained algae media and millions or
typhoid bacteria.
Hyde Becomes Ill
On December 20 DIR. Hyde himself
| suffered an attack stated to be typhoid
fever DIR. Stewart later supplied the
prosecuting attorney with interesting
evidence bearing on DR.. Hyde's illness:
| "When DR. Hyde became ILL., said
DR.. Stewart, 81 was asked to make an
examination of his blood for typhoid.
He asked that 1 make the Vidal test.
This will show typhoid fever even IL
the subject whose blood is examined
| suffered from the disease several years
before. An examination of the blood
of DR.. Hyde showed faint trace or
"I then asked permission to make
the culture test. This is an absolute
test for typhoid If it is actively pres
ent in the blood when the blood is
taken from the patient"
Or, Stewart said that, although DIR.
Hyde's blood was placed side by side
in an Incubator with blood taken from
a typhoid patient in a Kansas City
hospital, it remained absolutely sterile
of typhoid and contained no typhoid
germs.
After it was decided that the bodies
of Colonel Swope and Chrisman Swope
should be disinterred, Mr. Paxton and
Mrs Logan Swope recalled DR.. Hyde's
insistence that he be permitted to act
as physician for the family, although
| IConttpued on Page Threel