The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1910-02-09
DIED OF POISON.
CorOner's JuryFinds That Death
of Col. SWOpe
Was Due to Strychnine Admin
istered by DIR. Hyde.
is UNABLE TO SAY
Whether 1t Was With Criminal
Intent or Not.
The Doctor on COunsel's Advice
Had Refused to Testify.

Kansas City, Mo-, Feb. y Ooione
cyvore came to his death by reason
r.~,,cbrina administered III
o,- Dr r. C. Hyde. but whether Dy lei'
iors intent or not we the jury arc U'
able to say. o,clock
,r,-,-.. ..er1ict was rendered at 1 cloON
.,,is afternoon by the coroner Ju,
T.'sanandence. after being out one - -
- - +te sunerlative of intensity Men'
go inouest today. Into the odrN
IN 80 conjecture. and mystery was
~ carried the death OF Coloho'
- u Swope. For DR.. 3. Cldi
- ,tysician to Colonel Swope oi
ao,- he died, prescriber OF a olseS
80 oans11e. which preceded deatn o4ils ny
short while. refused to teslliS 70 he
corouer's jury. and reluseu
sworn. q few moments.
- ~ time more eXcitemeht No'
Irowded than in the two days u
mony. &c time in which
pulses beat with excltel,1eisrn rnectators
1,.itroassee and even the stenosra gnont
foreot everything else except 10 ea,,res
S7, !Tl a,Car1, attention to the four ils -
1-bo nav determine an arrest ,onaN ~
case of the death OF Colott9l Ottnrnev, DR..
rank p. Walsh, Hyde's aItoln0y, yxy,-oii
z Sevart, county coroner, Tan1[
ConLiipg prosecuting attorney OIL JAZZ
son county and DR.. Hyde 5 ,,-her,
SU7I - ,1,ornine barely had started MLon
nr Sewart looked at a pleCe - Iii
mon which he carried the hSl ~ ,o;np
~ upon His lips were just beglnnlls
fs,,,e the name of DR.. HYDE Wuer
Attorney Walsh arose and pent -
+ba table The court room pecdlllI Si1-. 81
,1eft7
denly quiet. Mr.. Waisn peSam IaIIde have
.aTbe attorneys for Dr. Hyoe nc
,d,-isad him not to testify Mr.. w alsh
;I I'VE do not care for him TO yes
tifv here and therefore at our Sus
ion he must decline to be sWoln, ~,
A1o+her man was standing CLOSE "
+Ilis time and in his hand there was
. conv of a newspaper, the pages
%-tich we're being rapidly turned ,I,-;I 70 81
certain place. The man MH9 11a +oo
Conkling. prosecuting attorne1y' t1 ',racision ra ion
spoke his words Slowly WIN -
and almost coldness.
Hyde's Signed Statement.
ct have here a copy of a newspaper
Of February l." he began. II oOi
tains a signed statement by Dr. 3;
q HYDE and in the light OF ms re-
fusal to testify, L desire To- fro,,
There was an interruption from
Mr. walsh, and this time the SLOW
ness of the speech of the attorney
IF this is done for the purpose of
publication he almost shou'eu'
DR. sewart was on his feet and be-
tween the two mea and for a moment
he and Mr.. Conkling conNersed III
whisper. 80.
Sewart said and just what the
sentence pertalned TO the court loOiii
did not know.
Soon there came the explanation:
Certainly I'll see you privately
Mr.. Conkling said and together they
left the room. AS they DID So there
was a strange anomaly OF races IN
the court room that waited. The at
torneys for the Swope estate were
smiling, the face of Frank T. Walsh
denoted neither interest nor the lack
of it. DR.. Hyde looked straight
The coroner and the prosecuting
attorney were back again and while
the court room waited, DR.. Sewart
spoke
coroner has the right to examine wit
nesses and that DIR. Hyde was sub
poenaed in the regular way and Is
therefore entitled to testify.
Il stated before that on the advice
of counsel, Dr.. Hyde refuses refuse, D,t6S to be
Attorney Walsh, land since"
Refusal Is Maintained.
There had come another Interrupt
ton, in the voice of Prosecuting At
torney Conkling. THE prosecutor
asks that the same rule apply here
as with all witnesses he said We
hemently. 1--WE refuse to allow the
witness to testify insisted Walsh.
The coroner insists" DR.. Sewart
answered hastily
Counsel refuses to allow the wit
ness to testify"
nv. ~ Wir-
gil Conkling, still with the newspaper
COPY of DIR Hyde's statement in his
hand, the statement in which Dr..
Hyde said he was ready and willing
to testify at any inquiry; that he was
eager for an investigation and anX-
ious that the mystery of Colonel
Swope's death be cleared. looked at
DR.. Hyde, at the attorneys and at the
spectators. His voice became hard.
Then he said: THAT is sufficient for
the purposes of the prosecutor"
This ended the incident and DIR. w.
V Gayle, a Kansas City physician. was
called to give expert testimony on the
effects of strychnine on the human
system and the symptoms accompany
ing poison by that method.
Walsh's Statement.
Frank P. Walsh made the following
statement:
e"rhe evidence in the investigation
by the state before the coroner's jury
as to the death OF Colonel SWope was
not such as to impress counsel for DR..
HYDE with the belief that anything of
a substantial nature has been shown
tending to discredit his statement here
tofore made, that he is neither respon-
sible by accident or design for the
death of Colonel Swope; or that the
death resulted from other than nat
ural causes. The statement of the
experts employed by Mrs. Swope were
so at variance with another that nc
reasonable conclusion could be drawr
therefrom
Counsel for DR.. Hyde therefore re.
fused to permit him to be sworn as q