The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1910-02-13
h mis- $ R P It Is Sv.rl t
By J hn c, Pdx,ln
STORY OF NURSES Ri. L.TEl
Nurses Left Colonel Swope's House
After Throwing Out Hints of
the Murder

Kansas City, February Ia -(Special.) }
toen and DR.. Haines in the stomach
of Miss Margaret Swope and revealed in
later report from the two Chicago
chemists was brought out in the course
of the deposition of John G. Paxton
in the office of Frank P. Walsh this
afternoon.
Mr.. Paxton was questioned as to a
second report of the experts on the
analysis of the stomach of Miss Swope,
first reported by one of them to be
free from traces of strychnine.
do you desire to introduce anoth-
er and later report?" Mr.. Paxton was
asked.
IT do" was the answer, and the
statement was made that subsequent
analysis had revealed strychnine '1n
large quantities"
This analysis was made Immediately
after Miss Swope had been given med
icine by DR.. Hyde.
The events of December Is. when
the nurses struck, going to Mrs. L. o.
Swope and telling her that her chill
dren were being murdered, were re-
lated by Paxton.
Amid continuous Interruptions by at
torneys, Mr.. Paxton told how Miss
Houlehan. one of the four nurses, put
on her hat and coat and left the home.
Before going, however. she said to Mrs.
Swope:
People are being murdered in this
house."
Then Paxton related the dramatic de-
parture of DIR. and Mrs. Hyde from
the Swope home, the doctor under q
cloud of suspicion, the wife indignant
at the charges that had been made
against her husband.
1T was on this day." Mr. Paxton said,
that for the frst time poison was mem
toned Ia connection with Colonel
Swope's death. Also for the first time
was made aware of the awful story
of the nurses and thei suspicious. 1t
was on this day that the open breach
occurred between Frances Swope- Hyde.
good, faithful woman, who had charge
OF the home during the trying siege OF
illness, and her mother, Mrs. Swope.
1T was about 6 O'Clock the night of
that significant day when first heard
- SA&S o"A al S0cPAtiOA ana charges.
l was going down the street with my
wife when DR.. Twyman came up be-
hind and asked to see me. said: I'll
come right over to your Office as soon
as l take Mrs. Paxton home. But he
replied: No, must see you at once.
And he asked Mrs. Paxton to go home
with his driver so tnat I coule talk
with him about the Swope illness Tn en-
ne told me of the action of the nurses
and the suspicious of Mrs Swope.
was thunderstruck, hit squarely be-
tween the eyes when he told me of the
nurses going in body to Mrs Swope
and telling her her children were being
murdered and that they would not stay
IN the mouse any longer. could not be-
move 1t at first, but Twyman went from
one peculiar circumstance to another
LIT. Twyman told me of the convul-
aions that Margaret Swope had had that
day. And the nurses all said they were
similar to those of which Chrisman Swope
had died.
That afternoon Miss Houlehan. the
nrrse. put on her coat and hat and re-
II ling to stay, she said where people
were being murdered
Then for the first time did I hear
Miss kellar's story of the giving Of the
capsule 10 Colonel Swope and of his 60
ing into Il convulsion Immediately there
after.
But 1 still believed DIR. Hyde inno-
cent" Mr.. Paxton said, land when they
were leaving the Swope home under that
awful charge that night 1 shook DIR.
Hydes hand to show Mrs. Swope that
did not believe her suspiscions could be
true."'
by the by, do you mean that Mrs. Hyde
left under cloud of suspicious, too?.
vas asked.
NO" Paxton shouted. "she is a sweet
pure girl and she had been doing her
duty, helping take care of her sisters
In their illness.
Then why didn't you ask her about
the conditions about the home during
the illness? Why did not you ask her to
explain the queer things that were hap
l,enfng there? Mr.. Walsh asked
Paxton declined to answer and so the
day went on in continuous wrangle over
the competency of the evidence. Mr.
Waleh asked Paxton about every state
nlent he had made in the letter to Stuart
Fleming OIL which he Is now being sued
for slander, trying to find out where he
obtained the information. And to almost
every question Paxton would reply: II
can't remember just who told me, have
sad SO many conversations since Dr. Twy-
man first told me of the suspicious"
2 he grand jury that is to hear of the
deaths Of T. H Swope and Chrisman
swope convened this afternoon and or
sanized and are ready to get down to bus
mess Monday.
Nothing will be left untouched which
xiil throw any light on the causes of
he spread of typhoid fever among the
members of the Swope family and the
contributing causes of the deaths The
'hernlsts who made the analysis in Chi
cago will submit their report to the grand
Jurv and at least one of them will be
ore sent to testify.