Los Angeles herald., 1910-02-11
ARREST HYDE ON
MURDER CHARGE
DOCTOR ACCUSED OF KILLING
COLONEL SW0PE
ACCUSED MAN is RELEASED ON
$4,000 BOND
Husband of Dead Philanthropist's
Niece Held for Alleged Crime
Once Involved in Crave
Robbery Confession
.cOntrnned from Page one,


DR.. G. T. Twyman had for years
served in that capacity.
DR.. Hyde prescribed for Colonel
Swope in the latter's illness The pa
tient was given a digestive capsule on
October 8. Twenty minutes later
when reading a newspaper, he. went
into convulsions. His neck and limbs
stiffened and he groaned in great pain.
He rallied enough to say Il wish
had not taken that medicine" Then
with great effort the dying man
gasped: "I wish 1 were dead"
He died a few minutes later.
Miss Kellar, a nurse, was alone with
Colonel Swope when the convulsions
began. She said the patients face was
pale throughout and that. she was
amazed upon hearing that the malady
had been diagnosed as apopleXy.
Only two days before James Moss
Hunton, Colonel Swopes cousin, and
named as an executor of the Swope
WILL had died of apopleXy in the pres
ence of several persons. In this case
there was every symptom of apopleXy
On December 2 nurses attending
Chrsman Swope, who was being treat
ed for typhoid fever, were surprised
when he also had convulsions and be-
came unconscious exactly as his uncle
had done two months before. Chris
man Swope died December 6.
Miss Margaret Swope Chrismans
milder form. Her illness was dag
nosed as typhoid fever.
On December A. Miss Cora Dickson,
governor in the Swope home, and a
cousin of Colonel Swope, and Miss
Coppege, a negro servant in the Swope
home, were both stricken with typhoid
fever.
On December 5 Steward S. Fleming
of Maury county, Tenn, nephew of
Col Swope, who was visiting at the
Swope home, became ill, typhoid being
given as the cause. On December
Miss Sarah Swope, Is years old,
niece of Col Swope became i'll of ty-
phoid fever, and on December IL Miss
Stella Swope, another niece of Col.
Swope, also was stricken with the
same disease.
Another Afflicted
On December IS Miss Lucy Lee,
daughter of Mrs. Logan Swope, was
afflicted with typhoid fever four days
after her arrival from Europe. DR..
Hyde had gone to New York, accom-
panied the young woman home, and
had treated her in the early stages of
her Illness.
The five nurses employed at the
Swope home became so aroused by the
manifestation in the diseases prevail
ing there that finally they notified Mrs.
SWope they would all leave unless an
other physician be obtained. Then
Dr. Twyman was summoned and re-
sumed his services as the family ply
scian.
Shortly thereafter DIR. Hyde himself
was stricken.
Later the body of Chrisman Swope
was secretly exhumed and that of Col.
Swope was taken from its tomb. After
an autopsy had been held the stom-
achs of the two dead men were for
warded to Chicago and analyzed by
Drs. Haines, Hektoen and Vaughn.
DR.. Bennett Clarke Hyde is the son
of Rev. DR. G. w. Hyde, a retired Bap-
tist minister of Lexington, Mo. DR..
Hyde was born near Bunceton, Mo,
forty years ago.
He was graduated from Wentworth
Military academy, Lexington, Mo, In
1889, and then entered the University
Medical college, Kansas City. After
getting his degree he began the prac-
tice of medicine here.
DR.. Hyde's name has previously fig
ured before the public. In August,
1897, DR.. Hyde, then police surgeon of
Kansas City, was ousted from office
because of alleged inhuman treatment
of Annie Clements, a negress who had
attempted to commit suicide, and who
had come under his care at the police
station.
Accused of Grave-Robbery
DR.. Hyde's name was even more
conspicuously in the newspapers in the
winter of 1S9S-99, when he was charged
with grave robbing. At this time DR..
Hyde was demonstration of anatomy at
the medical college.
The accusation was made by Sam
McClain and Charles Perry, negroes,
who had been arrested on suspicion.
Perry confessed that he and his COM
panion had robbed the grave of Mi
chael Kelly in ST. Mary's cemetery at
independence, Mo, and had sold the
body to Hyde.
1t developed that many graves about
Kansas City had been robbed. Perry
admitted these robberies, and again
implicated Hyde, who was arrested.
The case never came to trial, and
finally was dismissed March 4, 1899.
Dr. Hyde protested and said he wanted
a complete vindcation.
In 1906 attention was again directed
toward Dr. Hyde, when it became
known that he had clandestinely mar
ried Miss Frances Swope, a niece Of
Colonel Thomas H. Swope, on June 21
of that year at Fayetteville, Ark, and
against the wishes of her mother, Mrs.
Logan o. Swope. AS result of the
marriage DIR. Hyde and his wife's
family were alienated until recently,
when reconciliation was brought
about.
Following the announcement of DR..
Sarah II. Frank of Kansas City
brought suit against DR.. Hyde, asking
damages for breach of promise. This
case was settled out of court.
Go In Society
DR.. and Mrs. Hyde have a modest
home in a fashionable part of the city
and move in the best circles. They
have no children.
The estate of Colonel Thomas H.
Swope was valued at $3.000,000. 1t
consisted of improved Kansas City
real estate in the heart of the bust
ness section and much out of town
property
Colonel Swope proved himself a
great benefactor to Kansas City, where
he had amassed his fortune.
His most conspicuous gift was
swope park 1854 acres of beautiful
wooded land, one of the finest and
largest recreation grounds in the mid
die west.
Ten nephews and nieces survived
Colonel Swope at the time his will
was filed. Seven were In the family
of Mrs Logan o. Swope, his sister
At the death of any one of these
nenhews or nieces bequests under the
will reverted to the residuary part of
the estate, and the surviving relatives
shared equally in 1t. Hence, by the
death of Chrisman Swope his share
NI... tf