The Bon Homme County independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1904-1913, 1910-04-28
DRUGGIST DRINKS
SWOPE'S TONIC IN
SIGHT OF JURORS
Alleged Victim Of DR.. Hyde
Called to Stand by State in
Murder Trial.

nine tonic which Colonel Swope was
accustomed to taking. testified o. H
Gentry, an Independence druggist, In
the Hyde murder trial today. This
druggist filled the prescriptions TO,
James Moss Hunton for many years
Hunton induced Colonel Swope to take
the medicine.
This tonic" said Mr.. Gentry. "is
a general one for building up the sys-
tenn and adding red corpusles to the
blood. 1t contains a small amount OF
strychnine, but is harmless"
AS he talked he held in his hand
six-ounce bottle OF the medicine
Proof that he had faith in his own
goods was not lacking, for occasionally
he uncorked the bottle and took drink
Of the contents.
Besides compromising the tonic. Mr..
Gentry says that he sold Mr.. Hunton
many other kinds Of medicine which
went into the Swope house. None OF
them contained cyanide Of potassium
or other poison in dangerous quantities.
ne said. DR.. Hyde wrote some Of these
prescriptions. On December 9, however,
said the druggist, he sold to some men,
Der of the Swope family two tubes of
hypodermic strychnine. The testimony
or Mr.. Gentry was generally conceded
to be hard blow to the defense. BY
proving the colonel's habit Of taking
the tonic, the defense expected to ex-
plain the alleged presence Of strychnine
N the body.
Alleged Victim on Stand.
DR.. Hyde faced the first Of his al
legged victims shortly before noon to-
day, when Miss Margaret Swope took
the stand. The physician Is indicted
on three counts charging him with pol
soning her. No witness that has been
before the jury has interested DR..
Hyde and his wife so much as this
girl. Roth followed the witness closely
and watched her carefully.
The testimony of Miss Swope this
morning was embarrassing in the main.
She had just begun to discuss her Ill
ness when court adjourned for the noon
recess.
Court hours were heightened, to be-
gin today. by Judge Latshaw because
Of his desire to free the jury as soon
as possible. The morning session now
Is from to IL o'clock and the after
noon is from 1880 to o'clock. Night
sessions will be held Of the court
thinks them necessary.
Nurse On tho Stand.
The subject Of the hypodermic in
lection, which was given Margaret
Swope by DR.. Hyde, was among the
first touched on the cross examination
Of Nurse Houlihan today, who was on
the stand when court opened.
1T Is not true" asked Mr.. Walsh.
that a hypodermic injection often
causes a hard lump to raise on the
arm?'
Sometimes" Miss Houlihan an
swered.
"Margaret's arm was sensitive to
these injections and you had been
ordered to cease giving them to her, I
believer"
1.-The arm was sensitive"
you gave her four injections Mon
day, under the direction of DR.. ivy
mann"
IT can't remember"
Her heart action was weak and in
termittent?"
TT was weak"
The nurse told Of visit she made
to DR.. Hyde's room in the Swope
home one night when the patients
temperature began to fall rapidly.
"Margaret's temperature fell from a
fraction more than 102 TO about 90,
and went to call DR.. Hyde" said the
witness. II told him about this. He
did not arise. but told me he had done
all he could do"
That DR.. Hyde reprimanded her be-
cause she did not give the girl her
medicine at the proper time, was ad-
HE spoke sharply and seemed
greatly put out about It," said the
nurse.
did Chrisman Swope suffer from
asked Mr.. Walsh.
Yes" replied Miss Houlihan, 'he
imagined DR.. Hyde was going to oper-
ate on him, and that Margaret was
dead"
The inroads the defense was making
upon the testimony Of the nurse SEEM
ingly perturbed Mrs. Logan o. Swope.
After listening for an hour to the ex-
animation of the witness, she called
one of her special attorneys to her side
and held lengthy consultation.
What did DR.. Hyde say when he
handed you the capsule to give Chris
man Swope?" asked Mr.. Walsh.
1.-The patient is getting along all right
and 1t Is time to give him his medi-
cine," answered the witness. Miss
lHoulihan gave the capsule and con-
vulsion followed. The attempt of Mr..
Walsh to show Miss Houlihan disliked
DR.. Hyde, and had quarreled with him
In the Swope residence, brought a Wig
orous denial by the nurse.
"Why did you leave the Swope house
on December 1872" asked Mr.. Reed,
when Mr.. Walsh had finished with the
witness. Three Of DR.. Hyde's attorneys
objected at the same time to the wit
ness answering, and the court upheld
the objection.
Druggist 10 Called.
o. p. Gentry, the independence drug
gist who compounded the strychnine
tonic for Colonel Swope, and James
Moss Hunton, next took the stand. It
was apparent that Mr.. Gentry did not
fear his own prescription. He took
bottle of the tonic to the stand with
him, and betimes, took drink Of 1t.
II have a slight palpitation Of the
heart" he explained to the court when
attorneys for Dr. Hyde objected to the
druggist drinking the medicine.
Mr.. Gentry said an ounce of the tonic
but one-hundred and eight
eth Of grain Of strychnine.
Sisters Do Not Speak.
Margaret Swope was slow in reach
ing the court room this afternoon and
as a result the trial was somewhat de-
layed in getting started.
Entering the court room the girl
walked near to her sister. Mrs. Hyde,
and looked at her. Many thought the
two would speak, as the younger girl
gazed longingly at her sister, but Mrs.