The Oskaloosa herald., 1910-04-14
.sWOPE MURDER
CASE IS OPENED
Sensational Trial in Kansas City
.rssa 81 Is Started.
DOCTOR HYDE is DEFENDANT
Physician Accused Of Poisoning Noted
Philanthropist and Under lndlct.
msnt for Killing Other Members
Of the Family.


this smorning In the criminal court.
Judge Ralph s. Latshaw presiding. on
a charge OF first degree murder for the
alleged poisoning Of Col Thomas II.
Swope, the noted philanthropist, sew
eraf months ago. ~
| Probably the most talented array of
counsel ever gathered together in q
criminal trial in this part of the coun-
try is sitting In the court room, each
side in best condition for the fray,
which promises to be the most sensa.
tional murder trial known In the mid.
die west.
On the side of the prosecution are
Virgil Conklin, prosecuting attorney;
John G. Paxton, executor for the
SWope estate, and Assistant Prosecu.
tors Henry l.. Jost and Edward P. Cur.
tin. The defense is represented by
Frank p. Walsh, Judge r. Johnson,
John II. Locas and John NJ Cleary.
q The Charges Against Hyde.
Doctor Hyde is to be tried on the
charge of killing Colonel Swope first
There are other charges against him
as follows:
First degree murder, for the killing
OF Chrisman Swope, Colonel Swopes
nephew; manslaughter, for the killing
Of Col. Moss Hunton, Colonel Swopes
cousin; six charges Of assault with
intent to kill in connection with the
members of the swope family and
servants being stricken with typhoid
fever, the germs alleged to have been
administered by Doctor Hyde.
On the outcome of the present trial
of Doctor Hyde probably will depend
the disposal OF the other charges
against him. -,s.I; :.r, Il
Strange and Dramatic Story. ~,
" The history of the Swope case is as
dramatic as it is uneanny. 1t was
on October last that Col. Thomas H.
Swope, multi-millionaire, died very
suddenly, and under most mysterious
circumstances following brief III.
ness. The attending physician was
Doctor Hyde, the husband of the dead
mans niece, and he diagnosed the
cause OF the eolonePs death as apo
plexy. 1t developed. however, that on
the fatal day Col. Swope was feeling
In good spirits. until after he had swal.
! lowed a capsule given him by DR.
Hyde. He was seized with conyul-
sions and one hour later. was dead
Just two days before the colonel's
death, James Moss Hunton, his cousin
| and an executor of the Swope win,
also died of apoplexy. - g..
Colonel Swope left an estate esti-
mated at $4,000 900, the principal ,bens-
hciaries being the unmarried children
OF his sisterin-law,. Mrs. Logan o.
Swope. To the married daughter, Mrs.
Frances Hyde. wife of Dir. Hyde. he
left $4,000.
Epidemic Caused Suspicion.
No suspicion was attached to
the colonePs death until December,
when an epidemic of typhoid broke
out in the Swope household.
,Chrisman SWope, nephew of
Colonel Swope. was one of the frst
to fall victim. Possessing a strong
constitution, however, he seemed on
fair road to recovery. when, on De-
cember 2, he was suddenly attacked
with commissions and became uncon.
scious exactly as his uncle had done
two months before He died on De,
cember g. -. r.
Other cases in the swope household
included Miss Margaret Swope, Miss
Cora Dickson. governess; Miss Cop
page. colored servant; Steward 8
| Fleming, nephew Of Colonel Swope:
Mrs, Sarah Swope. niece, and Miss
Stella Swope, another niece.
Doctor Hyde had been treating Chris
man Swope and on the sudden death
Of the latter. the nurses became
alarmed and refused to stay In the
house unless Mrs. Logan Swope would
summon another physician. This she
did, but the physician was unable TO
locate the cause of the typhoid. On
December Is Misc Lucy Lee; daugh.
ter of Mrs. Logan. Swope, was
stricken with typhoid fever four days
after her arrival from Europe. DIR.
Hyde had met the young lady in New
York and had treated her In the early
stages of her illness. --s = g.
Mrs Logan Swope acquainted John
G.. Paxton, the attorney for the Swope
estate, with her suspicious, and as a
result the bodies Of Colonel Swope and
nephew were exhumed and autopsies
performed. Strychnin was found in
large quantities. and an examination
OF the stomach of Miss Margaret
Swope. who, recovered from the at
tack OF typhoid. revealed the presence
OF this poison. .,
It was on February that the cor
oner's Jury in Independence, Mo-.
handed down q verdict holding Doctor
HYDE responsible for the death OF
Colonel SwOpe. Developments now
came thick and fast The following
day Doctor Hyde was arrested,
charged with murder In the first de.
gree. the warrant being issued at the
request of Attorney Paxton. Doctor
Hyde took his arrest coolly and plead,
cd mot guilty" when arrsignsd be,
fore Justice w. +. Loar At Independ-
enes He was released on bond Of $780,.
600,