The Calumet news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 1907-1938, 1910-04-09
Intense Interest Manifested in I'm
pending Action Against
DR.. Hyde.
FACES ELEVEN INDICTMENTS
Charged That Defendant Used Stryeh-
nine to Dispose of Col. Thomas
Swope-Typhoid Germs May
Have Been Used Also.

throughout the state in the impending
hearing of the case against DIR. B.
G. Hyde, which has been set for next
Monday. DR.. Hyde will have to face
series of eleven indictments, two
of them charging him with murder in
the first degree, one with manslaugh-
ter and eight with attempted murder.
The case, which has features of unu-
sual and highly sensational interest.
promises to be the cause celebre" of
this section of the state.
The most serious charge under the
indictment which the Grand Jury
found. against DR.. b. Clarke Hyde on
March of this year. are that he
caused the death of Col Thomas II.
Swope and Chrisman Swope by Civ
ing them strychnine. The indictment
for manslaughter Is based upon the
charge that DR.. Hyde caused the
death of James Moss Hunton, a cou-
sin of the late Col. Swope by bleeding
him. Perhaps not quite so serious,
but far more sensational are the re-
naming eight indictments which
charge DR.. Hyde with having attempt
ed to murder Margaret Swope, Stella
Swope, Sarah Swope Lucy Lee Swope,
Nora Bell Dickson, Georgia f.. Comp
ton, Mildred Fox and Leonora Co
pridge by inoculating them with ty-
phoid fever germs.
DR.. Bennett Clark Hyde. the de-
fendant, Ia the son of a Baptist min
ister now retired, at Lexington, Mo.
He was graduated from the Went
worth Military academy at Lexington,
and went to Kansas City in the early
90's and studied medicine. A short
time after he had been licensed to
practice DIR. Hyde was appointed po-
lice surgeon by Mayor Webster Da-
Wis. Before he had served a year he
was removed for unprofessional con-
duct. When in October. 1898, several
unusually bold grave robberies were
committed, DR.. Hyde's name became
connected with the matter, but no
sufficient proofs were found against
him. II was three or four years later
DIR. Hyde's engagement to Miss Fran
ces Swope, daughter of Mrs. Margaret
Swope of Independence and niece of
the late Col Thomas II. Swope.
The engagement was strongly oppos-
ed by Mrs. Margaret Swope, but Miss
Frances was determined to marry
Hyde and even the fact that several
breach of promise suits were filed
against him, which did not reflect
credit upon his character. did not
change her determination. She be-
came the wife of DR.. Hyde and, after
n while, truce was declared and
fairly cordial entente established be-
tween the Swope family and DR.. Hyde.
The door of Swope home was OPEN
ed to the young doctor last summer
and soon thereafter began chain OF
events which caused the death o'
three persons and came near wiping
out the entire Swope family.
The first victim was James Moss
Hunton, a cousin and trusted conf
dant of Col. Swope. He died October
1. 1909 and apoplexy was given as the
cause of his death. Subsequent inves-
tigation developed the fact, however,
that death was not caused by apop-
lexy and the state will attempt to show
that DIR. Hyde was in some way re-
sponsible for the death of Mr.. Hun
ton
Col. Thomas II. Swope. n million
aire real estate and mine owner, who
gave Swope Park to Kansas City, died
suddenly on october 3. 1909. shortly
after having taken capsule at the
direction of DIR. Hyde. Drs. Hektoen
and Haynes of Chicago. two eminent
experts, who made an analysis OF the
viscera OF Col. Swope found strych-
nine in his stomach and liver.
In the month OF December per-
feet epidemic of typhoid fever broke
out in the Swope household. on De-
cember l. Miss Margaret Swope.
niece of Col. Swope, came down with
typhoid fever. Two days later Chris
man Swope her brother. developed
symptoms Of the disease and on De-
cember he died in Independence, af-
ter having taken a capsule given to
him by direction OF DIR. Hyde. Like
Col. Swope young Chrisman Swope
died latter violent convulsions
and an analysis of his stomach also
showed the presence of strychnine.
Between December 3 and 21 five
other members of the Swope family
and colored maid became Ill with
typhoid fever but all OF them recov-
cred. All OF them are legatees un-
der the will of Col. Swope, who left
an estate valued at more than ss,-
0oO. 900. It will be contended by the
state that DR.. Hyde had contemplate
ed to murder these legatees to
increase his share In the estate and
that he had inoculated them with ty-
phoid fever germs which he had OBJ
tained under a plausible pretext