Los Angeles herald., 1910-04-26
Margaret SWope, Scarcely Con-
vaIeSCent, TeStifieS as Mrs.
Hyde Aids Defense
GENTRY TAKES OWN MEDICINE
Druggist Who Made the Tonic for
Col. SWope Tries to Show
1t Is Harmless
ASSOCIATED Press1

HluIQeI lIldl nero lOudy. fTOHA
the witness stand Miss Margaret swope,
whom it Is charged in three counts of
an indictment DR.. B. c. Hyde attempt
ed to poison, testified for the state! She
told a straightforward though some
what stilted story Of her illness and OF
the typhoid epidemic in the Swope
home.
Behind DR.. Hyde's attorneys sat Miss
Swope's sister, Mrs. Hyde, directing
the fight on her sisters testimony. At
torneyS frequently consulted her dur
ing the cross examination of the girl.
Seated where she could look directly
into the eyes of the witness Mrs. Lo-
gan o. Swope sat and watched the duel
Of witnesses. Her sympathy was with
the younger girl-the mothers witness
against a disliked son-in-law. But, al
though her sympathy was not with her
older daughter, Mrs. SWope noticed
Mrs Hyde's every action.
One moment Mrs. Swope would smile
encouragingly on her younger daughter
and then she would gaze steadily at
Mrs. Hyde, her face set with an express
sion OF grim determination.
1t seemed almost certain when Mar
garet Swope walked down the aisle of
the courtroom today to take the wit
ness chair she was going to stop and
recognize Mrs. Hyde. She walked
NllIllH IL IeW lteI OL MTS. t1yue1 Ldl-
| tered slightly, peered anxiously at her,
and passed on. Mrs. Hyde apparent
| ly did not see her little sister falter
| The spectators did, however, and there
was a busy craning of necks to get
| good look at the two when they saw
each other for the first time in months.
STILL WEAK FROM ILLNESS
Testifying was an uphill battle for
Miss Swope, who is still weak from
| the effects of typhoid. Her nerves are
unstrung. The rapid fire questioning of
| the attorneys disconnected her at times.
| but her testimony in the main was un-
shaken on cross examination. The best
| feature of the day was her story about
| how DR.. Hyde came to her room while
the lights were burning low one night
J and in the semi-darkness gave her a
| hypodermic. The physician walked
J into the room, announced he would
give a hypodermic rolled up her sleeve,
| inserted the needle and left, she said.
Dr. Twyman was in charge of the case
at the time.
The state contends the injection was
of pus germs and not camphorated oil,
as Dr. Hyde claimed.
When court convened the cross ex-
animation of Miss Houlihan, one of
the nurses called to the Swope home,
was resumed. The defense secured sew
| eral admissions of considerable import
ance. Miss Houlihan admitted that
| she had been reprimanded by DR..
Hyde for failure to give Margaret
Swope her medicine at the right time.
! She admitted, also, that Chrtsman
Swope suffered from hallucinations
during his illness. She told of giving
| Chrisman Swope a capsule on the Or
der of DR.. Hyde and testified that a
| convulsion followed. An attempt was
made to show that Miss Houlihan dis
| liked DR.. Hyde and had quarreled with
| him but this the witness denied.
Miss Margaret Swope took the wit
ness stand at Has o'clock. She is II
years old. DR.. Hyde and his wife
| leaned forward eagerly and listened IN
tently to her testimony.
"It was almost dark in the room,"
she said in low and faltering voice.
MY nurse was away. Dr. Hyoe came
| into my room and, coming to my bed
side. said he was going to give me a
| hvpodermic. He took my arm and
rolled up my sleeve. l drew away as
soon as the needle entered my arm.
He gave me an injection and then left
the room."
CONFUSION FOLLOWS CAPSULE
On the morning of December 1S, the
day upon which DIR. Hyde is accused
in an indictment of having poisoned
Miss Swope with strychnine, she was
feeling strong and much better, she
said.
Hyde came to my room and looked
over my medicine" she continued. IA
little later Miss Houlihan gave me a
capsule. My convulsion followed"
shortly after Miss Swope's convul-
sion, the trouble arose which led to
DR.. Hyde's being banished from the
house.
How did you progress after this
day?" she was asked.
II improved rapidly" she replied.
"Did you ever hear DR.. Hyde say any
thing ABOUT your uncle, Thomas
Swope's, chances for getting well?"
"Yes; on the day he died heard DR..
Hyde say he never would get well.
Taking up the sub set OF Jordan the
herb man, Mr.. Brewster for the de-
fense, brought out that the yard"
remedies were almost constantly in the
Swope house.
Mr.. Brewster tried to learn from the
witness just when Chrisman Swope
took the last of Jordan's remedies. She
said she could not remember.
ReVerting to DR.. Hyde taking dtstill-
ed water to the Swope house, Mr.
Brewster asked the witness If she re-
called the physician suggesting that
all of the family should not use the
water from the cistern. She said she
did not. Mr.. Brewster then read from
the grand jury notes, showing she had
so testified.
Miss Elizabeth Gordon, a nurse fol-
lowed Miss Swope on the stand. Miss
! Gordon was summoned to the Swope
home on December 4 by Dr. Hyde. He
! told her, she testified, that there was
sickness IN the n0demic ien end 5s Gd
not know but it had it's origin in a
cistern on the property. Chrisman and
Margaret Swope and Miss Nora Bell
Dickson, a seamstress, were i'll at that
time. None of them appeared to be in
a serious condition, said Miss Cor
| don.