Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1910-01-15
AWAIT OUTCOME
OF POST MORTEM
MILLIONAIRE SWOPE'S ST0M-
ACH EXAMINED
ARREST EXPECT
EDTo BE MADE SOON
Prominent Society Leader of Kansas
City Closely Swallowed and Be-
ieVed by Police to Have
Slain PhiIanthropist
Associated Press1

KANSAS CITY, Jan. IA quick
arrest will be made by county officials
if Chicago physicians now examining
the stomach of the ltae Col. Thomas H.
Swope report that the organ contained
poison.
Every detail for the apprehension of
the man suspected of having poisoned
Swope and attempting to inoculate
other members of the family with ty
phoid fever germs is completed. Five
private detectives are watching every
move of the man.
They have been shadowing him for
several weeks. The suspect is a man
high in social circles here. His arrest
would cause a sensation.
A prosecution, backed by the Swope
estate, would precipitate a battle of
millions.
An unverified rumor current tonight
is that traces of poison were found in
the stomach of Chrisman SWope, a
nephew of Col, Swope, who died on
December 8, and that this led to the
exhumation OF Col. Swopes body.
1t is known tht fully ten days before
the examination of Col. Swope's body
DIR. Hektoen made thorough examin-
alton of the vital organs of the younger
Swope, who was believed to have died
from typhoid fever.
House Was Sanitary
That conditions in the Swope house,
hold preclude the possibility that ty-
phoid, which recently has stricken sew
eral members of the Swope family,
originated there was stated by j. G..
Paxton, executor of the Swope estate,
today.
He said he had carefully examined
the premises with several physicians.
Plumbers said the water system of the
house has been in perfect order for
months.
A report on the condition of Col
Swope's stomach Is expected early next
week.
A theory that the millionaire philan-
thropist was given capsule contain
ing poison an hour before his death
was given out by the prosecutors Of
theory is that Colonel Swope died in
commissions. His death at the time, it
was announced, had resulted from apo
plexy. The prosecutor quoted a physi-
clan as saying death from apopleXy Is
not accompanied by convulsions.
No arrests will be made until a re-
port has been submitted on the eXami-
nation of the stomach of Colonel
Swope by the coroner's physicians.
1nlS was announced To-Day IOllOWlHg d
conference between Prosecuting Attor-
ney Conkling and ]. B. Paxton, execu-
tor of the Swope estate.
Would Trace Poison
Meanwhile Mr.. Paxton and the pros
ecutor are straining every point to
trace the purchase of the poison which
they profess to believe ended the lives
of both Colonel Swope and his nephew,
Christian, and to account for the Ill
ness of seven other Swope heirs.
The alleged murder plot, said to
have been planned with great deliber-
alton, had for its supposed end the eX-
termination of all the Swope heirs.
1t is said that shortly before Chris
man Swope died, which occurred on De-
cember 2, two months later than that
of his uncle. Colonel Swope, man
visited the office of a well known bac-
teriologist in Kansas City and secured
some typhoid germs.
With these dead bacilli, 1t Is asserted,
the man hoped to inoculate the mem
bers of the Swope family.
Added credence is given this hy-
pothesis by the fact that during the
month of December six members of
the Swope household became ill with
typhoid fever.
That the typhoid epidemic was not
due to unsanitary conditions about the
Swope residence was shown by the re-
port of two physicians who made
thorough Investigations of the prem
ises, assisted by plumbers.