CHARGE OF MURDER

Otago Witness, Issue 2927, 20 April 1910, Page 27

CHARGE OF MURDER

NEW YORK, April 12

The trial of Dr Hyde, in connection with the murder of Colonel Swope, has begun in Kansas City. It will take several days to complete a jury.

At Kansas City, on February 9, the inquest was concluded on Colonel Thomas Hunton Swope, a well-known millionaire, whoso body was exhumed as the result of allegations that he had been poisoned. The death of the colonel in September last was followed two months later by that of his heir, and about the same time several other members of the family were stricken with typhoid fever. Extraordinary allegations were then made public of the existence of a conspiracy to kill the entire family. Against the authors of these allegations Dr B. C. Hyde, who married a niece of Colonel Swope, started a series of libel actions. At the inquest Miss Pearl Keller, a nurse, testified that after the sudden death of Colonel Hunton, administrator of the Swope estate, Dr Hyde requested her to use her influence with Colonel Swope to have him (Dr Hyde) appointed as new admimstor. She refused. A few days later Dr Hyde gave the nurse a digestive tablet which, he said, he wanted the colonel to take after breakfast. After he had taken the tablet the colonel fell into convulsions and died in the evening in the presence of Dr Hvde and his wife. It has been proved that the colonel was in the habit of taking a patent medicine containing strychnine. The jury returned a verdict' that Colonel Swope died by reason of strychnine, administered by Dr Hyde, adding a rider to the effect that they could not say whethei oho strychnine was administered with felonious intent or not. A few days later Dr B. C. Hyde, who is one of the most prominent doctors of Kansas City, was arrested, and charged with the murder of Colonel Swope. The case promises to be most extraordinary. The 'accusation has been made that Mr Swope as well as his nephew was poisoned, and that other members of the family were infected witi typhus cultures—the result of a conspiracy to exterminate them. Dr Hyde, when arrested, retained perfect equanimity. He was released on bail in £IO.OOO, many of the leading inhabitants Of Kansas City standing surety.