MURDER OF A MILLIONAIRE.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1101, 13 April 1911, Page 5

MURDER OF A MILLIONAIRE.

AMERICAN POISONING SENSATION. By Xeleuraph-PrcES Association—Copyright New York, April 11. Dr. B. Clark Hyde, of Kansas City, who was in May last convicted of the murder of Colonel Thomas Swope, a millionaire philanthropist of that city, and afterwards sentenced to penal servitude for life, has been granted a new trial. ACCUSED DOCTOR'S GERMS AND JJIJUGS. After a dramatic (rial, replete with suggestions of plocs and conspiracies, Dr. ii. Clark ilyile, a noted physician, was iound guilty ot the murder pi Colonel Thomas swope, the millionaire philanthropist, witli whose niece lie. eloped. Dr. Hyde had been under suspicion in connection with tho mysterious deaths and illness of the Swope lainilj* ever since the death of Colonel Thomas 11. Swopo in October, 1909. 'i'he death of Colonel Swope followed soon after he had suffered a sevcro convulsion, and the convulsion, it was charged by members of tho Swope family, followed the administration of a. capsule given at the direction of Dr. Hyde. Dr. Hyde said it was a digestive tablet.

it was proved at the trial that Dr. Hyde had purchased cyanide of potassium in five-grain capsules, and he wns prosecuted on the belief that ho gave one of these capsules to Colonel Swope. Dr. Hyde said he bought the cyanide capsules to kill cockroaches in his oih'cc.

Two days before the death of Colonel Swope, Moss Hunton, a, cousin of tne millionaire philanthropist, died at the Swopo home, following a stroke of apoplexy. Dr. Hvde and Dr. G. T. Tvryman, of Independence, Mo., treated Hunton. The patient was bled profusely—it is charged, at the suggestion of Dr. Hyde. After six pints of blood was taken from Hunton the bleeding process was stopped, but not until Dr. Twyman had repeatedly nrotested that too much blood was being taken frorii th 6 old man.

Beginning early in December, , an epidemic of typhoid fever broke out in the Swope home, in which ten members of the family were stricken and one, Chrisman Swope, a brother of Dr. Hyde's wife, died.

In all, Dr. Hyde was indicted on eleven counts, the remaining indictments charsing him with trying to murder members of the Swore family by introducing typhoid germs And poisons into Uio medicines administered by him.

Dr. Hyde is alleged to have plotted the extermination of the members of the Swops family in order that his wife mifsht inherit the estate of Colonel Swope, estimated at several millions.