Deaths on Pleasant Street: The Ghastly Enigma of Colonel Swope and Doctor Hyde

American Midwest

by Giles Fowler

The 1909 murder case surrounding the wealthy Swope family of Independence, Missouri, gripped newspaper readers throughout the nation. This book gathers the facts behind the suspicious fates of three Swope family the eccentric Colonel, millionaire donor of Kansas City, Missouri's Swope Park, his affable cousin, and a young nephew and heir. The mystery pits the Swope matriarch against her disfavored son-in-law, Dr. Bennett Clark Hyde. Charged with poisoning the Colonel and suspected of multiple other attempted murders, Dr. Hyde endures national media attention for this crime of the century. The series of trials and appeals that followed explores the Was he a diabolical villain bent on inheriting Swope's millions or the unfortunate victim of a family grudge? This account of gothic-era America follows streetcar tracks from the courtrooms of Kansas City to the typhoid-plagued Swope mansion in nearby Independence. The author delivers an engaging and accurate retelling of these 100-year-old events in the literary journalism tradition by analyzing court transcripts, newspaper coverage, and personal memoirs. Readers also get a new scenario based on modern science for what may have happened in the dark hallways of the mansion on Pleasant Street.

Genres: Nonfiction, True Crime, History, Book Club, Crime, Mystery, American History

264 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2009

Reviews

[Aligd848 · Rating 5 out of 5]

I highly recommend this to anybody interested in Kansas City history/mystery. Basically could not put it down once started. I have generally only found bits and pieces about this possible murder of a big name wealthy icon Swope) at the turn of the century (19th into 20th, after whom Swope Parkway and Swope Park are named, along with members of his family, by a young in-law doctor - apparently to try to control the order of inheritance. The story also interestingly tied into other prominent names and places from the past as well. (And bemoaning the 1960s "lack of reverence for historical architecture". As reported by the Kansas City Journal in 1910, "Without doubt, the public generally refuses to believe, in the absence of positive proof, that a murder has been committed. It is too awful to be credible. If murder there was, it rivals the most grewsome (sic) tales of French fiction in its diabolical conception and boldness of execution. Every feature of the veiled hypothesis is a ghastly enigma of human depravity."

[Lisa Nocita · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fascinating glimpse of Kansas City history from 1910. I was as much intrigued by the description of the town as by the intrigue surrounding the deaths or murders of a prominent family. If the deaths were in fact murder, then Dr. Hyde was certainly a maniacal, calculating madman with an ingenious scheme that could have profited him tremendously. And his wife was more than a pretty face teeming with wifely devotion and ardor. I cannot help but think that she must have acted in cohort with her husband. This question was not raised in 1910 nor in this book. Rather she was treated most delicately and afforded grace because she was a woman and pregnant. Surely she was only acting as any sensible wife of the time would have. I think she was probably just as involved as her husband. Also, as for motive, Dr. Hyde seemed to be on the upward track in his profession and I have to wonder why he wanted the money so badly. Enough to wipe out most of the remaining heirs. This seems foolhardy. I don't see how he could have hoped to have pulled it off so seamlessly but he might have been so egotistical and self-assured to never have had a moment's doubt about his course of action. Greed is a powerful master but it doesn't quite jibe. I learned a bit about the history and will now pay better attention to the monuments and roads named after the various personalities whom I never stopped to consider previously.

[Shannon · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am a lifelong KC resident living in Independence for many years and I had no idea this occurred. Thoroughly researched, well told and super creepy! I won't spoil it, but this is a must for any true crime fan! Started this book on Friday night and finished Sunday night. It was THAT good!

Like so many sensational stories, the murders and attempted murders of the Swope family members didn't just break the family relationships, but also broke Mrs. Swope financially and as the remaining family drifted apart, the heartbreak of what happened there never left them.

It is so disappointing that the Swope house no longer stands. Like so much of the great architecture and history in Independence, the RLDS church (now Community of Christ) purchased it at a bargain basement price and razed it years ago. It has been replaced with an untended gravel and asphalt parking lot with a very ugly, commercial/industrial view.

I did make a short trek to the former site of the mansion to experience, with the help of the author's very detailed descriptions, the view below the mansion and imagine the 900' winding walkway up the hill from what is now Lexington Street. An amazing one-of-a-kind 360-degree view now wasted on a neglected, empty, event parking lot and RV parking spaces for Community of Christ campers.

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a great book. It was so fascinating and my book club loved it. While we all agreed that he was guilty, I was out voted in my belief that Frances Hyde was duplicitous as well. I had a supporter or two but most of my club believed that she was just stupid and loyal. I am not sure. If she was such a good person, then why didn't she forgive her mother earlier. Anyway, that is just my opinion and it made for such a great discussion. Fowler really did a good job of presenting the case and the facts without making it dry but also not gong overboard and taking flights of fancy. A nice balance that really held your attention. It also helps that we are in the KC area and everyone loved hearing about the history and places that we all know. A wonderful read.

[Kay · Rating 4 out of 5]

Everyone in Kansas City and the surrounding area knows Swope Park, a huge chunk of land within Kansas City with the Zoo (which is getting pretty huge too) and Starlight Theater not to mention hiking trails, traditional park areas, etc. What's not well known today (and this only happened a little over 100 years ago) was that Thomas Swope, the rich guy who invested wisely in real estate which became downtown Kansas City and donated the land for Swope Park, died under mysterious circumstances under the treatment of his physician nephew-in-law allegedly striking as the frail, unhealthy Swope wanted to change his will. A lifelong bachelor, the Swope will, at his death, left his fortune primarily to his nephews and nieces. The Swope mansion saw a series of death within its walls and had a typhoid outbreak! (Typhoid is not a thing in Kansas City not even in 1909.) The author, a retired reporter, pieced together the story using court testimony and newspaper articles (recognizing the newspaper articles of the time weren't particularly trustworthy). There's a lot of archaic descriptions in this book which I think fits the times well. Because this is based on real life, the ending may not be satisfying to those who want clear cut answers. I think this book would be most interesting to readers familiar with Kansas City. My rating is 4 stars.

[Robin K · Rating 4 out of 5]

A true crime mystery set in Kansas City after the turn of the last century. Did the evil Dr. Hyde kill the rich philanthropist, Col. Swope of Swope Park fame, AND two of his family members AND poison multiple others? It’s an incredible story, meticulously researched from journalistic and legal documents from the time.

[Tracy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had never heard this story before, but it is a fascinating tale. I also enjoyed talking about it and looking at maps of cities where we both used to live or had other connections with my grandpa.

[Carie · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting non-fiction book about murders of some members of a well known, wealthy family in Kansas City (Independence actually) at the turn of the century - early 1900s. True crime meets local history. (I probably wouldn't have loved this book as much if I didn't live in KC.) Overall good read.

[Mum · Rating 2 out of 5]

The writing was jarringly inconsistent. I expected an even tone from a journalist, not a plethora of overly descriptive adjectives. Oh, no! It's influencing my writing style!!! Less melodrama would have been better. A straight forward telling in terms of events would have made the story clearer. Interesting material, poorly presented.

[Kim Meyers · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’m not much of a fan of non-fiction true crime, but this one piqued my interest because it happened in my hometown of Independence, Missouri. Clinical in presentation, but just long enough to hold interest and make you think about the non-conclusory conclusion of the case. A worthwhile read.

[Stacy Allison · Rating 1 out of 5]

I thought I would really enjoy this novel since it's about geography that I'm familiar with. Nope. It was disappointing. It took me way too long to read, and that's because I kept falling asleep while reading it. This novel almost ruined reading for me.

[Katie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Murder, mystery, true-crime and KC history rolled into one book.

[Stephanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting, but at times very redundant, overly flowery language, and unnecessary details.

[Emily · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was fun to read, knowing the area it took place in.

[Peggy Sinden · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good example of a modern day crime set 100 years ago. Although parts were obviously fictional it was all part of history in the early years of 1900. Kept me reading until the very end.

[Loretta Akins · Rating 2 out of 5]

I didn't like the way this written. It was interesting though.

[Deb · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting story, but I was not a fan of the author's writing style.

[Kerry · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fascinating read. I couldn't put it down. It made me really interested in Kansas City history.

[Kelly · Rating 3 out of 5]

History of the Swope family of Swope park fame. I enjoyed the history.

[Readridinghood · Rating 3 out of 5]

Although this book was an interesting one, I found it too long, detailed , and confusing.

[Ruth Andrews-Vreeland · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a wonderfully written, mysterious page-turner of a book -- written by a Kansas City Journalist who has now passed, about one of the great "unsolved crimes" of the 20th century (early 1900's), taking place in both Kansas City, MO and Independence, MO (both cities I'm very familiar with). And though this is still labeled an "unsolved crime" ... it's easy to deduce from all the evidence presented both during the court-trial, AND in this novel, who was guilty of the untimely deaths of the Swope family members. In my own mind, the crime WAS solved, and if had taken place during our modern era of forensic science and DNA-matching, three would have been no question. Giles Fowler obviously did an astonishing amount of investigative research into these deaths on Pleasant Street. A sad, somewhat bittersweet story, but one that leaves you wishing a major motion picture would be made of it! I absolutely loved the mystery, the intrigue, and the author's character development. A "Must-Read!" if you live in the Kansas City, MO area!

[Marilyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Summer Reads "Home Grown Stories" - Kansas City, Missouri Library
Fantastic offering by Giles Fowler on the prominent Swope family and the infamous Dr. Hyde. Given all the historical evidence I would weigh on the guilty verdict for Dr. Hyde and much sympathy for the Swope family who became victims of [his] greed for money.
June 25, 2021, marked the 125th anniversary of the dedication of Kansas City's beloved Swope Park, and not a nether a word was mentioned on one of the greatest contributions gifted to the people of Kansas City by the late philanthropist, Colonel Thomas Hunton Swope.
Colonel Swope's eternal slumber lay under a slab in a U-shaped colonnade in the Greek Doric style consisting of twelve 14′ fall columns supporting an entablature on a hill overlooking the lagoon in the vast 1,374-acre park visited by thousands every year for more than a century.

[Peggy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a true crime story that took place in 1909 in Kansas City. Suddenly the Swoope family comes down with Typhoid fever and subsequently die. present for each of the deaths is Dr. Clark Hyde-the son-in-law. The mother Maggie Swoope soon becomes suspicious of him and so are the nurses caring for the family. The author leads the reader through the facts of the case and to his own conclusion as to where he sides on this bizarre incident. If you are a fan of true crime stories that leave you wondering and thinking of the "what ifs", this is a pretty good read and you might just find yourself not being able to put it down.

[Kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fascinating journey back in time. I really liked that it is set in old KC, my hometown. Everytime a place was mentioned I wanted to go look it up and see if it still exists or what's there now. The cast of characters is a bit hard to follow because it is so big and many of them have the same names but I liked reading about their lives. The intrigue and mystery is captivating and the writing is both storytelling mixed with journalistic. The courtroom drawings add a nice touch and help visualize and remind of the time period.

[Katie Hilton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! This is a page-turner, a modern recounting of a true-crime story that rocked Kansas City for several years 1909-1914. Among the dead in a mansion on Pleasant Street in Independence was Col. Thomas Swope, benefactor of the tremendous park named for him a few years earlier. The clues -- strychnine, cyanide, laboratory typhoid samples -- seem to point to the doctor who treated the deceased and infected. His wife, niece of Col. Swope, is named in Swope's will. It's a horrific real tale.

[Marianne Evans · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book reads like a really good movie. At one point I grabbed my morning cup of coffee to enjoy while reading and I chided myself, “Don’t drink anything while holding this book! Don’t put your hands near your mouth.” The story was told so realistically that I felt the very pages may contain live typhus germs.

[M. Zimmerschied · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was chosen for my bookclub. One of our members lives in Independence. I was unaware of this real life murder mystery until she suggested it. I’m so glad she did. I had a hard time putting it down. I really resented the papers I graded this week that kept me from returning to it. What a page turner!

[Denise Kretzschmar · Rating 4 out of 5]

Any history lover would enjoy this book, but it will be particularly interesting for those from the Kansas City area. I had no idea about the history behind the man who gave the land for Swope Park and the deaths that occurred in the Swope home on Pleasant St. in Independence, MO.

[Ellison · Rating 3 out of 5]

In early 1900's Kansas City a wealthy man dies and then his family members become ill. Nurses think a doctor who is an extended family member may be the cause of the ailments. The second half is about the trial. B/W images.

[Andrea · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story is wild y'all. It's true crime, but reads like a fictious thriller given all the twists and characters. It's fascinating to me that Swope is such a big name in KC, and this is the first I've ever heard of this story. What a ride.