Justice Served: Missouri Supreme Court Grants New Trial for Dr. Hyde

On April 11, 1911, the Missouri Supreme Court delivered a stunning blow to the prosecution in the case of State vs. Dr. B.N. Clark Hyde. In a historic decision, the court granted Dr. Hyde a new trial, citing alleged errors in the indictment that had led to his conviction for the murder of millionaire philanthropist Col. Thomas H. Swope. The verdict, which was met with jubilation by Dr. Hyde’s lawyers and fellow prisoners, marked a major victory for the embattled doctor, who had been serving a life sentence at the county jail in Kansas City, Missouri, for nearly a year.