Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1882-01-10
EAST TENNESSEE TRAGEDY.
Thomas G. Boyd Killed by His
Nephew.
The Trgic Death Of One Of the
Most NOaIed Characters In the
State-A Lawsuit the Cause
of the Murder

Special to the Chattanooga Times.l
SwEETwATER, January z, 1SS2.-A
foul murder was committed In this
town last night by Joe Boyd, of At.
lanta, on his uncle, the notorious
Thomas G. Boyd.
Boyd made himself notorious a few
years since by his swindling operations
on the government. He was an United
States Claim Agent, and filed a large
number of bogus claims, using the
names of alleged soldiers, who he
said lived in North Carolina. When
the swindle was discovered, he fed
the country. In order to cover his
escape, he had the bones offs negro
exhumed and burned in a brush pile,
and his friends spread the report that
the charred remains were his. The
story was discredited, and his chief
bondsman, Louis Lenoir, put q detec-
tive on his track, and finally captured
him in Canada. He was tried and sen
fenced to the pententiary for ten years
and 70 pay q heavy fine. He had con-
siderable property, and in order to
protect himselftransferred it to Jesse
Williams. a kinsman. He was par
doned before he served his time and
returned to Sweetwater. and was re-
Gently elected to a position OF trust
in the county, being a man of remark
able popularity, notwithstanding the
cloud on his name.
Some time since be attempted to re-
gain his property from Williams, bat
the latter refused to surrender it, and
it is believed thati was on account of
this lawsuit that Joe Boyd, Of Allan
ia, q brother-in- law of Williams, killed
him.
BOYD came to S~@eetwater Friday
afternoon, and had several conferences
with his uncle, which seemed to be
satisfactory. Last night he went to
his house and deliberately shot him
with a pistol, the bullet penetrating
his heart and killing him instantly.
Boyd was arrested and committed.
He is a young man, aged about q, a
son Of Andy Boyd, of Atlanta. Thorn
as G. Boyd leaves a large family,
Knoxville Chronicle, 81
The general impression seems to be
that the difficulty originated in hard
feelings which have existed between
the deceased and other relatives,
among whom was Joseph Boyd, in re
gard to a lawsuit which has been pend
ing in the courts for some years, and
through which, by means Of a decision
of tn Supreme Court, at it's last ses-
sion in Knoxville, Thomas G. Boyd
came into possession of a large amount
of valuable property In and around
SweetWater.
Thomas G. Boyd gained much no.
toriety a few years since in the fact
hat he was detected in a %stupcndous
scheme OF defrauding the government
in the matter Of claims, he being a
claim agent. He disappeared, and the
report was given out that he was muir
dered and his body burned, and the
charred remains were taken up and
buried. The remains turned out, how
ever, to be those Of a deadnegro, which
had been exhumed and prepared for
the occasion, and the real Thomas
G. Boyd was afterward arrested in
Canada, brought back to Knoxville,
where, after a lengthy trial, he was
convicted and served a term in the
penitentiary. He returned from prison
and to his old home at Sweetwater
and setto work at once to re. establish
himself. He was first elected Justice
Of the Peace and afterward Mayor Of
/, Sweetwater. He was a man of great
yigor and enterprise, and was driving
a good business in Sweetwater in two
or three different lines. He had been
a large purchaser of hogs and stock
during the present season, and cpe-
rated on quite an extensive scale
He leaves a wife and family of three
children and large circle Of relatives
throughout East Tennessee.