The Dallas weekly herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1885, 1882-04-06
AN EyENTFUL LIFE.
From the superlntendency Of u Sunday
School to the Penltentlary.
The Sad History Of Thomas q. Boyd, Of
East Tennessee.
''The Love of Money Is the Root OF oil
Eyil.o
An Unsuccessful but Terrible Leap for
Life.
Actual Occurrences in Real Life.


4 few years ago, perhaps ten, as re-
member, the writer became acquainted with
the history hereafter related in these col
umns. ! was but lad then, and have for
gotten, as q matter of course, many OF the
names and incidents in this real drama OF
life so full of crime and sorrow but the
prominent features, the salient points, the
strange and startling denouements were
then engraven too deeply upon young
mind to be easily forgotten or effaced. The
whole story has been but recently recalled
to memory by the tragic death, few
weeks since, in East Tennessee, OF
Thomas G. Boyd, well known
through that region, at the hands
of nephew. East Tennessee the land OF
mountains and beautiful land scapes Is put
little known to the outside world. It's
nhysical conformation is such with It's
great mountains and deep ravines that but
little attention has heretofore been gwen
the subject of railroad building and greaS
proportion of its population thus cut on
| from frequent and familiar intercourse with
the rest of their kind, live on i'll innocence,
simplicity and an unquestlonlng ialth Ill al
victims of the designing, and 1t is possible
to perpetrate crime with greater chances
of immunity than in more thlckly settled
sections where railroads and electricity SET
all on the uui yive and the track OF the offend
er. Not so, this, however, in the villages
and larger towns where refinement and all
the arts and appliances OF lie are 10 DC
found. On the line of road running through
!, this section of Tennessee between virginia
and Georgia lies the beautiful and prosper
ous little town Of Sweetwater, in the PIC,
turesoue valley oil the same name, ana
some ten years ago the subject OF this HE
history, on, Thomas g. Boyd, was not only
resident of Sweetwater, but the proml-
nent figure of the town. Bright intel
lectualiy, affable and cordial in his
manner, and withal generous, as
is isl not to 'b be wondered at that he had made
money, and won everybody's confidence.
He was a leading man in business, lead
ing man in the church, being, IN TACT, the
respected and trusted superintendent OF
| fourishing Sunday school. And yet he
was Young man, with young wife whose
fearful devotion and sad experiences when
| the darkness came. remind one OF Cur
rams daughter" though the latter's fate
was covered with glory and the formers
was blighted by disgrace, N,oting the
profits resulting from .hanullng pen
eminent shortly after the war, Tom BOYD,
who had an eye to business and the blind
| confidence of the honest but Ignorant
mountaineers around him, hung out the
simple but afterwards famous sign,
''THos G. BOYD, CLAIM AGENT
East Tennessee during the civil war mad
been alternately overrun and preyeo upon
bv both armies, and the people being
mostly Union sympathizers, an extraordl-
nary number of claims for losses accumu-
lated against the government. AS conse-
ouence, Boyd had a splendid list OF claims
and an opportunity to make tremsn-
dous pile of money. For whlie every
thing went smoothly, but the vast income
| he was receiving from q legitimate business
with which he was pei fectly familiar, sug-
gested and occasioned in him desire for
| means by which even greater wealth could
be reached through Legitimate transac-
tons In his confessions long atterward ne
| told how insdiously the temptations grew
upon him, how he weighed the power and
against his honor his position, his religion
and his wife. When he would think OF the
disgrace and broken heart that would strike
down the trusting partner by his side, honor
almost triumphed, but the tempter hnally
won him. He thereupon began series OF
frauds upon the government, by when ne
| finally got out OF the treasury something
seal of Monroe county, where relation
was county clerk, he stamped, with re-
quired certificates accompanying them,
multitude offalse claims, with the testimony
of fictitious witnesses or forged testimony
of living witnesses, the claims representing
imaginary pensioners or claimants, or often
parties " no had died in Sweetwater valley
| long years before. The plan was as bold as
it was simple, and for long time no sus-
| nicion rested upon Mr.. Boyds papers
In the departments. After time, though
their very number began to create doubt.
One fine morning in spring, therefore, as
Boyd was sitting in his office, his head rest.
ing upon a table and he so deeply absorbed
| i'm thought that he failed to hear step be,
hind. a tall, handsome stranger stepped
up behind him and tapped him upon the
shoulder, and enqulred.
sis this Thomas G.. Boyd?"
at is, replied Boyd.
"Then you are my prisoner. MY name
| is Whitney, and j am United States de-
tective You are arrested upon charge OF
collecting money upon fraudulent claims"
Boyd was at first staggered, but soon
rallied, and smilingly remarking there must
be a mistake, went out with whitney.
Having been bound over by commission
| or. he had no difficulty in giving bond,
though an extra heavy one, two of his I'M
Giles, the Lenoirs, very wealthy men, going
| his bail. These latter were two or three old
and eccentric brothers, who had amassed a
great fortune. but guarded IL with the hum
bred eyes of an Argus. The community
were astonished at the charges and the ex-
tent of the bond, but all believed their Ia
yorite innocent.
THoUeH HoorINo AT THE CHARGES,
| Il was noticeable 20 many that the
old gayety Of Boyd was gone,
and he began 10 show signs
Of restlessness. There were three people
upon whom he could throw his burdens, In
whom he could cOnfide, so unable longer 20
bear fhe terrible load he one night quietly
called his brother, his nephew and his wife
around him and there told all the humilia-
/ ting story of his sinning-hOw be had
| fought against ten ptatiOn, how he had tried
20 cover up his tracks IN crime and how
now IL the cases ever came 70 trial suicide
/ or a felonis suit would be the inevitable
result. They who had refused persistently
I 10 believe him a criminal, they over whom
the shadow OF disgrace must tall too, were
horrifed bevond measure but with that de-
yotion and self sacrifice for those we love
which makes humanity 80 near
the divine forgate all The
question then was what should be done.
IN be should escape, IL would tail the
loss Of thousands upon his uncles, the
Len0irs. buf.if tried that would be verse
sfU Amer a loue. bitter night, lasting mp
10 The dawn. did this conference end, but
wien the separated Il was with the under
standing that Boyd should jun bis bail
and leave the L nited States. The details 81
The escape were len % the brother and he
son. the nephew, whose heads were cool
and who were % take their time IN nrIang-
ing the escape. In almost every southern
town. a. the scufherners know. thert 4
an ola darfev. who IL known b. ell.
iol-ed and assisted b. all, q general
fsvolite. and full 81 yarns 81 the
oIden time and the old regime, which
everybody liked o. listen %. sEeetrnter
had lie nfItiquafed and typical