Arizona republican., 1907-01-05
JAMES I. B0YD'S TRIAL
FOR DfFIIIN6 THE MAILS
At Ten O'clock Last NIGHT There
Were Indications of a Permanent
Difference Of Opinion Among the
Jurors.

II OH1eTence OF Oplnion Among the
II Jurors.
Il Whether James T. Boyd will be found
guilty of having written and sent or
caused to be sent an obscene letter to
Julia Gargyle. a fourteen year old girl
at Mesa on July II of last year is
I in doubt. At ten o'clock last night
a jury which had been listening to the
case all day had been unable 20 reach
a verdict six hours after it had re-
tired.
Boyd, who is we'll along in years. had
/ been on intimate terms with the fam
| lily of the girl for years and he de-
MES that he ever wrote the offending
letter. He was arrested three days
after the mailing OF the letter and
after having been in Jail for some time
was admitted to bail through wealthy
relatives in California and Nevada. He
was indicted by the next grand jury
1 but he did not return at the opening
of the term of court and his bail was
declared forfeited. A few days later
Boyd unconcernedly came in from the
hills and was again arrested. He tried
to commit suicie by cutting his throat
and there was in consequence an
opinion that he was insane.
Subsequently. on the payment of the
costs of the proceedings which had
been had I'm relation TO the bail bond
the order of forfeiture was set aside
and Boyd was again released on bond
The greater part of the forenoon was
spent in getting a jury. The principal
witness for the government was Mrs.
Anna Arnold of Mesa who said that
she received the letter Tor her sister
from the post office and thinking it was
from her relatives i'm Phoenix opened
it. She was astounded at the con-
tents. She gave it TO her sister under
a promise that it should be returned
to her.
Mrs. Arnold said that she came to
Phoenix on July 10 and accompanied
by Deputy United States Marshal
Porterie went to the place where Boyd
I lived. He was called to the door and
she said that when she reproached him
for having sent the letter to her sister
he said that he was sorry" and that
he was .sick" Julia Gargyle said
she had had several letters from Boyd
and had frequently written him but
this was the first time he had fallen
into this style of composition.
The letter was introduced and read
to the jury. It cannot be described
I'm a newspaper which has to reach its
readers through the medium of the
United States mails. But IT could not
very well have been any worse. There
were also offered two letters from the
girl to Boyd. They were OF a merely
friendly character and contained re-
quests for money. One Of them ack
nowledged the receipt Of a small sum.
Boyd himself took the stand and was
fluent witness. He denied am know
ledge Of the letter. He described the
visit of Mrs. Arnold to his place on the
evening OF July l3. He was sick at
the time and when she spoke Of the
letter he asked what letter. She
threatened to have him arrested unless
there was some sort Of a settlement.
He was corroborated by David Green
wood who was also i'll and was lying
on cot near by. He said that Boyd
had said nothing about being sorry but
had professed no knowledge of any let
ter.
Mrs. Arnold testified that Boyd had
come TO her house at Mesa on July
and remained for dinner. He asked for
Julia and had her sent for twice. She
was working at Meredith's and refused
TO come. Boyd admitted going to Mesa
on business an eating dinner at
Arnold's but he said the name Of Julia
was not mentioned. He also incident
ally said that he was i'll OF rheumatism
in the shoulder and stomach trouble at
the time and that he was able only
to drink a little coffee. Mrs. Arnold
in rebuttal said that she noticed moth
ing wrong with him at that time and
that he ate moderately well.
There was other testimony relating to
the exchange of letters between the girl
and Boyd and there was also some
evidence concerning an allegation by
Boyd that there had been a Jampering
with the letter.
The jury took more than ordinary
interest in the case and frequently in
sisted on more information than the
attorneys had brought out.
The argument for the government
was conducted by United States Dis
trict Attorney Alexander who strongly
kept the damning letter before the jury
and fitted in with it the circumstances
of the visit of Boyd to Mesa. At
torney Billiard for the defense sought
to raise a doubt and begged the jury
Tor a verdict on such a doubt He
appealed to them in behalf of pioneer
who had assisted in making this val
ley habitable.
Judge Baker for the defense went
carefully over all the evidence and
held up flaws in that of the govern
ment and dwelt upon the doubt that
Boyd had actually written the letter.