The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-02-15
SNEAD TELLS HIS STORY ID THE JURY Shot Boyce, ST., on Impulse
 of Moment
IS MUCH AFFECTED
Tells of His Wife's Flight With Young Boyce and Their Detention in
 Winnipeg-Memhers of the e Jury 3:,ed Tears at Story

Fort Worth, Texo February 1f.-John Beal snead Amarillo, Tex, banker, told the jury, which Is to determine whether he Is guilty of murder, that on the impulse of the moment he drew his pis- tol and started shooting fast as could" the bullets that caused the death of A. G. Boyce, Sr., wealthy ranch owner and father of the man he declares disrupted his home.
 This avowal me as climax to the bank CTS dramatic recital of inci- dents preceding the elopement of his wife and A. G. Boyce, Jr.. and their detention in Winnipeg, Can.
 Snead declared that during the aft ernoon preceding the killing of Boyce he had studiously avoided the cattle man, but early that night it was neces- sary that he enter the hotel where Royce was stopping. His relative. l. H. Bowman was with him, Snead de- clared As he entered the lobby he heard someone say: Here comes the
 -- - - now"
 "I turned and saw two men rising from their chairs. one of them Boyce." Snead asserted. whom l knew made the remark I ierked out my pistol and started shooting as fast as I could"
 Almost Collapsed
 At this point Snead seemed on the verge of collapse, but quickly com posed himself and continuing declared that he held the elder Boyce respon- sfble to a great extent for his domestic difficulties
 Immediately preceding the shoot ing Snead said he had dned with w. II. Atwell, his personal attorney and Atwell had informed him of re- mark credited to Captain Boyce that he was willing to spend his fortune in seeing the affair between his son and Mrs Snead through"
 Atwe1l advised him to separate from Mrs. Snead who at the time was an inmate of a local sanitarium, Snead declared, but replied that he would rather be dead than to let her be taken out and sent. to Canada to the Boyces o
 During the conference with Atwell II was arranged, said Snead. that let ters be written on the following day to the elder Boyce and Henry Boyce, one of his sons, but denied emphaticalIy that any communication was to be ad- dressed to A. C. Boyce, Jr
 5nead concluded h1S testimony this afternoon. Tomorrow witnesses will be called in rebuttal by the prosecution.
 Dramatic Story
 Another dramatic touch today was ad- ded in the trial of J. B. Snead for the murder of A. B. Royce, Sr., when Sncad. telling the story of his wife's affections for A. E. Boyce, Jr., declared on one oc- casion the sudden appearance of his lit- tie daughter had kept him from carryine out an impulse to kill his wife and hlrn- self.
 Mrs. Snead, he said had told him about wanting, to go away with Boyee "i guess l was so desperate or wrought mp alter she told me about going about with Boyce that l did not know what I was doing" he said 'I took pistol to kill her She grabbed me. In trying 10 get loose to kill her and myself she screamed and our little girl rushed in and struck the pistol upward. l asked her how long this had been going on and she said six or eignt months. l asked if he had taken any lb- ei ees. and she said that he had put his arms around her and kissed her
 Jury Sheds Tears
 Snead said his wife convinced him there had been no criminal intimacy. Members of the jury, lawyers and spectators. as well as the defendants. shed tears as Snead told his tale.
 In a voice he apparently controlled with difficulty Snesd told of the infatuaton of his wife for A. E. Bovce, Jr, with whom she cloped to Canada He related that Mrs. Sneads visits 10 the Boyce home when there was sickness in the >-~---~~--~-~---~-