The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1912-01-29
MURDER TRIAL IS
BATTLE OF RICHES
Eyes of All People of South
West Centered on the
Famous Snead Case.
(Nationai News Association)

(Nationol news Aooociation)
FORT WORTH. Tex, Jan. o.
Whether she will sacrifice the love of
the man for whom she had protested
undying affection to save the life Of
her husband whose trial for the MUIR
der Of her afnnity's father was begun
today II tho di6icult problem which
Mrs. J. B. Snead will have to decide
before going on the witness stand to
tell the story Of her slopement with A.
q. Boycs. Jr.. which was the beginning
of the romance which ended 40 tragi-
cally.
The probable decision of the woman
in the case 10 causing considerable
anxiety to the parties vitality interest
cd, % we'll a. to number Of tho most
prominent business men and social
leaders In Texas who have taken sides
In the matter.
engagement Broken.
Ono Of tho serious descriptions caus-
Cd By the tragedy was the breaking Of
the engagement between Snead's sis
ter and one Of Boyce's sons.
Ever since the night that J. b. snead
one Of the wsalthiest bankers in the
southwest, stepped on the veranda Of
the Metropolitan hotel and after a,
short exchange Of angry words drew .
revolver and shot to death his friend
and nsighbor of years, A. G. Boyce.
there had been continual forming.
breaking and reforming Of factions
among tho wealthiest factions of the
Lone Star State. A great many Of them
have taken the part of the dead man
and have brought powerful influences
to hear in An effort to induce the
young woman to renounce her hus-
band and stick to her lover who with
his three brothers has sworn q readi-
ness to sacrifice every penny Of the
Boyce millions II 1t would result in
sending Snead to the gallows.
Snead's father. who 10 Baptist min
lister. 10 being aided in his night to Sc
cure his sons freedom by q number of
equally wealthy people and the coming
trial 10 expected to be the greatest
criminal court battle In the history Of
the state. both sides having retained
the most able lawyers in the south
west.
It 10 taken for granted that counsel
for the defense will make a plea of
temporary or emotional insanity. has
ing their plea on the claim that the
prisoners mind must certainly have
been effected by the events leading up
to the tragedy.
Hard to Get Jury.
Owing to the bitter feeling that the
affair has aroused among the people
living in the vicinity Of the Boyces'
and Sneads 1t is hardly possible that
satisfactory jury can be chosen from
the special venire of 100 men that has
been summoned and it 10 expected that
II will be necessary to call . second
venire before twelve men agreeable to
both sides can be picked. .
Snead and his beautiful young wife
lived directly opposite the Boyces res
idsnce, the families occupying the two
handsomest mansions In the town of
Amarillo. Boyce owned the famous
Capital ranch which 10 known a. one
OF the largest In the world. The bank
er and the ranch owner had been
friends for years and never had Q dis
agreement Of any kind until last No
vsmber when Snead's young wife ran
sway with the son OF her husbands
Hest friend.
Before leaving town young Boyce
drew 100000 from the local banks
and Mrs. Boyce stocked her trunks
With $4,000 worth Of her jewelry.
Supplying himself with liberal funds
the gFief.stricken husband tracked the
elopefs 70 g. Louis and then to New
York where he lost track Of them.
The couple were finally located in
Wlnnlpog, Canada, and placed under
GErodk. Nrs. 0nead defiantly declared
GAat she would never return to her
husband. that she loved Boyce and
would stand by him forever. But the
eDpeals oe the banker. who hurried to
Canada. caused her to change her
Mind and she returned with him to
tAeir Texas home. Boyce was held by
Tie Oanadian authorities awaiting fur
Tier instructions from Texas.
Charges olsmlsssd.
Doyoo was accused by Snead Of alb
duetiAg his wife. asserting that she
Wa, suf1srtng from mental ailment
q tAS dme he had induced her to
sjope. The grand Jury handed down
a Indictment charging abduction and
tAset Here the wealthy Boyces Of
To1As stepped In and resisted the At
tempt to extradite their relative and
floating the case at every turn they
finally succeeded In having the charg-
- dropped entirely, Jan. Is.
The dismissal OF these charges
tArew onead into terrible tit Of rage
md On the evening Of the same day
10 accidently met the elder Boyce.
The former friends. now bitter enc
niles engaged In = wordy quarrel.
which resulted In the banker drawing
q Ssvolver and shooting the cattleman
% death.
0aead was arrested and placed in
The Tarrsnt county Jail to await pre-.
ljminary hearing. His wife whom he
had placed In . ssnitarium upon their
return from Texas, WAS prostrated
when she received news OF the trag.
sdy. But In telling her story before
the grand jury that conducted the
hearing which resulted In the indict-
ment OF her husband for murder. she
admitted that she stin loved young