Amarillo daily news. [volume] (Amarillo, Tex.) 19??-current, 1912-12-04
JURY DECLARES
FOR ACQU|TTAl
DRAMATIC SCENES IN COURT
ROOM FOLLOW ANNOUNCE
MENT BY FOREMAN.
DEFENDANT IS JUB|lANT
JUDGE SWAYNE DENOUNCES
VERDICT AND PRONOUNCES
1T AN INJUSTICE 40
TEXAS
speeial 10 Daily News.

Special TO Daily News.
Austin, Texas, Dec. 3.--John Beal
sneed, charged with the murder OF
Col. A. G. Boyce In Fc.: worth on
January IA, OF the present year. emit
ted cowboy yell when at $3.50 this
morning the jury into whose hands
his fate was given late Saturday att
ernoon. returned a verdict, declar-
ing the defendant mot guilty"
sneed shot Boyce TO death in the
lobby of the Metropolitan Hotel In
this city, soon after Sneed returned
to Texas from Canada. bringing his
wife with whom A. G. Boyce. Jr
eloped.
sneed claimed self defense and a
conspiracy on the part OF the two
Boyces to steal his wife.
Sneed will be tried in February at
Vernon for the alleged murder OF the
younger Boyce, who was shot down
In Amarillo on September IA.
Judge Swayne Surprised
Judge J. w Swayne before whom
the Sneed case was tried, this after
noon denounced the acquittal OF the
banker for the murder OF Capt A. G..
Boyce, as an injustice upon the state
OF Texas
81 do not understand at all how
the Jury could have acquitted him In
view OF the instructions gave, y
Swayne concluded.
Judge Swayne's charge called for
either conviction In the first or sec
ond degree, and no one was more
surprised at the verdict than Sneed
and his attorneys.
Cone Johnson, defense attorney,
expecting certain conviction, was
writing out an appeal to the court
OF criminal appeals, when he heard
OF the verdict.
The scene In the court room this
morning was dramatic
John Beal Sneed, his diamonds
glitterng, his mouth twitching was
there, his two sobbng children ana
brother were there.
The court room was half filled and
the quietude was so intense that the
ticking OF clock In an adjacent
room could be plainly heard.
When Foreman Crane handed In
the verdict. the audience seemed
stunned The next moment Sneed
Jumped in the air shouted, threw out
his arms. danced around and grabbed
his daughter Lenora.
Two defense attorneys, VIII Nc
Lean and Walter Scott were fined
$50 each for shouting and throwing
their hats in the air.
Sneed was not fined.
After a few minutes he ran to q
telephone and advised his wife, Lena,
that he was freed.
II am so glad" she replied, cant
we leave here tonight"
Afterwards II was announced that
sneed and his wife, whose elope-
ment with Al Boyce brought on the
killing OF Boyce and his father, had
become 'econciled. Heretofore they
had been living apart and she re-
fused 10 testify, II was alleged, In his
favor.
The couple left tonight with their
children for Calvert for a short visit.
Later they will 20 TO California and
may reside there.
The Jury which acquitted Sneed
voted unanimously for acquittal last
night on the very first ballot They
withheld the announcement until this
morning, only because Il was toe
late for them TO go home.
Jury Foreman Talks
Foreman J. d. Crane explained
why they acquitted Sneed today
The best answer is because this n
Texas. In Texas we believe in pro
lection OF the home at any cost. w,
in Texas believe a man has the righ'
10 safeguard the honor OF his hom,
even n he must kill the person re
sponslble."
The first trial OF sneed resulted II
a disagreement. lie has spent, Il Il
said. over 100000 since the elope
ment Of his wife. in court costs. trips
detective service and attorney fees.