Semi-weekly herald., 1912-11-11
SECOND sNEED Trial AT HAND

pOlNt 10 bi tht tOuib
docket for next week, public inrerest
in the bloody feud existing between
the Sneed and the Eoyce families,
both wealthy and well known through
out the state of Texas, has become re-
vived. Not for many years, if ever, has
there been a case known in this sonte,
which was so full Of the most sensa-
tional detail and in which so many
men of great wealth and social I'M
portance played an active part.
The Sneed and the Boyce families
are among the most prominent in the
Panhandle region of Texas. They
have large property interests in the
way of banks, ranches and farms and
their wealth is estimated at several
millions. The heads of the families
were intimately associated with each
other in the earlier days and their
children grew up together. ]. b.
Sneed, the defendant in the coming
trial and the younger OF his two vic
Tins, A. G. Boyce jr were students
together at Southwestern University,
Georgetown, Tex, but love for Lena
Snyder, the beautiful daughter of a
well-to-do land owner of central Tex
as, made the two young men first riy-
ais, then bitter enemies and eventually
caused the feud which, up to the pres
ent time, has cost the lives of six per-
sons.
Miss Snyder seemed to be fond os
both young men and, not until after
she had married j. Beal Sneed, die.
she discover that she was :ealIg in
love with Boyce. She did not haze
the strength of character to resist the
impulses of her heart and, soon after
her marriage to Sneed she began TO
have secret meetings with Eoyee,
which became more frequent after The
Sneeds took up their residence at
Amarillo, where Al Boyce jr. lived.
On the night of October 13, 1911,
Mrs. Sneed informed her husband
that she loved AL Boyce and would not
live with him any longer. Sneed, who
was devoted to his beautiful wife,
became furious and would have kill
ed his wife and himself had not one
of his little children come into the
room at the time. On the following
day, however, he had her taken to a
private sanitarium for insane persons,
at Arlington Heights, near Fort
Worth. A few weeks later Mrs. Sneed
managed to send letter to AL Boyce,
her lover, begging him to release her
from her prison.
AL Boyce drew large sum of
money and went to Fort Worth. .ihed
one of the attendants of the saritar-
ium and through him secured the la-
lease of Mrs. Sneed. Boyce and MIS-.
Sneed eloped to the north, goin2 first
TO st, Louis, then to Omoha. At
OMAHA Boyce learned that Snecd was
in hot pursuit and without delay he
fled with Mrs. Sneed to Chicago and
thence to Winnipeg, Man. there
December 26, 1911, and wher Sneed
reached Winnipeg, having been in
formed of the arrest, Boyce fled.
Sneed took his wife back to Texas and
again placed her in the same sanitar-
ium from which she had escaped.
In some manner Sneed learned that
Capt. A. C. Boyce, the father Of AL
Boyce, was in full sympathy with his
son and was plotting to re. Mrs.
Sneed out of the sanitarium. Young
Boyce had been indicted on the charge
of abduction, but his father brought
about the dismissal of the indrtinert,
which fact also greatly embittered
Sneed against him. The two men met
in the lobby of hotel in this city on
January 13, of this year, and, after
an exchange of a few words, j. Beal
Sneed drew his pistol and fired several
shots at the old man, killing him in
stantly.
Sneed was arrested and tried, but
after being out ll2 hours the Jury re-
turned and reported that no agree
ment could be reached A new trial
was ordered and this will come up
next week. Sneed kept himself in re-
tirement after the mistrial and few
persons knew definitely of his where
abouts. AL Boyce, the lover of Mrs.
Sneed, was supposed to be in British
Columbia and it was reported that he
had purchased ranch there and in
tended to live there.
On September IA, of this year Sneed
and AL Boyce met in one of TIE
principal streets of Amarillo, Tex,
who, according to the statement of
certain witnesses, was disguised as a
tramp, approached the unsuspectinp
Boyce and killed him by several shots
from an automatic shotgun. The MUIR
derer surrendered and was later in
dieted, but the trial has not yet been
set for hearing. Sneed will be rep-
resented at the coming trial by some
of the best legal talent in the state
and is confident of his acquittal after
the jury shall have learned the full
extent of his prievances against An