The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1912-12-03
After an All Night Session Twelve
Men Bring in Verdict That
He Is Not Guilty Of the
Murder Charge.
WAS HIS SECOND TRIAL
unwritten Law Was the Only Defense
Of the Man Who Shot Down
Captain Royce on the
Street.

L
FORT WORTH, Texas, Dec. S.--
Not guilty" was the verdict of the
Jury in Judge Swayne's court here to-
day which heard the evidence In the
case of John Beal Sneed, who shot
and killed aged Captain A. G. Boyce
in the Metropolitan Hotel last Janu-
ary. The jury retired late yesterday
afternoon and returned its verdict
when Judge Swayne convened court
at $50 a. M, today.
| This was sneads second trial for
the murder Of Captain Boyce. The
| first jury disagreed. His trial for
Staying All Boyce will be called at Yer
non in February.
Still pending against Snead is an
i Indictment for first degree murder for
\ the killing of young AL Boyce, whose
love for Mrs. Lena B. Snead, wife OF
the man freed by the jury today, led
/ to the killing Of first the father and
then the SON. Sneads friends, how
ever, regard his acquittal as victory
4 which will cover both cases.
I Under Judge Swayne's instructions,
the jury could find Snead not guilty
only on grounds Of justification for
his ac. under the "unwritten law.
The twelve men virtually we're In
structed to find the defendant guilty
:, iof either first or second degree mur
der, but their verdict clearly indicates
THAT the story Of d conspiracy ths
Boyce f-mily to steal Snead's wifi
from him, which the defense sough
to establish, was accepted by the Jury
The aged father was alleged to hav'
given the son money to aid him in hi
elopement with Mrs. Snead.
Young Boyce was a sweetheart Q
Mrs. Snead before her marriage to th'
| Amarillo banker and the defens,
r dwelt long on the alleged conspirac,
Y to break up Snead's home. Sneat
q caused his wife to be placed in san
tarium and 1t was alleged that younl
Boyce was aided by his family In es
/; Gaping with her from the institution
/ and eloping to Winnipeg.
o When The verdict was announced te
J. day Snead's little daughters, Georgl
s. and Leonora, who have been wit
him during the past few days, hui
ried to him and threw their arm
about his neck. He was surrounde
/, by a score of friends who threw thei
: hats into the air and shouted, despit
:. the efforts of Judge Swayne to pre-
l. serve order.
= AS both the Boyce and Snead fam
q lies are wealthy and widely know
the case has attracted unusual after
ton. 1t has also been spectacular
that eight deaths have been connec
ed with the feud between the tw
families
D Captain A. G.. Bcyce was shot an
n killed by Snead in January; Euger
Slayton, a witness in the case, ws
killed by Frank Kirklin, while in cor
pany with Kirklin's wife; EdwaI
o Throckmorten, the states princip
witness. died before he could testi1
in the first trial 1t was asserted
was poisoned. A court attache sh
himself on the courthouse steps du
ing the first trial; S. s. Morris w,
killed by a detective because he sa
u something derrogatory to Mrs. Sneat
ne John T. Snead, father of the defen
40 ant in the trial, was shot and killt
~ by r. o. Hilliard tenant, who thu
ne killed himself; AL Boyce, son of Ca
Ell tain A. G. Boyce, was shot and kill
r1 by Snead in September.
N During both trials all persons ent'
sr' ing the courtroom have been search
III at the doors for firearms. Membe
10 Of both families occupied seats at 9
m ne joining tables, but deputies alwa
o. sat between them.
~ Judge Swayne this afternoon ,
~ nounced the verdict Of the jury,
-, - "I do not see how they could ha
49, reached such verdict under my
structions,' he declared.