Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1922-10-17
FREED Of MURDER
4 CHARGE, MAN GETS
2-YEAR SENTENCE
BY JAMES r.. RECORD
(Leased Wire Service to The Journal.)



ABILENE, Tex, Oct. 14.-John
Beal-Sneed, millionaire cowman, gun
fighter and chief figure in the noted
Boyce-Sneed feud, in which every
time Sneed shot a Boyce fell, today
is wondering why fate should prove
ironical.
Acquitted of the various killings
in which he has been the man on
the business end of the gun, he today
faces a two-year prison sentence. And
for what? For transaction that
heretofore has been more or less APP
proved in various parts of the Cow
country"
State juries have looked lightly on
the killings. Now in the federal dis
trict court here he has been SEN
fenced to a two-year term in, Leav.
enworth following conviction of an
attempt to bride a juror. His attor-
neys announced today they will ap.
peal, and he has been released on
bond pending the action of the higher
courts.
The Sneeds and Boyces were the
leading citizens of the Panhandle
country some ten years ago. Sneed
was the owner Of many rich ranches
" AtAAO IA DOySOS SA Wclo SllS 11lcIA1-
ager of the properties of the noted
Chicago syndicate which built the
capitol of Texas and received as pay
ment therefor thousands upon thou
sands Of the richest pasture land in
the state.
On November 8, 1911, Mrs. Sneed
eloped from the Arlington Heights
sanitarium at Fort Worth with A;
Boyce, Jr. On December 26 the cou-
pie were arrested in Winnipeg, Can.
After the return of Mrs. Sneed g.
reconciliation was effected between
herself and Sneed. But the bad blood
between the Sneeds and Boyces re-
made on both sides. e.,
On January 13, 1912, Sneed shot
and killed the elder Boyce in the
Metropolitan hotel in Fort Worth.
Sneed was tried for murder. The
first jury failed to agree. A second
trial at Vernon resulted in an acquit-
tai on the ground Of self-defense.
Before the second trial began, how
ever, Sneed shot and killed AL Boyce,
Jr., near the Methodist church in
Amarillo. This was on September
IA, 1912. He was on bail at the time,
and after the acquittal in the Boyce
senior case he was tried for Staying
the man who eloped with his wife.
but naturally was acquitted.
The two families originally lived
in Amarillo, where John Sneed, AL
Boyce and Lena Snyder, who later
became Mrs. John Sneed, were school
mates and close companions. After
the Boyce family moved away Sneed
was married.
According to the evidence at the
trials Mrs. Sneed amazed her hus
band one day by announcing she
did not love him, but that she die
love young Boyce and that she and
he were going to South America to-
gether. Sneed, believing his wife
had suddenly gone insane, took her
from their two children and placed
her in the sanitarium in Fort Worth
Less than a month later the elope
ment took place.
The complaint in the suit in which
Sneed has just been sentenced fol-
lowed the trial of the suit of Mich
olas V. Bilby against Sneedp to re-
cover $4,000 acres of ranch land in
Dickens and Kent counties. Bilby
won the suit and $25,000. After the
trial one Of the jurors was sentenced
to thirty days in Jail for contempt
Of court, it being alleged that he
had mingled with the witnesses.
Sneed was indicted for bribery and
jury tampering. Since the acquittal
of Sneed in the latest murder trial
he and Mrs. Sneed have become rec
onciled and they have been living
on one of his ranches IN Cottie
county