Evening star., 1922-10-13
FREED Of MURDER,
HELD FOR BRIBERY
Conviction Of Wealthy Cow.
man Recalls Boyce-SHeed
Feud in Texas.
SLEW father AND SON
=
Now Faces Two. Year Prison Term
y After Acquittal for
Sayings. -
SLEW father AND SON

Special Dispatch TO The Star.
ABILENE, Tex, October 1a-John
BeaI Sneed. millionaire cowman. gun
fighter and chief figure in the noted
Boyce-Sneed feud, in which every
time a Sneed stst 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 faces to-
day 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
state juries have looked lightly on
the federal district court here he has
been sentenced to a two-year term in
Leavenworth following conviction OF
an attempt to bribe . Juror. His at
torneys announced today they will
appeal and he has beer. released on
bond pending action Of the higher
courts.
Noted Feud Recalled.
The Sneeds and Boyces were the
leading citizens Of the Panhandle
country some ten years ago. Sneed
was the owner of many rich ranches.
while Al Boyce. sr, was the manager
Of the properties of the noted Chi
of Texas and received as payment
therefor thousands upon Thousands OF
the richest pasture land in the state.
November 8. 1911. Mrs. Sneed slopsd
from the Arlington Heights sana-
5GV% On W?sn e the ts aoae.
arrested in Winnipeg. Canada, After
the return Of Mrs. Snesd 3 xeeon'
ciliation was effected between her
self and Sneed. But the bad blood
between the Sneeds and Boyces re-
mained evident and threats were
made on both sides.
On January 13. 1912. Sneed shot and
killed the elder Boyce in the Metro
politan Hotel in Fort Worth. Sn.ed
was tried for murder. The first jury
failed to agree. A second trial at
Vernon resulted in an acquittal on
the ground of seh-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 ~.
1919. He was on bail at the time and
after the acquittal in the Royce Sc
nior case he was tried for slaying the
man who eloped with his wife, but
naturally was acquitted.
Tho two families originally lived
in Amarillo, where John Sneed. Al.
Boyce and Lena Snyder. who later
became Mrs. John Sneed, were school,
mates and closs companions. After
the Boyce family moved away Sneed
was married.
Couple Reconciled.
According to the evidence at the
trials Mrs. sneed amased her hus-
band one day by announcing she did
not love him, but that she did 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 sanatorium in Fort Worth. Less
than a month later the elopement
took place.
The complaint in the suit. in which
Speed haR >juSt been sentenced. fol-
lowed the trial OF the suit OF Nicholas
v. Rilby against Sneed to recover
$1,000 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. 1t being alleged that he had
mingled with the witnesses. Sneed
was indicted for bribery ana jury
tampering. Since the acovittal Of
Sneed in the latest murder trial he
and Mrs. Sneed have become recon-
ciled and they have been living on
one of his ranches in Cottle county.
Copyright, 1921