The Michigan chronicle. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1936-current, 1945-09-01
BROKEN HEART
DRIVES BOYCE
TO HIS DEATH
BY LARRY CHISM


Dependency, caused by series
OF unfortunate situations plus NOR
bidity due To heartaches born of
lost love. were said by close
friends TO have driven Wilbur King
Boyce. 81. TO commit suicide I'm his
home al "A u. Bethune. last Thurs
day evening.
BILL BOYCE. as he was known
10 many niteliferS, whom he served
while tending bar at various local
taverns and clubs, came 10 Detroit
three years ago from his native
home of Columbus, Ohio. where ne
had served on the police force for
short time.
Police learned that BOyce had
shot himself TO death by means
of a .22 caliber rifle borrowed
from a rOomer In his home and
which Bill had used TO shoot rats
In his basement.
Relating the tragic experience,
In an exclusive interview with
Michigan Chronicle. MS widow,
Mrs Anne Boyce, 20, said; Bill
was IN good spirits all day. ! was in
the bathroom getting ready 50 We
could 90 10 the show. saw
Bill go in the front room and close
the door. This made tNo doors
closed between them
Il thought that he had company
in the front room, So | took my
time and didn't 80 up front where
he was. The gun was laying
on the bed in the room a room
between the bath and the front
room).
THEN SOMEONE called me
and said that Bill ND shot him
self" Mrs. Boyce's eyes took on a
doubtful expression as she added,
Il couldn't believe il! ] went up
front and there he was, laying on
his face. The gun was gone.
shook Bill, but ] guess ne
was unconscious, A friend
took me TO the hospital. but he was
dead"
Police learned that Boyce was
holding q telephone conversation
with a Mrs. Vivian Martin, FL. OF
800 T.. Forest, apartment eight. at
the time he fatally shot himself.
During an interview. Mrs. Mar
tin disclosed that she and Boyce
had been keeping company for a
year and a half and that about two
weeks ago she decided TO end Their
affair and not see him any more.
But he would call almost every
day and ask me 10 take him back,
she declared And when !
wouldn't consider 1t, he would tell
me that he was going 70 commit
suicide. never dreamed that
he would" she said, with tremoI
of emotion in her voice.
IF I HAD" she added. II would
have taken i'm back and let him
wean away gradually"
Telling Of the telephone CONVEX
sation she had with Bill on the
fatal evening, she said that their
conversation was about them going
back together again.
81 told him that I was through.
lie said that he loved me and
was going to kill himself II l
didn't take him back. But" she
paused for a second, II thought
he was kidding. WV" she
quoted hi mas saying, I'm going
to kill myself"
Mrs. Martin added that over the
,N1 sbn nod hard tho
click as Bill put a shell into the
gun and that after he had again
asked her TO take him back and
she refused, she heard the gun 90
Off.
Il thought that he was just shoot
ing at something in the house" she
said. Then ! heard the receiver
bang against the wall. | waited
and then called him, but he never
answered"
A short time later she called the
Boyce home and learned that he
had shot himself.
POLICE RECORDS disclosed
that a short time prior TO the fatal
shooting Boyce had borrowed the
rifle from Walter l.. Edwards, 20,
of the Bethune address to kill some
rats.
According 10 police, no one in
the house heard the fatal shot.
Listed as being upstairs when the
tragedy took place were Walter
and Arzela Edwards. 25: Mollle
Wallace, 80; Melvis Edwards, 20,
and Owen Boyce, 10.
A test disclosed that there were
powder marks on the index nm
ger af Rayce,s right hand and