FAMILY LORE – "A Texas Feud"
Host: Lloyd Lockridge
Guest: Clara Sneed
Release: April 29, 2026
Podcast Network: Audacy
Episode Overview
This episode of Family Lore focuses on the bloody and dramatic feud between two prominent early 20th-century Texas ranching families—the Sneeds and the Boyces. Host Lloyd Lockridge welcomes author and Sneed descendant Clara Sneed to discuss the true story behind her novel Before We Turn to Dust. Together, they unravel a tale of forbidden love, betrayal, mental institutionalization, public murder, and the slow road to intergenerational healing. The episode moves from family secrets and courtroom drama to present-day reconciliation, all while exploring what truly ends a family feud.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. The Origins of the Sneed-Boyce Feud
[00:02–03:36]
- The Sneed and Boyce families were pillars of the Texas Panhandle cattle baron aristocracy.
- The story was always present in Clara's family, though her grandmother considered it disgraceful. “I have a really vague memory of somebody saying to me, at a certain point, did you know your great uncle killed somebody? But I'm not even sure about that because it was always floating around.” – Clara Sneed [01:58]
2. The Love Triangle: Beale, Lena, and Al
[03:36–05:37]
- Beale Sneed, once a Princeton-educated lawyer, now a successful cattle broker, was married to Lena Snyder.
- Lena fell in love with Al Boyce Jr., heir to another influential ranching dynasty.
- The affair escalated tensions: “This was just crazy love. There's no way to explain why they behaved the way they did without assuming it was one of those things that just took their heads off.” – Clara Sneed [04:48]
3. Family Intervention and Institutionalization
[05:37–08:50]
- The families (minus Lena and Al) convened to decide Lena’s fate.
- Lena’s father forbade divorce for fears about her virtue; instead, Lena was committed to a sanitarium under the dubious diagnosis of "moral insanity."
- Lena sent regular, mundane letters to Beale while secretly plotting her escape with Al.
4. Escape, the Law, and Cross-Border Pursuit
[08:50–12:46]
- Lena convinced a sympathetic nurse to help her escape; she rendezvoused with Al, fleeing to Canada.
- Al was charged under the Mann Act (“transportation of a woman across state lines for immoral purposes”—consent irrelevant).
- Efforts at negotiation between families collapsed after a public smear in the press against Lena.
5. First Killing: Beale Murders the Colonel
[14:05–16:11]
- In Fort Worth, Beale—incensed and estranged—shot and killed Colonel Boyce (Al’s father) in the Metropolitan Hotel lounge.
- “He just shoots him. And he dies shortly afterwards.” – Clara Sneed [15:31]
- “All the public opinion was against him after he did it.” – Clara Sneed [15:48]
- This murder made front-page headlines, transforming private animosity into a statewide sensation.
6. Media Frenzy and a Sensational Trial
[17:20–23:55]
- Beale’s trial alternated between legal technicalities and impassioned societal debate:
- Was a husband entitled to violence to "defend his home"? Did Lena have a right to escape her marriage?
- “To what extent can a decent woman decide she doesn't want to be married to her husband? How do we feel about divorce?... This is very up as a topic.” – Clara Sneed [21:24]
- The defense portrayed Lena as “hypnotized ... she can't think for herself.” – Clara Sneed [19:48]
- The first trial resulted in a hung jury; retrial awaited.
7. Escalation: Surveillance, Despair, and the Second Murder
[24:31–30:56]
- Lena tried to establish new residency in California to divorce Beale, but Beale had her watched and intercepted mail.
- Facing isolation and psychological distress, she returned to Texas; Al risked federal charges to see her on the journey.
- With Lena back in Texas, Beale—anticipating another murder trial—tracked down Al and fatally shot him in the street, witnessed by future artist Georgia O’Keeffe.
- “He passes Georgia O’Keeffe ... she wrote a little letter about seeing this rancher had just shot somebody. That was Beal.” – Clara Sneed [30:27]
8. Legal Consequences and Aftermath
[31:10–32:34]
- Beale was never convicted for either killing.
- He and Lena remained married for the rest of their lives, “buried together in Hillcrest Cemetery in Dallas.” – Clara Sneed [31:25]
- The Boyces chose not to retaliate: “Henry Boyce said it wouldn't bring either one of them back. And our mother could not stand it.” – Clara Sneed [32:12]
- The families remained estranged for generations.
Family Lore’s Meta-Story: Research, Reconnection, and Healing
9. Clara’s Research Journey & the Lost Letters
[34:07–35:32]
- Stymied by lack of Boyce family material, Clara pleaded for help at Al’s grave—then, by serendipity, she was connected to Pete Boyce, the colonel’s great nephew.
- Pete provided Clara with a collection of Lena and Al’s love letters—“the research coup of the entire thing.” – Clara Sneed [35:14]
- This allowed Clara to reconstruct the missing emotional truths for her book.
10. Descendants Meet: From Estrangement to Reconciliation
[36:35–43:41]
- Cameron Moore and Suzanne Bassett (Boyce descendants) connect with Clara at Pete Boyce’s memorial.
- Suzanne reflects, “My mother-in-law never had a nice thing to say about anybody connected with his needs.” [38:35]
- Clara invites them to the Amarillo book launch and proposes a visit to the cemetery where Colonel Boyce and Al are buried.
- “It was probably one of the most powerful moments in my life... There was just a sense of peacefulness about it.” – Cameron Moore [42:02]
- “Maybe we've come full circle here.” – Suzanne Bassett [42:28]
- “Healing is probably just as good a word as any.” – Clara Sneed [43:36]
Memorable Quotes
“This was just crazy love. There's no way to explain why they behaved the way they did without assuming it was one of those things that just took their heads off.” – Clara Sneed [04:48]
“He just shoots him. And he dies shortly afterwards.” – Clara Sneed on Beale killing the Colonel [15:31]
“All the public opinion was against him after he did it.” – Clara Sneed [15:48]
“To what extent can a decent woman decide she doesn't want to be married to her husband? How do we feel about divorce?” – Clara Sneed [21:24]
“He passes Georgia O’Keeffe at the Magnolia Hotel... she wrote a little letter about seeing this rancher had just shot somebody. That was Beal.” – Clara Sneed [30:27]
“Healing is probably just as good a word as any.” – Clara Sneed [43:36]
“We went into this episode wondering how a family feud ends. I think this is how it ends. It ends 100 years after the feud began, with three women representing both families coming together to place roses on the graves of the victims.” – Lloyd Lockridge [43:41]
Timestamps for Key Segments
| Segment | Timestamp |
|--------------------------------------------------------|-------------|
| Introduction to Family Lore and the Texas feud | 00:02 |
| Clara's childhood memories of the story | 01:58 |
| The love triangle develops | 03:36–05:37 |
| Lena institutionalized; letters and secret escape | 07:09–09:39 |
| Al & Lena flee, the Mann Act | 09:52 |
| Beale murders the Colonel | 14:43–15:31 |
| Public trial and historical debate | 17:20–22:29 |
| Stalemate and further scheming | 23:55–24:31 |
| The second murder: Beale kills Al | 29:17–30:56 |
| Aftermath and absence of Boyce retaliation | 31:10–32:34 |
| Clara’s research breakthrough with Boyce descendants | 34:07–35:32 |
| Modern reconciliation at Amarillo cemetery | 41:03–43:41 |
Tone & Style Notes
- The entire episode is driven by frank, often darkly humorous analysis of past behavior, familial pride and shame, and the lingering effects of old conflicts.
- It balances respect for the tragic consequences with a clear-eyed, at times irreverent, assessment of motive, psychology, and social dynamics—always preserving the authentic voices and tone of its speakers.
Conclusion: How a Family Feud Ends
This episode moves from the sensational violence of the early 1900s to a meditation on time, compassion, and the possibility of healing old wounds. Its final moments underline a universal truth: while it may take “generations,” feuds can end—not just by the dissipation of anger, but by conscious acts of empathy and remembrance.
“It is never too late to do this. It's never too late to write a novel, and it is never too late to heal.” – Lloyd Lockridge [43:41]
For anyone seeking a gripping, multigenerational narrative of love, violence, justice, and the long arc towards reconciliation, this episode offers a masterclass in family history, storytelling, and human resilience.
