Statewide County AZ Archives Obituaries.....Boykin, John C. 1909
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Elizabeth Burns burns@asu.edu and D. Joshua Taylor http://www.genrecords.net/emailregistry/vols/00006.html#0001358 July 4, 2005, 9:11 pm

Arizona Republican-February 4, 1909
James Neal, colored, was arrested yesterday on the charge of 
murdering John C. Boykin, colored, last Friday night at Mrs. 
Thomacit Lewis' lodging house, 29 West Van Buren Street.  The 
warrant for his arrest which had been under contemplation ever 
since the morning following the killing of Boykin, was issued 
out of Justice Johnstone's court.

Though Mrs. Thomacit Lewis claimed to have killed Boykin (in 
defense of her honor) the authorities are inclined to believe 
that a cold blooded murder was committed and that if Mrs. Lewis 
committed it she was not alone; that as a matter of fact she 
did not kill Boykin.  One thing that aroused suspicion at first 
was the apparently studied preparations when the officer arrived 
in response to a telephone message on the night of the killing 
which she said had taken place just before. Officer Sullivan 
who was there within two minutes found that the blood on 
Boykin's forehead was partially encrusted.  The body was in a 
position into which it would have hardly fallen and the chairs 
which had been thrown about appear to have been done so with 
precision.

The story told by Mrs. Lewis that night was not entirely 
satisfactory.  She described how she had been dragged about 
the room by Boykin, holding her with one hand while she was 
pouring four shots into him.  The officers were sure that a 
powerful man like Boykin would never have left the revolver 
hand of a small and rather frail woman like Mrs. Lewis free.  
Some of her statements were not easily recognized with 
possibilities and those of Neal at the inquest the next day 
described events which were manifestly impossible.

A great deal was soon learned of the relations which had existed 
between the woman and Boykin and the subsequent relations 
between Neal and her. It was also learned that on the evening 
or late afternoon before the killing, Boykin had a roll of 
bills among which was one of $50. No money was found on his 
body nor can it be learned that he deposited it anywhere.

Mrs. Lewis was very cool and collected on the night of the 
killing and at no time since her confinement has she shown any 
symptoms of uneasiness. She has spent the greater part of the 
time in bed, not because she was ill, but she preferred to be 
lying around.

Mrs. Lewis held on the murder of Boykin
Feb. 5, 1909

The examination of Mrs. Tomacita Lewis, charged with the murder 
of John C. Boykin, was held yesterday afternoon and she was 
held to answer to the grand jury under a bond of $2000.  The 
bond was furnished by Captain J.L. B. Alexander and Captain 
George D. Christy, the former being the counsel for the accused 
and the latter, Captain Alexander, partner in the practice of 
law.

Among the witnesses examined yesterday were the defendant and 
Neal, who is also in jail charged with the murder.  John Johnson, 
who, it is claimed was in bed with his wife in the same house, 
when the tragedy occurred and his wife Mrs. Johnson were also 
examined along with Dr. Level, a colored chiropodist, who also 
claims to have been asleep in his room at the time of the crime.

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