Killed Over Hogs:
The Murder of Ben Cloys
Written by Justin D. Lamb
Grave of Ben Cloys
(Find a Grave Website)
On May 15, 1907, Ben Cloys and Moody Boyd were working on their adjoining farm outside of the Olive community when the two men became embroiled in a heated argument over a pair of hogs belonging to Boyd which had rooted in Cloys’ garden and destroyed some of his crops.
The two men, who had been friends for some time, began exchanging a series of fiery words and the argument soon turned violent when Cloys came after Boyd with a club. Before Cloys could reach him, Boyd pulled out a pistol and shot Cloys in the chest and mouth. Cloys staggered back home and was soon attended to by a doctor and survived the shooting.
Knowing that the law would be after him shortly, Boyd went to Benton to surrender himself for the shooting. When Boyd arrived at the courthouse, he went to the sheriff’s office to turn himself it, but was not arrested because no warrant had been issued. According to the Paducah Daily Sun, the Sheriff told Boyd to “return home to his farm and if any warrant was issued he’d come get him.”
A few weeks later, Cloys traveled to his hometown in Tennessee to visit with family where he suddenly died due to an infection of his wounds from the shooting. Word of the death of Ben Cloys traveled back to Marshall County and the Grand Jury soon met on June 14, 1907 to indict Moody Boyd who was charged with Cloys’ murder. Boyd was arrested at his home and was later released on $2,500 bond and was set to face trial the following summer.
Charges against Moody Boyd were reduced to manslaughter and his trial began in the March 1908 term of the Circuit Court. Commonwealth Attorney John G. Lovett and County Attorney W.M. “Coy” Reeder presented the case for the prosecution. Sam Crossland and Jack E. Fisher were hired for the defense. The trial was heated with the attorneys from both sides going back and forth and a reporter for the Paducah Evening Sun commented, “Several lively tilts have occurred between the attorneys, but no serious trouble has arose—yet.”
Attorneys for the defendant argued that Boyd acted in self defense and the club used by Cloys was entered into evidence. After a four day trial, the jury was left to deliberate, and at noon on March 4, 1908, the jury found Moody Boyd not guilty.
Sources:
“Moody Boyd Not Guilty In Benton Court”; Paducah Evening Sun; March 4, 1908
“Two Men Quarrel About Some Hogs”; Paducah Evening Sun; May 20, 1907
“Benton Has Case For Judge Reed”; Paducah Evening Sun; June 15, 1907