BARROWS, United States Consul to Consul Barrows, March 18, 1881

Memorandum of statement made by Mr. Boyton to Consul Barrows.

statement.

I called on Michael P. Boyton, in Kilmainham, on Thursday, 17th March, and questioned him further concerning the evidences of his citizenship. Mr. Boyton reasserts his former statement, that he was born at Rathangan, County Kildare, Ireland, 5th September, 1846; that his father emigrated to America and settled in Pittsburgh, Pa., in 1859. He amends his previous statement by asserting that his father declared his intention of becoming a citizen of the United States at Pittsburgh in 1860, and that his final papers were taken out after the usual limitation. Michael Boyton saw his father’s naturalization papers many times when living at Pittsburgh, and his father voted many times in that city at the local elections. The father died at Newport, R. I., October 5, 1870. Mr. Boyton enlisted in the United States Navy at the Brooklyn navy-yard before he was eighteen years of age. His mother attempted to procure his discharge from the service by affidavits proving he was under age at the time of his enlistment, but did not succeed. He was twenty years of age when the passport alluded to in previous dispatches was issued to him by the State Department. He denies that he stated his age to be twenty-two years on that occasion or that he gave his place of birth as New York. He was residing in New York at the time, and was accompanied to the State Department at Washington by General Charles G. Halpine and B. F. Mullins, who vouched for him.

Mr. Boyton states further that he voted, in New York City, for Horace Greeley at the Presidential election of 1868 (sic), and that he voted frequently at local elections in Pittsburgh, and that his right to vote has never been challenged.

Mr. Boyton states further that his mother is at present living at Staten Island, New York, but he cannot say whether the evidences of his father’s citizenship still remain in her possession. If required, search will be made, as the fact of his father’s naturalization must appear of record at Pittsburgh. Mr. Boyton desires me to represent to you how difficult it will be for him to produce these papers.

Mr. Boyton states further that he bases his claim of citizenship on the fact of his father’s naturalization, he, M. P. Boyton, being at the time a minor.

He has not as yet been furnished with a copy of the charges against him; nothing more definite than that of “reasonable suspicion,” the expression which occurs in the warrant upon which he was arrested.

Mr. Boyton never applied for or took out naturalization papers, deeming himself a citizen of the United States by virtue of his father’s naturalization.