The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1904-01-07
HEIR TO HOT THRONE
The Boyn Heirship to Servian Throne
Referred to by St. James Ga
Zette of London.
John Boyn Said to be Direct Heir to
SerVian Throne but Family
Records Are Lost.

wives the story of the American heir
10 the Servian throne in the person OF
John Boyn, the Princeton farmer
whose father, August Boyn, was said
TO be an heir to the throne of that
country, and who it was claimed died
IN Servia many years ago under mys.
zeriOus circumstances. The dispatch
says:
A writer to the St. James Gazette
discussing the persistent rumor
that the Servian king is about to
abdicate because he is disappointed
with his people, says that the world
contains lot of pretenders to the
throne who do not really pretend
because they prefer to keep off that
dangerous elevation.
The most interesting of the pre-
tenders, the writer adds, is the
Minnesota farmer, John Boyn
Vouhazer, thought to be descended
from Milosh Obrenovitch, and
through him connected with the
last Servian ruler. Whether he
would be willing to assume royalty
is not known.
The mother of John Boyn, resides
0n the north side of the river in a
modest little home up among the ever
9reens and jackpines. She is eighty
tour years old, but for one of her age,
is apparently hale and hearty. Small
81 stature, and with her shrunken form
bent over with the infrmities of old
age. she still shows that she was in her
young womanhood comely maid for
one of her race, and had Dame For
tame made her queen of Servia she
would have graced the throne of that
country of social volcanoes with as
lz,uch dignity as many of the happy
and unhappy queens of Europe who
with sparkling jewels and rich gowns.
y Union man accompanied by
Henry Schmidt a neighbor of Mrs.
Boyn's, raped at the door of her
and were invited in. She cannot talk
English except in a broken way, but
talked with much interest in German
10 Mr.. Schmidt.
She did not seem to know much
;soout her husbands kingly inheritance
which it has been claimed he went to
~ ho r
that he never mentioned the matter to
his family He told his folks that he
:1ad large fortune awaiting him in
Servia and decided to go over to that
country in 1877 to secure. the wealth.
His wife and children begged him not
TO leave, and Mrs. Boyn said the lit
tie children cried and hung about their
father when he talked of going to such
a far-distant land, but he promised
70 return in short time and make
them all rich. Mrs. Boyn said that
she had heard Or read about her hus-
bands being heir to the Servian throne
but she acted as though she placed
little credence in the story. She said
Mr.. Boyn had been in many parts of
this country but never seemed satisfied
20 settle down. and was restless. He
eft his wife with large family of
little children and went to his native
country. He wrote to his wife after
ne had been there short time for
500 and stated he would return if she
sent it, but she said she was poor and
was unable to send him any money,
and was obliged to work hard and do
q mans work in the fields. Not a
great while after she received the let
ter from her husband she received
word that Mr.. Boyn was dead. He
was taken i'll on the eleventh of the
month and died on the fifteenth.
Some of the old settlers in Princeton
remember Boyn. He was not an edu:
Gated man, and Mrs. Boyn says he
never was educated in the higher
schools of his country. He had a
small farm near town and was a cab
met maker, some bureaus and cab
NETS he made in early days still being
used in Princeton households. Old
residents say he used to talk of his
lost kingship and the fact that he was
heir to considerable property in Ser
via.
Some of the tcitizens Of Princeton
furnished Boyn with proper creden-
tails when he left
Whether or no he had any royal
rights, there is one thing certain,
August Boyn really believed he had
some crown property rights in Servia
il not the right as a king. In his
Journey to Servia or while he was
there an American consul became ac-
4uainted with him and heard his story
and it is said wrote an article for an