The Richmond climax. (Richmond, Ky.) 1897-1914, 1904-05-04
THE SERVIAN GROWN
AMERICAN FARMER DECLARED
TO BE RIGHTFUL WEARER.
Interesting Story of Claim of John
Boyn, of Minnesota, to the
Most Dangerous Throne
in Europe.

The announcement that the king Of
Servia would like to abdicate has re-
vived the story of the American heir
TO the throne. in the person Of John
Boyn, a Minnesota farmer, whose IA
Their, August Boyn, was said to be
an heir to the throne of that country,
and who, it is claimed, died in that
country many years ago by the hand
of an assassin.
A writer in the St James Gazette,
in discussing the rumors that King
Peter would like to let go because he is
disappointed with his people, says the
world contains lot of pretenders to the
throne who do not really pretend be-
cause they prefer to keep off that dan
gerous elevation. The most interesting
of these pretenders, says the writer,
is the Minnesota farmer. John Boyn
Vonhauser, believed to be descended
from Milos Obrenovitch, and through
him connected with the Servian ruler.
The mother of John Boyn lives in a
modest little cottage among the ever
greens and jackpines near Rum river,
a few miles from Princeton, MINI. She
is "a years old, but for one Of her age is
apparently hale and hearty. Small of
stature. and with her shrunken form
bent with infrmities of age, she still
shows that she was in her youth a come
ly woman for one of her race, and had
Dame Fortune made her queen Of
Servia she would have graced the throne
Of that country of social and political
volcanoes with as much dignity as many
of the happy and unhappy rulers Of Eu-
rope.
She did not know much about her hus-
bands kingly inheritance which it has
been claimed he went to Servia to seek.
He told his folks he had large inheri-
lance awaiting him in Servia, and de-
cided to go over to that country in 1887
and secure the wealth. His wife and
children begged him not to leave them.
but he promised to return soon with
money enough to make them all rich.
He had no idea of attempting to re-
gain his royal rights other than a pOr-
ton of the fortune which was due him.
He wrote his wife from Belgrade after
his arrival. In a few weeks she re-
ceived word through the American con-
sui that her husband was dead. Sub
sequent events proved that he had been
assassinated.
Residents Of Princeton well remem-
Der Boyn. He had a common school ed
ucation. and was by trade a cabinet
maker The farm his wife now occupies
was preempted by him. The son of old
John BOyn. who is the writer in the St.
James Gazette asserts is more nearly the
direct heir to the throne than all other
pretenders, lives a short distance from
Princeton and near the home of his
mother. Though he stoutly maintains
his heirship to the throne now held by
Peter KarageOrgevitch, he is not wor-
rying over the situation.
The grandfather when a mere child
was rescued during an invasion of the
Turks by being carried by his nurse
into a field and hidden, he being the only
member of the family to escape. The
child was taken to Saxony, where he
was brought up and in time married
and raised family. August Johns
father being the only son. It appears
that the Turks wiped out the royal fam
lily from which the BOyns descended, and
Johns grandfather preferred to remain
in peace in SaxOny rather than try sit
ting on the insecure throne Of his native
country.
The nurse who rescued the grand
father also carried with her the family
Bible and records. and when the child
grew up he received the family record,
which in time went to August. who kept
It inviolate. When he returned to
Servia he took the Bible with him, but
the Book and all the records were lost.
as they disappeared when he died in Bel
grade.