The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-09-11
A DGBBLER IN REVOLUTIONS.
CAPT. BOYNTONS LIFE WORK As
A PURVEYOR or WAR MATERIALS.
An Interesting Profession. hut Not Prsnt =
abte. a. Kings n Republics Are
UngrateTul-The Captain Ran Foul OF
the u. Q. Once BeTOre-A NeU Yorker.

the u. 3. Once BerOre-A New worker.
Capt; George b. Boynton, who In at
tempting TO foment a revolt against the
Government OF President CipriAno Castro
Of Venezuela got himself into trouble with
tho United States authorities, has incurred
the displeasure Of his Government at least
once before. To-day the Captain will
appear before United States Commissioner
Ridgway and endsavor TO explain why
he had made and held in his possession q
sct % dies with which the bolivar Of Vene-
suela was to be oounterfeited.
Capt. Boynton, who says himself that he
IL "a fair, square and honorable soldier
Of fortune, only that and nothing more"
thinks he can give ample explanation OF
his action. At any rate he Ia determined
that the Federal officials shall not brand
him a. a mere vulgar counterfeiter and
thinks they will fail in making him out q
money maker. in the literal sense, Just as
signally IA they did in proving him a pirate
thirteen years ago.
Capt. Boynton's previous runin with the
United States Government came also az the
result OF getting mixed up in a South Amer
lean revolution. It was on September 70.
1893, that the Captain OF the British war
chip Sirius, then lying In the harbor Of Rio
de J~aneiro, saw a tug flying the British Gag
making for the cruiser A~quidabsn, the
flagship OF the feet, commanded by Ad-
miral Mello. Mello, IL may be recalled,
with his brother Admiral, Da CANA, led a
revolution against the Government OF
President Peixoto OF Brazil. which proved
unsuccessful.
The commander Of the Sirius, knowing
that he was at Rio TO protect British citizens
and property, stopped the tug and found
thai 10 was well loaded with explosives.
Thinking that an attack on the rebel war
chip was intended. the captain OF the Sirius
took CAPT. Boynton. who seemed to be in
authority OIL the tug, but when Boynton
declared he was an American he was turned
over to Capt. Picking OF the cruiser Charles
ton, who telegraphed for instructions to
Washington as to what should be done
with his prisoner. To Capt. Picking Boyn-
ton denied that he had intended an attack
on the Aquidaban and said he was merely
going out to see IL Admiral Mello cared to
purchase his cargo of war munitions. As
BoyntOn had a torpedo on board and had
n right TO fly the British flag. Capt. Picking
was at a loss as to what TO do and tele-
graphed to Secretary Of the Navy Herbert
for instructions.
For Q time it was feared at Washington
that International complications might
come out Of Capt. Boynton's activity.
Finally the authorities ordered him to
be removed from the scene OF the trouble
and brought back TO the United States,
where Il was intimated he might be held
on the charge Of piracy. After being held
four days at the Brooklyn navy yard,
however, the Federal authorities decided
that the best course was to him 10, after
the Captain had promised uat he would be
good and keep away from Brazil until the
trouble there was over.
At that time three score OF years were said
20 have had their visible effect in grizzling
the Captains hair and beard, but to-day he
does not look a day over the sixty five years
which he comedies he has passed.. The
beard which he wore when he was brought
90 the Brooklyn navy yard Is lacking, shUv-
ing more plainly the scar on the right cheek
which he received at the battle of Pittsburg
Landing, and his hair and mustache are
somewhat whittier than after the A%quidaban
incident. but he is still the same inveterate
lover o. adventure.
The Captain finds il especially CALLING that
at this time Of life he should he arrested in
old New York as a common counterfeiter
He was born here just below Fourteenth
street, at 70 Fifth avenue, and received what
he himself says is the equivalent Of a col
lege education. He refused TO say what
college he attended though it is not Williams,
from which institution his old time friend
Lewis NJ. Thompson holds O degree.
Thompson IL also charged by the Federal
officials with having a hand In the counter
feiting game, and will have a hearing at the
sane time as the Captain.
The war spirit, which seems to have
been born in the Captain. got to work early,
for he was not yet 10 when he stole away
from sohool and enlisted in a cavalry regi-
ment from New York State. He saw SER
vice on the Union side for four years. He
was engaged in the campaign under Gen.
Grant along the lower Mississippi in 1862
and participated in the battles Of Pittsburg
landing and Shiloh. It was at the former
hat his right check was ripped open from
ear 10 mouth by a sabre cut. The wound
couldn't keep him from going on with the
regiment and he kept in the fight until
the early part Of 1885. when he got an honor
able discharge.
Returning to New York he tried to settle
down to some peaceful pursuit, but when
the revolution under Carlos Manuel de
Cespedes broke out in Cuba in 1893 the call
OF Jne OlOOu was 700 sITOHR 10 De resisted.
II was in this, one of the instructions in
Cuba against Spanish domination, that
Capt Boyn.on first came to be known as
q blockade runner. Despite the activity
OF the American Government he was able
TO get together in this country numerous
cargoes Of rifles, ammuntions and supplies
Of war and to elude successfully the vigilance
Of the Spanish officials.
Although the insurgents had succeeded
in taking the town OF Bayamo. and al
though Cespedes and his forces had achieved
some stable victories over the Spanish
troops, the Cubans had not as yet SUGGESTED
In any contest which might make the Anal
result Of the war favorable 70 them. Capt.
Boynton saw that he would have quite a
long wait for the money which was due
him for the war supplies he had furnished.
The struggle was just beginning 10 grow
dull and things were getting aTathetio
when the FrInco-trusSia n war broke out.
Thinking there might be something for