RELATING TO BRITISH CLAIMS. 351 



less. I have repaired some of the schooners that were built at Victoria 

 and have always found them roughly made and lacking in good sea- 

 going qualities as compared with those made at this port, although 

 those built in the last two or three years are better in this respect than 

 those built previous to 1886. 



Matthew Turner. 



Subscribed and sworn to before me this 24th day of October, A. D. 

 1892. 

 [seal.] Clement Bennett, 



Notary Public. 



Deposition of Theodore Thomas Williams, journalist. 



District of Columbia, 



City of Washington, ss: 



Theodore Thomas Williams, being duly sworn, deposes and says : 



I am a resident of San Francisco, California. I know A. Frank, of 

 San Francisco, of the late firm of Gutman & Frank, of 

 Victoria. A. Frank was born in San Francisco ; was F rank. enship ° f A " 

 a citizen of the United States ; never threw off his al- 

 legiance to the United States or became a citizen of any other country, 

 so far as I know or was informed ; he always passed among his ac- 

 quaintances as an American citizen; he spoke of himself as an Ameri- 

 can, and exercised the rights and privileges of American citizenship. 



I know Mr. A. J. Bechtel, of the firm of Carne, Munsie, and Bechtel, 

 of Victoria, B. C. He was introduced to me as an 

 American, and the introduction was made as one BechteL n8lup ° f A ' J ' 

 American to another; he spoke of America, and spoke 

 of himself as an American. It was understood in Victoria that he was 

 an American. When I say "American" I mean a citizen of the United 

 States. He universally passed in Victoria as an American ; he was 

 never known to have requested British citizenship nor to have taken 

 any steps towards obtaining the same. 



Joseph Boscowitz became an American citizen by naturalization, 

 coming to the United States from Northern Europe. 

 He was well known on the Pacific coast as a citizen of 8e ph Boscow P itz. f J °" 

 the United States before he went to Victoria to engage 

 in business. He frequently spoke of his American citizenship as though 

 he were proud of it, and spoke of himself as an American in Victoria 

 when doing business there; he always passed as an American citizen in 

 Victoria. He had, so I was informed by the late U. S. consul at Victoria, 

 Mr. Stevens, business with the consulate there as an American citizen, 

 and was universally regarded and looked upon, so far as I am informed 

 and believe, as an American citizen in Victoria. I know that he owned 

 an interest in the schooners which stood in the name of 

 Captain Warren; but not only did he own an interest t r^8a*tk.n Bo8C ° witz 

 in these vessels, but furnished Warren money to obtain 

 his share. I found that out from his people; in making inquiries there 

 I used all sorts of ways — not dishonorable ways — I met men and with- 

 out stating my business talked to them; and talked to people who were 

 associated with Boscowitz, and got from them such statements as this : 

 " Oh, well, Boscowitz put up the money for Warren ; Warren did not 

 have any money ; Warren was a good man to have charge of that busi- 

 ness ; Boscowitz put up the money and charged large interest — ate up 

 his (Warren's), share." And they also said that Boscowitz had gotten 



