Mr. White to Mr.
Hay.
American Embassy,
London
,
December 28,
1901
.
No. 732.]
Sir: With reference to your instruction No.
736, of the 1st of October last, I have the honor to inclose herewith a
copy of a note which I have received from Lord Lansdowne, embodying a
report upon the case of Mr. Patrick Lennon, who is detained as a
prisoner of war in Ceylon, and who would appear to have described
himself, when he took burgher rights on the 1st of December, 1899, as a
British subject, born at Armagh, Ireland.
I have, etc.,
[Inclosure.]
Lord Lansdowne
to Mr. White
.
Foreign Office
,
December 23, 1901
.
Sir: With reference to my note of the 17th
of October last, respecting the case of Mr. P. Lennon, stated to be
a United States citizen, at present detained as a prisoner of war in
Ceylon, I have the honor to inform you that a report on the subject
which I have received from His Majesty’s secretary of state for war
shows that Mr. Lennon was undergoing a sentence of six months’
imprisonment at Johannesburg for assaulting his wife and that he was
released by the Boer authorities in order that he might join their
First Irish Brigade. On the occasion, however, of that brigade
passing through Johannesburg in May, 1900, Lennon remained behind on
the French Rand Mine, where he had obtained employment. He was
arrested by the British authorities early in September and made a
prisoner of war.
It appears that Lennon took burgher rights in the late South African
Republic on the 1st of December, 1899, on which occasion he
described himself as a British subject, born at Armagh, Ireland.
I have, etc.,