A STRANGE CASE.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 398, 6 January 1909, Page 5

A STRANGE CASE.

:'':-' : ;,'.' ".■ ! '/'-'"o '': '-' ■ -'V \%:l . INp^TOIt :; OR;LTJNATIci?; : '/-//■', ; (bi XBLiGßirit.—sr.ncuii. cokrespondkni.) :; - ;:...,/;., /.Auckland, January 5; ; ' At'the Police Court, Auckland,.before Mr. : Kettle, S.M., Joseph Pinto was charged ■with- being a .prohibited .immigrant. / ■ • Pinto arrived as a stowaway last September in-the Tofua, from Lev.uka. On the veß'sel's; arrival.at "Auckland 'the -Customs cials', prevented ; Pinto from'landing,, but 'he escaped from; the ship. After; some time, : he was. found. : noar" W'aitakerei.'ui a- poverty-istrickeU'-condition'.':',The'polico'.to6k.him in charge,-and.he related a,strange story, processing to have 'left. Belgium, for Africa, .ac-. 'companied by...his wife - and his brother-in-:law." "' : ">.'; -.'./,"'.-"' •■■'■■!'■ , Hegave.a ramblirig.story.of haying .'reached Sail • Francisco,, and .'afterwards, losing "conawaking; to ; find. himself 'aboard the Tofua. .Pinto in his statement made reference to .an, invention and to.a large estate" In"reply ta questions, put ,to: him;.yesterday by the' Belgian Consul (Mr. Ferguson) and ; Chief -Detective Ma'rsack, Pinto, stated that :lie left Havre f6 T - New=York- on 'February 11; IDOS. Ho; took' '.with him a Cryptogram, the patent, rights of .which he said he.had sold in;-America,for ; '£4ooo. l Afterwards,'he .was in Los'Angelos'jahd San Francisco. In-the latter place ; he declared he• was drugged and; robbed by liis wife and -brother-in-law.' He remembered little else. .;, / ■-..'-,, i . ,"Pinto;.expressed a, wish; /to. ,reiurn,.:,to ; . America, and on; behalf of Union Company, Mr.'; Russell undertook to send him back to Lcvuka.! The magistrate decided to obtain the Port-Health Officer's opinion as to Pinto's mental condition, and the case was set back for this purpose,.' '■■",,. Late in the .;afternoon Dr. Sharman-at-tended,, and he stated that when he examined Pinto, :the 'man was in a state of lunacy. iThe. magistrate ordered Pinto's re-.' turn to Levuka', in accordance with Mr. Russell's undertaking,' and he; will be placed aboard the Tofua ■ to-day. : -.: