CHINESE GIRL'S ESCAPE.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1894, 31 October 1913, Page 2

CHINESE GIRL'S ESCAPE.

SAVED FROM DEPORTATION FROM AUSTRALIA. A trot-eyed little Chinese maiden on tho steamer St. Albans at Geelong was saved for depbiif.tion to China last week by the dramatis appearance of a fast motorcar driven by Mr. A.E. F. Crft, a lawyer, who carried a writ of habeas corpus (relates the Sydney "Sun"). Kwan Ah Shem, the father of the girl, who claims that his daughter is on Australian, sprang from the car, dust-cov»red from the long rush from Melbourne, and with Mr. Croft hurried over to the steamer, not knowing that her sailing time had been postponed tili9 p.m. A motor-boat, ordered by telegraph, was waiting, ready to overtake tho linor, if she had sailed, before she reached the three-mile limitbut tho precaution was unnecessary. She was released. Tho girl is named Suey Land, and, according to her father, wa3 born at Hay Lane, off Little Bourke Street, Melbourne, on July 15, 1890. Her father's name Is Kwan Ah Shem, a Chinese importer, who has a large business in Barrack Street, Perth. The mother of the girl was a Chinese woman fiamed Jan, and W<i9 married to Kwan Ah Shem at Canton, in China, 34 years ago. Tho father and mother are stated to have arrived in Australia four or fir© years after they wore married and to have resided in Melbourne, where tho girl Suey Land was subsequently born. When the child was seven years of age,her parents 6ay, th<"j took her on a visit to Canton, where she was educated, and resided until tho. dato of her return to Melbourne in the St. Albaas, last week. She was examined three days later by the Customs authorities, declared to be a prohibited immigrant, and. ordered to be sent back on Isoard the St. Albans to China. Tho girl is about 23 years of age, but cannot speak English owing_ to her Cantonese education. She maintains that, being a natiiral-born British subject, she can at any time return to her native country without being designated an "immigrant." Owing to tho father. Kwan Ah Shorn, who came over from Perth to meot her in Melbourne, not having, anticipated difficulty over his daughter's landing, he removed all her trunks and belongiDes, with the consequence that when the girl Suey land returned on board tho St. .Albans she could not lay her hands on n single stitch of clothing except what she stood up in. Mr. A. E. F. Croft, who is acting -as legal adviser of tha girl, states that four witnesses besides her father have identified her as havinir been born in Melbourne; and that the father, Kwan Ah Shem, whom he represents, as a wealthy Chinese merchant, intends to spare no expense in fighting the matter in the Courts. If necessary, the father will carry the law nroceedings from Court to Court, till he has exhausted the law or his banking account.