Smuggling Chinese.

Hokitika Guardian, 7 April 1923, Page 4

Smuggling Chinese.

TWENTY STOWAWAYS. A DARING SCHEME. What is thought to have been a daring attempt to smuggle Chinese into Australia was frustrated just before the Dutch steamer lloutme.n arrived in Sydney a few days ago. ' Down ill the hunker tunnel ol the engine room, starving and in a parlous pli'dit. were twentv Chinese. One of the -towaways was dead, and another succumbed soon after being toiind. Ti;r iliscovorv wns insult* under extraoidinarv circumstances. Tee third „f the vessel bad occtision to g„ into the hunkers to measure the quantity of coal there and ascertain the amount necessary to order at * Mtm> the steamer’s voyage to Melbourne back. While down in the bun,set's he I.eanl a strange noise, which he (!'•- seribe'l as latipitig sound, and later joint, voices i-.uhl be picked on m 'l'"' hunker tunnel. Investigation ■ were made, and on tbc removal ol a <l»nntilv of coal flic hiding-place o the batch of stowaways was discoscm m matter wa- immediately reported to the captain of the vessel, and officers burnod bek.w. With difficulty they locate! the hiding-place under Lite coal and bn,a*,lit the stowawavs on dock. Dae man” was found l» be dead. He had evidently succumbed some day- piewouslv, but imprisoned as they were m the 'tunnel, the other men had had no moans ol getting rid of the '>■ A >" „ther Chine.-e was so weak that ho Inc. l(l I e carried on deck, and shortly alteisvards collapsed on the hatchway. .nc oilier eighteen men were in a I“ 1 ‘‘k 1 ' plight, and bore traces of mMiig endured great hardships* "A " ,u almost black with dirt, and " baf In He clothing thev had on "its alined Th*. tunnel in "hieli they were -eerot,*d is built of sic I. about twenty feet long, two toot, high, and three feet m width, and is used by the ship (or eonveviltg coal from hunker to another .. a ntick l.eitti.' laid down in the centre I<:icry truck's and thus laeiblaU' the work. |t j. tt*.in -ill ou tiio Muannw l hat t lit* Chim-c M.-P* seerete.l on hoard while

il ! ,| l( ' was ! liii’r at Siii“:i|ioro. »*ut n't ~ I tho mlmr !'an:l. a i- I hat they j may have huardnd tho ship ~ in lava. , _ i sci'm:ixc- in Tin-: Tiioi’fcs. l ; j Tho ( Ilium.'. stouod av.ay m tho ,! ! linwoN nl tho ship. nui.-i havo .-iilloroil '■ | tor|-il l l I nil,l til" hoot u hi!.- nm v-I I If,moll tin' i . ttud lho "under i> y I that i I've" Mirvivoil I'm lailoal. At • [ |! ; i(;■ via I'niir hundred tom' oi f'litl «'< ,|v | i„ ami dt-po; I oil !<>»> , ] ;i . j, j.!i n..-;ii:i■ .■in iho l ininol, lull a ll , oNaiiiinat h n shotted licit a couple ~i p| ;tll .., ~| iho tin!aol ill'll hooil ili.uoiii,r U ,i„.,l ,|, v. a. alt'l iht'iitl'.'Jl tlt i' •- tho '..cunways am. a lit! I.' Itr-aihius! | v. oiv tll; 1 >lii■ • I with inoil. r- Th,- <• i. : i l l■ ■■ ■ n survivors vein iharped a at tli" I’nliio Court in S.vilnoy, anil I, tvito sentenced to si \ months’ im|n i'uitis moot. This, how,TIT. is only a mnnal 4 soiiiom o. as I hoy will h" <:i• I> u'toil tn ! Chiu,, a, so as ..'Tar.onnionts can h- ’ | ilia.!.' lor |,:issao,‘s. | It i- not ,ot knelt ii aim is h.-hind the "■ | s, homo, hut thorn is a .[iwr: suspicion ■ r i that tho sin iiool in.of llio-o part ieiila i i-l sluv. a\va\s uia;. eventually ho assooi.l ] atod tv it It tho disappearance ol ( htnese ~ I coin various ships tiiat Imvo couio into i | tio. 'lii'-.. it it h ( hiuoso orou -. ! i AIIKITI.I.V I’l.ANNI'i!) hi lIK.MK. ' j ]i V at ahi:'.:t t his, tinto lost .voar " vosols arriving helm v. as I■ L •, , 111 iii u - a I .'j ~ I'.oalav niTurri'iii o. ami it was i pan., than hinted thou that this va - ! cos',lit Ot a. loin; and carefully I pi, iiu"d srhoino to s'lPitrt'lo Cliitio ■ in l " i t!,o loiiiitry. Iht Ira Hick iuo «;"■ u-- ! !,orted oi in'vine; I ecu carried ill in '■ j , .snip tilUo. 111 i till' j,lotto: s!I; dv, or!, oil I slow Iv. i-'r.'m non V, ml .'doin', ion; momlers | ,e C o t hi"" • Iri v, v. to I,utPal to ho | mis ip.,. Tim eapmtu "i' tho ship is o | la-id ro'-|>ou- ililo .for all oi his <•: cw. and y I Ihe III: 11-:t I >]•■•:) lO' lien o| too loi- ; :l'_ r I ( hipo -o i 1 ailiii;.; tnno m-1 him C I*> '| in |ipo. CIO:I lor o.ioii missinp muu. r ; •■'omo uintit le- lator lim < di'toms i \ aat lion i tos 'I mu rod olio oi l la- lliotl 111 Iji h" i opal iy. and ho nil- dcpui I ed. 1 j Iho s' home is said lo ho i.poratod iaa. I j a pliriT rommrrot.d has;-; a ( hiliose 1 ! uoihmau i worth nimii". . Whim ouo 1 ; ; • , -la -hora. ho i- Imre ~-r a 10in... ; I lose II ' i- told o! tho CUM 111 It's i pros! oriiy. aml of l he vast |iussihilit ios i for him. Hiy ivnyrs are hold up as an imlu. "opiont. I i.' dm , pot rot urn I rum „ hi- s' loro leave p is d.mo. Tim , s I,"la r, la ho him to a -holt,'. . and in-ro Im lie ■ low until ii , • considered safe In nuivo util into tho eupdiv. As i tilo thop mr mi- a nid"d ( hiuoso : is mu iC i,hoi tor l hilti a -lav, "ot kI im; Ion,; hull; s t.,r II111,• pay. 11 ho complains ho i - ,la '.'a',■noil with p'i- tiro. Tim i fitffli k.'fs imvo to, yivut diffi-<-l||l ill Iml her; I, .. |,, 'i,oi|' pl'ey. Kvi'lV |t ,'aor pi ini s |: 1;...,, and i ■ p’udn- ' "Til c. I. lan !a'■ i-i "ivoii shore leave and llimo is Polhp'"; to proven! him ft mu a! din.... Nh.verl lm|..ss . -,oii i as a hie ‘SO i - l'epe.rt",| to ha III!' silts; t'e authorities :•;••• on iho at. ’ Thel ". :"• el ip ill, r-se ii! ~'hi. !> - -»rlor ■ ho' ■ r-' ■ a, OI :■'! Inna; e! j or- - Is and 00,0. int.-d na fh„o.,'.-p:'ilif ovidonce. i *»rrro &'.-rx