HE HATED TO LEAVE

NZ Truth, Issue 1143, 27 October 1927, Page 8

HE HATED TO LEAVE

But Now Must Be Sorry He Went Back To Sydney The stormy petrel of the boxing world at the present moment is undoubtedly one negro fighter, Joe Hallr

JOE, until a fortnight back, had a short stay m New Zealand. He stopped here against expert advice and when he found he could not get a license he was up against it. He hung about till almost broke and then he dived back for Sydney. The story of Hall's departure from Australia is told m seconds — breathless, anxious ones at-«that! When it was previously arranged for this colored fistic importation to sail away, Joe stole out of sight as stealthily as any Arab who ever folded a tent. He was missing, m fact, and the ship sailed without him. This time the promoters were determined to get him out of Australia, and sub-Stadium Manager Ossie Imber was deDuted to the

task of seeing that the reluctant Joseph caught the boat. So on the afternoon the boat was to depart Imber stationed " himself outside San Jose Flats — Hall's residence — at 3 p.m. and waited patiently. The boat sailed at four. At 3.37 Joe appeared apparently m a breathless hurry. He went inside,

and at 3.39 rushed out to say that he hadn't a trunk packed, and also that he hadn't enough portmanteaux m which to stack his wardrobe. To "Sunny" Jim Williams' flat tier motor-car, and back at 3.42 with" a couple of handsome bags. By this time, Imber was decidedly on his toes and urged Joe to hurry. At 3.44, the greater portion of Hall's clothes were packed, and stowed m the car. Then he had to rush back m order to give his landlady the keys of his flat. So at 3.45, the car with Hall, and his luggage was bowling down Williant Street. Passing the post office, Joe remembered that he hadn't his gramophone, and dearly wanted it to wile

away his lonesome hours on the voyage. The car was stopped and back he rushed. At 3.53, he returned to the car without the cherished music-box. He remembered now; he had to call at the corner of Pitt and Park Streets for it. "No Pitt and Park Streets for us," quoth Imber. "The boat first stop." So on went the car. At 3.57 it passed the Queen's Statue, and at one minute past four arrived at the wharf. Frenzied porters grabbed at .Toe's luggage, and then Joseph himself was pushed through an aperture m the side of the vessel as it pulled out from the wharf — and the first of the colored colony made a very reluctant departure from Australia. And now he has

arrived back— and his re-entry to the city with the harbor was just as breathless for Joe. To land it was necessary for some person to go bond for him, but there was no bondsman waiting on the wharf. For the minute that did not worry Joe a great deal, but when he set his foot ashore it had him worried consider-

ably. A nasty person m blue had to butt m and the next Joe knew was that he was under arrest on a charge of being a prohibited immigrant. With such a happening, the story Joe told m Wellington — that he could go back any time he wished — does not dove-tail. And when they handed Joe out six months and told him arrangements would be made to deport him, his assertions about the welcome awaiting him m Sydney, were, to say the least, a little optimistically expressed. Joe will be a wise man if he gives Wellington the miss when he is on his way home to the States — there is a certain party m the capital city looking for him.