STOWAWAY’S RUSE

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 407, 16 July 1928, Page 12

STOWAWAY’S RUSE

ACROSS OCEAN IN A BOX “CONSIGNED” TO OWN ADDRESS Fortified with passport and visa, as a quota immigrant, John Phoenig, a 19-year-old German, from Dusseldorf. arrived at New York on board the liner Cleveland, nailed up in a packing case. His wooden “container” was addressed an dconsigned, “C.0.D," to himself at a fictitious address in New York. A workman, noticing a loose board at one side of the case,thrust in a hand to investigate. Phoenig, without thinking, seized the hand. When the workman ran down the pier shouting that he had been bitten by some animal in a big box, the package was opened. Phoenig was brought out and taken to Ellis Island for a special hearing. There the board ruled that he must be excluded, on the ground that he had entered the country illegally. He explained that after he had received the visa he found that he did no have enough money to come to America: so. with the help of a friend, who nailed him into it, he had constructed the box. It was only 6ft. long by 4ft. wide, and contained blankets, a cord hammock, a five-gallon jar of water and a supply of sawage, pumpernickel and chocolate. His supplies gave out three days ; before the ship docked.