DID NOT LIKE THE SEA.

Auckland Star, Volume 55, Issue 152, 28 June 1924, Page 11

DID NOT LIKE THE SEA.

A JEWISH BOY'S TROUBLES. ON THE PORT AUGUSTA. When the s.s. Port Augusta arrived ' ™ Port yesterday from New York the j master handed over to the police a | youth of 17, who had fei2nnd n ' lncss ou the voyage and who refused to work, i Late yesterday afternoon the youth, ! t 1\- i enn Duva, ' a PPeared before Mr. ■. J. W. Poynton. S.M.. in the Police Court, l' charged with having wilfully disobeyed I the commands o f his superior officer, ■ and attempting to commit suicide on the voyage out. Du»al seemed dis- , tressed and nervous in the dock The master, Captain J. ]!. Sawbrid-c, i prosecuted, on the charge of attempting to commit suicide, and Sergeant , l'lanagan took the other case. i Mr. Goldstine appeared for the ac- j eused. Giving evidence the master read , several extracts from the ship's log ; book. Duval, ) le sai(i , signed on at i -Newport News on May 17, and when ! passing ban Salvador on May 21 he said i that he was suffering with his heart. ' When he joined the vessel Duval was j anxious to work as assistant steward, i but later he began to feign illness, so j witness considered. His temperature i was taken and he was given a dose of j '"No. 4, soothing mixture," and at one i port he was medically examined. Ac- j eused afterwards refused to work, and : a few days before arrival at Auckland he was found by the cook attempting to jump overboard. He had told members of the crew that he would commit suicide. As a safety measure witness hand- | cuffed him on two occasions and kept I him locked up until Auckland was i reached. ; Cross-examined by Mr. Goldstine wit- I ness admitted having deducted £2 10/ ] from the youth's wages in fines for I refusing work, and also to having j reduced him to saloon boy. I Mr. Goldstine said that accused had I been persecuted by members of the crew. | They had called him many names, tipped j him out of his bunk and threw water j over him, and generally ridiculed his ' religion. Duval was born in London, but prior to his joining the Port Augusta he had been acting as an interpreter ! in New York. Accused spoke eight j languages. His father had died just prior to his joining the ship and he was in low spirits. The accused in evidence said that he really did not mean to commit suicide, i but threatened it, hoping that the crew | would not torment him further. He was told that they could do without him and he took them at their word. Mr. Goldstine said that the loeak Jewish Charitable Society would be willing to take care of the boy and find him work if the magistrate would allow him to sign off the ship. Duval was not a criminal—he was simply unhappy at sea, and was not cut out for that life. Captain Sawbridge: I want accused punished, your otherwise it will have a serious effect on members of the crew. Mr. Poynton said that he would not punish accused further. He had been punished sufficiently already. Mr. Goldstine further stated that a good home would be found for Duval if he was allowed off the Port Augusta. Mr. Poynton: Xo, we don't want him I here. We are getting too many undesirlables in the country lately. You must j consider the community, Mr. Goldstine. Counsel protested that Duval was not lan undesirable, 'but the magistrate would not change his mind, and remanded accused until Thursday next, bail £25 being allowed. Mr. Goldstine remarked that in the meantime he would make representations to secure the release of accused from the vessel. QUESTION IN PARLIAMENT. (By Telegraph.—Special to " Star.") WELLINGTON, thi3 day. The case of a young Jewish seaman, named Paul Henri Duval, who told a rather sensational story, in the Auck-1 I land Police Court yesterday, has oeen brought under the notice of the Government by the Hon. M. Cohen, who for-1 mally moved to that effect in the Legislative Council this morning. It is understood here that an effort will be made to prevent the deportation of Duval at least on the steamer he arrived by. =====