THREE MORE STOWAWAYS.

Auckland Star, Volume LXII, Issue 46, 24 February 1931, Page 9

THREE MORE STOWAWAYS.

MEN IN SHIP'S BOAT. TO VANCOUVER AND BACK. Three more secret ocean tourists were brought before Mr. W. H. Woodward, S.M., at the Police Court. The first two were Thomas Herbert Atkinson, aged 30, a butcher, and Clarence James Parkinson, aged 22, labourer, each charged with stowing away on board the Niagara at Auckland on January 13 last. They pleaded guilty. Detective-Sergeant Kelly said both men were discovered in one the ship's lifeboats five days after the Niagara had cleared Auckland. They had lived in the lifeboat with only biscuits as food. Mr. Aekins said one man belonged to Auckland and the other to the Bay of Plenty. "They arc at a loss to know how they came to get on the Niagara," said counsel. "They had been drinking, and when they came to they found themselves in the lifeboat. They were taken on to Vancouver, where they spent five days in gaol. Both worked well on the homeward voyage." Mr. Woodward fined each £5, or 14 days' imprisonment, and allowed 48 hours in which to pay. Wanted to Join Wife. The other stowaway, William Knox Tobin, a labourer, aged 24, arrived on board the Marama from Sydney this morning. Mr. Aekins stated that Tobin arrived in Australia seven years ago from Scotland. Things were very bad in Australia, and Tobin and his wife decided to settle in New Zealand. "He sent his wife and babv to New Zealand last month, paving' their fare, but he could not get enough for lus own..so he stowed away," added counsel. Hib \mu. and child are in Diwedni. I ask youi Worship to treat him as leniently as possible.*' Tobin was fined £7 10 ? the amount of the third class fare, or 1-i days' imprisonment. Time to pay was refused.