LUCK TURNS.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVII, Issue 183, 4 August 1936, Page 8

LUCK TURNS.

: MARAMA STOWAWAY'S STORY. [ FARE PAID TO NEW ZEALAND. **" Down and out and in bad health, T. Collins, of Hastings, came to a momentous decision in Sydney one night, find the result was that one day, a little ; while later, lie found himself before the captain of tlie Marama as a stowaway. But that is not the end of the story. He was more fortunate than some people who stow away, and his case was move deserving. The passengers banded together, a subscription was taken up, and Mr. Collins landed at Auckland this morning a free man. Curiously enough, it was on the same vessel that he left Auckland 18 months ago in good health and in high spirits. He took a position as donkeyman on a vessel, and in that capacity visited America and the East. He had good prospects. Then his luck turned. He met with an accident at Port Adelaide, and as a result found himself for sbme time in the hospital in that city. When he was discharged, he said, he found his health had broken. His heart was weak, and he was unable to do hard work. He drifted back to Sydney, and, unable to find work and not able to do much even if he had been successful in his search, his money rapidly dwindled. I "The doctor had advised me to come back to New Zealand," Mr. Collar said. "I had no means of getting back, but eventually I decided that it was worth a 'stretch' in gaol to get home. I walked aboard the Marama —and the rest you know." He wanted the passengers who had helped him to know how grateful he was to them, and more particularly the person who had put in the last 10/ needed to make the fare up to what was required.