A STARVING CHINESE.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXIX, Issue 3294, 12 August 1911, Page 2

A STARVING CHINESE.

RESCUED FROM A CAVE.

VISITED BY FAMILIAR SPIRITS

Information was received at the Ballarat North police station the other day that a' “kidnapper” was occupying a cave in the Dead Horse Ranges. Constable Jay was instructed to make inquiry. with the result that lie was able to locate, the cave. The occupant proved to be a starving China.man named Ah Fat, who said he had taken up his quarters in the tunnel many days ago. Although Fat by name, the unfortunate man, who is 78 years of age, was found to be extremely lean. He is described by Const. Jay as a living skeleton. Pie had not tasted food for several days, and was weak from starvation and exposure. Ah Fat informed the constable that his former place of residence was S'kipton, and when asked how he managed to get into the cave in the Dead Horse ranges he replied, “Me tlamp, tlamp allee time.” The unfortunate mail must have tramped over 36 miles before he fell exhausted on the wayside. All Fat said he felt very lonely in the cave at night, and at times he thought he saw the spirits of his departed cousins hovering around in the gloom. He was almost in a moribund condition when discovered by the policeman, owing to* exposure to the recent frosty weather. In effect, he said the cave, which was alive with centipedes and other vermin, was like an ice chamber, and he felt the low temperature more severely at night owing to his having to lie on the ground without anything in the shape of covering. Constable Jay arrested Ah. Fat m a charge' of having no means of support, and on being" subsequently brought before the city'bench lie was. on the application of Sergeant Beckman, iemanded to the Gaol Hospital!, with the view of securing his admission to the Benevolent Asylum.