STOWED AWAY IN A BOX.

Marlborough Express, Volume XXI, Issue 240, 30 October 1885, Page 3

STOWED AWAY IN A BOX.

On tho steamer South Australian, from WoHlern Australia, reaching Port Adelaide, a box addressed to "W. Byles" was taken with the other luggage from tho after-hold, where it was placed eight days before at Fremantlp. Its unusual weight lod tho Customs officers to open it, ?hen a living man, about Oft m height, was found m tho package Ho gave tho name of William Alderson, and said that no one on board knew that he waH m tho case. Ho had no accomplice. By means of a string attached to scrows he had managed to keep the lid down tightly, lie had a few biscuits and a billy, which was omvty. He soomeJ very much exhausted, and his first request was for water. Dr J, F. Mut-

thews, a passenger, attended to the wants of tho man, who w..s afterwards »iven m charge of the police as a stowaway. The dimensions of tho box were 3ft Gin by 2ft lin, by 2ft high, and the man must have lain m n curled-up position all the voyage. He had a small auger, and had bored a few hole 3 which gave him ventilation. There ib little doubt that he had remained m the case all the way, an there was a large quantity of luggage above it, and it was nearly, the last package m tho hold. The engineer of the ' steamer states that during the voyage he heard a knocking, and thought that some of the cargo had got adrift. He Went down into the hold, but could find nothing wrong. Byles, who ia a passenger by the steamer, declares that he knew nothiug of the matter, but he admits having worked with Alderson m a railway gang about a month ago. Alderson is an old expiree. Ho was fined £1 on being brought before the Police Court.