MORE STOWAWAYS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXX, Issue 21404, 31 January 1933, Page 11

MORE STOWAWAYS

SIX HELD TIP AT SUVA TWO FROM AUCKLAND YOUTH KNOWN AS "X" [from our own correspondent] SUVA, Jan. 27 As a result of tho close search which is made by ships' officers before overseas vessels leave any port, tho number of stowaways brought before' the Court at Suva has fallen off. considerably during the past year. During this week, however, six stowaways have appeared in the local Court, and two of these havo been lads under the ago of 16 years. When the Aorangi arrived at Suva from Honolulu on January 19 two "unpaid passengers" were reported. Godfrey Warren, an American citizen, who was discovered strolling around the first-class quarters shortly after the vessel had left Honolulu, was ordered to remain in custody at Suva until the vessel returns, when he will be taken back to Honolulu. The other was John Howells, an Australian, who stowed away in the firemen's quarters at Vancouver, He was carried on by the vessel to be handed over to the police at Sydney. Tho next vessel to report stowaways was the Mariposa, from Auckland, which arrived here with two unlisted passengers last Friday. Edwin Lewis, aged 26, who boarded the vessel at Auckland, said he was an American endeavouring to return to San Francisco, which was his birthplace. Having no proof of his nationality he was detained in custody pending his return to New Zealand on the Monterey. The other stowaway, a lad under the age of 16, was ordered to bo detained on the juvenile detention island of Makaluva, which, incidentally, is Suva's principal pleasure resort and where, no doubt, ho has spent a very enjoyable time. He also is being returned to Auckland by the Monterey. Yet another stowaway by the Mariposa presented himself at the police station here just before the Monterey sailed for Auckland to-day. He stated that he had stowed away on the Mariposa at Sydney on the last trip and had landed without detection at Suva, where he had spent a week. He refused to give his name, and was hurriedly charged at the police station as "X." and ordered to be placed on board the Monterey. His alleged reason for refusing to give his name was that his father was in an influential position in South Australia. His age was given as 18 years. The sixth stowaway appeared on Wednesday on the motor-ship Carisso, which arrived from Longbeach, California. The offender, who was 15 years of age, was sent to Makaluva pending the arrival of the American ship Beulah, now in the Islands, and which will sail for San Francisco.

The two stowaways who left from Auckland on the Mariposa on her last northward trip and who did not get beyond Suva, returned to Auckland by the Monterey yesterday. They are Edward. Melvin Lewis, aged 26, married, and Walter Dryland, aged 15. As they were sentenced to periods of detention in Suva, it is not likely that they will be charged in Auckland. The young man from Sydney who did not give his name at Suva, is being taken to Sydney by the Monterey.