AUTHORITIES ELUDED

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23691, 24 December 1938, Page 6

AUTHORITIES ELUDED

ELEVEN YEARS IN AMERICA AUSTRALIAN'S ADVENTURES SLIP RESULTS IN DEPORTATION (Per United Press Association) AUCKLAND, Dec. 23. Deported from the United States, where fc 11 years he lived a nomadic existence as salesman, a "hobo," a labourer, and a real estate agent among other things, E. W Ellis, an Australian, who says he deserted his ship when it reached New Orleans from Rotterdam, passed through Auckland to-day by the Monterey on his way back to Melbourne, where he was torn. His speech betrayed many traces of American idiom, but his accent was but slightly different from that of the average Australian. But for a slip he made when talking to a Californian detective he might still be in the United States. For some years befort he left Melbourne, in 192*, he had conducted a real estate business. He wound ihat up and left for England. After a brief holiday there he went across to Holland, and it was while he was at Rotterdam that he had an opportunity of signing on as a seaman on a round trip to the United States. ' The life didn't appeal to me," he said, "and just before the ship reached New Orleans another seaman and I decided to go ashore and stay there. We made good our escape, and after walking many miles in the darkness we arrived at a farmhouse. Early the following morning a negress was baking bread and she gave us breakfast. We wandered around the countryside until the hue and cry had subsided and at last I decided to soend some of the money I had on a passenger trip to Tampa, Florida, where I felt sure I should get a job. "Soon after I arrived at Tampa 1 got a job selling mattresses. In three months I made enough money to go north and I went up to New York city. In the meantime I had read in some old newspaper files about the San Franciscan earthquake in 1906 and that the ;ity records were destroyed, so I decided to use that information as to my birthplace in case anyone asked me where I came from. The few who did ask me seemed quite satisfied that • I was an American citizen. I sold real estate on Staten Island, sewing machines in NeW York City, and newspapers in the Middle West. At times I did very well, at others I was right up against it, and in the teeth of a very bad winter, when the whole countryside was snowbound. I saw some pitiful sights among American poor—sights I'd never seen before. I ' rode the rods ' (stole rides on railways) for about 4000 miles, slept in empty box-cars, on the top of covered trucks and underneath them, in search of work. I sold sewing machines for eight years in New York* and they were happy years. I learned to like America and Americans, but wished to remain a Briton. "I eventually made my way across the Continent and arrived at Los Angeles. I was talking one day to a detective when quite inadvertently, while off my guard, I told him I was an Australian. That led to questioning, and before I knew where I was I was clapped into the Los Angeles county gaol, where they kept me for 47 days before putting me on board the Monterey. Except for the monotony of food and prison routine. I was well treated." Because he gave his word not to attempt to escape, Captain Johansen, master of the Monterey, allowed Ellis his liberty 'on the voyage south, but he was not permitted to land at any intermediate port. While at Auckland, for instance, he had to stay in his cabin and report hourly to the purser. He said he willingly did so since the alternative - was a voyage in the ship's brig. He had no idea of what he would do when he arrived at Sydney.