CHINESE IMPERSONATION.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 6136, 24 March 1898, Page 1

CHINESE IMPERSONATION.

Another assumed case of Chinese impersonation came before the Customs authoritios in Melbourne last week. The steamer Australian, which arrived at Melbourne from Japan, brought five Chinese passengers "as tonnage," the law allowing vessels to bring one passenger of this nationality to every 500 tons. The steamer brought also eight Chinese on papers, and all of these latter, excepting one, were admitted. The Chinese who was not passed came out on papers issued in 1882 to one Ah Chee, who was then thirty-five years of age. Although fifteen years had elapsed since then, the passenger representing himself to be Ah Chee was now only thirty-three, or two years younger than when he departed for his Celestial home. This circumstance in itself aroused the suspicions of the wary Customs officials, bub when they found that the rejuvenated Ah Chee could not even imitate the symbolic characters of his original signature they felt quite certain that he was trying to impose upon them. The steamer. Australian is to take him back to the port at which he embarked.