The San Francisco call., 1910-12-06

and then flung themselves forward
once more. At last they rushed blind
ly, finally heaving themselves against
the sea wall. The sound Of rowing had
ceased again. but as they waited they
heard boat going over the rocks and
caught the mutter Of the Chinese as
they landed and scrambled over the
slippery places.
Jump Among Chinese
The four. with one accord. crawled
over the wet sea wall and leaped down
into the darkness. AS they jumped they
fred and yelled. They landed right in
the midst Of the Chinese. stumbled and
grappled-but the decentralization had
been completed by the suddenness of
the attack. Bringing out their electric
searchlights. they discovered the band
of Chinese covering and terrified.
cringing behind the rocks. crouching
on the beach.
The inspectors arrived on the scene
just as the boatnen who had rowed the
Chinese We're leaving. The boatmen. at
the sound Of the shots. dropped their
oars and flung themselves in a panic at
the bottom Of the boats. An endeavor
was made TO capture them, but the
heavy tide swung the boats out of
reach.
A telephone message TO Inspector
Horr. on watch at the ferry. brought
the latter down ia 4 launch, and the
Chinese We're placed on board and taken
10 the customs headquarters in the
ferry 6r-f1Tfr7c~ ina 2
in transferring them to the launch that
ii was discovered that seven out of the
fifteen We're women dressed in mems
clothes.
The capture was reported TO the i'm
migration authorities yesterday morn
ing, and the i contraband Chinese
turned over to ". T. Boyce. an IN
spector at Angel island. There they
VIII be held pending the government
invests cation.
WHENCE DID THEY COME.
From where the Chinese came is the
hub Of the entire inquiry. The immi-
grafton authorities. basing their theory
on the observations of the four customs
officials, maintain that the lot were
slowed away on the Manchuria and. at
an opportUne time. dropped into boats
lying astern OF the vessel Inasmuch
as there Were four federal inspectors. a
dock night wstchman and three ship's
officers on watch at the time il would
be practically impossible for the boats
10 come alongside. receive their cargo
and leave. without being observed by
some OF those on guard. So strange is
the situation that Colonel Blinn. in re-
ierring the matter to the collector OF
customs wrote the following report:
Sir: I herewith hand Won report
or inspectors engag aged in the can
ture Of l5 Chinese men and women
supposed 10 have escaped from the
steamer Manchuria last night
These supposed escapes have been
turned over 10 the immigration
bureau and I respectfully request
copy or its report in the case
with view 10 an Investigation
IS 20 whether any Of the inspectors
sletalled Tor duty by this Office are
20 any manner connected with the
escape This appears to be a some
Nial serious case. and II an in
specJor OF customs is i'm connivance
in the matter ii is upon nroner
evidence OF the fact. proposed 10
from the service
FROM MANCHURIA. SAYS EnSEII
r. Edseu. assistant commissioner Of
immigration. declared that i'm his
opinion the Chinese came from Man
churia.
There is no doubt in nv mind from
what Information ] have" he said.
that they were slowed away on that
vessel understand that some Of
the steamship officials say the escane
might have been from Angel island.
but this lis absolutely without founda
ton. The Chinese at Angel island
are checked and numbered and none
are missing ] am making an ex
haustive investigation and will make
my report 10 Commissioner SteH,art
within a few davs"
Stewart declared that he had no in
formation on the matter and would
not have until he received EdselPs re-
port.
The officials Of the Manchuria say
they can make nothing Of the mat
ter and that it was possible for the
: to have been slowed away without
detection.
PURSER Is PUZZLED
J. P. Bourne. purser Of the Manchu-
ria, declared that after q days investi-
cation the incident was as mysterious
as when he first heard of it.
4 have made a full report to the cap
tain Of the vessel" he said. and that
report. in effect. is that after investi-
eating the case / am as much in the
dark as ever. Personally 7 do not see
how Is persons could be slowed awav
on board ship without detection. The
vessel IS so constructed that it is well
nigh an impossibility for such thing
we took every possible precaution
on the voyage. On leaving each port
we checked of the crew and the steer
age passengers, had them on deck and
searched the vessel from top TO bottom.
on arriving in San Francisco we fol-
lowed the same procedure. A couple OF
the ships officers worked from the for
ward and another two from If. meet
ing amidships The crew and passen
gers were checked of as usual and a
thorough search made. Under the cir
cumstances il may have been possible
for one or two to have slowed awav
with success, but ] can not see how *
could have done so.
When / heard of the reports of tbe
capture I started an investigation and
went through the ship. trying to in5
ont where they could possibly have
slowed away, but I could hnd none.
questioned the heads Of my depart-
ments and others Of the crew. but they
knew nothing. The affair is COM
plete mystery"
ScHwERIN TAKES HAND
w L. Bunker, chief engineer of the
Afanchuria, said that he was as posi-
tive that the stowaways We're not hid
den within the confines Of his depart