New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-01-05
THREE, TN A BAG,
SAIL 5000 MILES
StOwaways from Russia
Live IA Days Disguised
as Cargo.
'GHOSTr WELLS SAILOR,
SEEING SACK WIGULE
Trio Hauled Out and Taken to
Ellis Island Sailor Arrested
on Bribery Charge.

IL was positively uncanny the way
/ that bag wrigglcd. The astounded
sailor poked his lantern among the
boxes in the ships hold and jumped
back with shout. He ran up to the
steerage deck Of the Czaritza and bel
lowed for help from the night watches.
at moves like a ghost" he told the
superstitious crew Of the Russian
American liner
They dumped down the stairway and
ripped open tho burlap bag which the
sailor indicated. The lantern light
shonc on the dirty face Of a young
stowawsy They pulled him out Of his
retreat by the hair and one shouted:
Hes a Jew! Let's see if there are
any more of them"
The sailors discovered two more
stowaways in bags. Their thin, Semitic
faces denied the fact that they were
only young lads. For fourteen days and
nights they had lived in terror within
burlap containers, only to be caught
few hours before they would land on
American soil
That was at 1880 a m. Yesterday. The
Czaritza, from Archangel, had locked
at the Bush Terminal. in Brooklyn, late
in the afternoon Monday. At dawn
Nochem Shifrin, Noah Slrotkin and
Shlome ChaifetZ would have slipped
-, nit ka of no % al
passengers to safety and new life IN
a new land.
Tell your story" said fellow Jew,
an official OF the Hebrew Immigrant
Aid Society. you are in free
country"
But we are not free and this is not
a free country" replied Shlome Char
fetz. the eldest.
You will be-" cheerfully replied the
official.
The stowaways told their story.
Their homes were in Grodno and
Mohelief. in the interior OF Russia.
and they escaped in the nick Of time
from CONSUMPTION into the army
Nights they had crawled from village
TO village. with faces set toward Arch
angel. Their attempts 20 purchase pas
sage to America. the land OF gold and
honey" were fruitless. Then they
learned the Czaritza was 70 sail, and
they pooled their rubles, 20 obtain
which their families had sold their
furniture and possessions, and brbed
John Weiss. sailor.
In the sitting hold Of the ship they
counted the eternal days. Only at
midnight did they venture from their
bags to forage like so many rats for
scraps Of food. Then for another day
they went back into the burlap con
tanners.
When Shlome had told his story he
put hi papachi, or big fur cap, on ms
head and protecting arms about MS
two younger companions. -.
I'VE are glad we are in America"
he said.
For Gods sake" called out the
Jewish official. They're ,oc weak 10
stand Give them something 70 eat"
Nochem and Moan and Shlome ate
ravenously. They did not know that If
they were sent back % Russia they
would b. shot. They merely babbled
Of their new home. While they were
eating the sailor, John Weiss, was ar
rested and put n irons.
Yesterday the three refugees were
taken before the Ellis island board.
An official pointed out that Uncle sam
greets those who knock at our gates
with a cheer Come in as rule,
but tina, Nochcm and Noah and Shlomef
had transgressed the rules o. etiquette
Of their would-bc host.