Pueblo chieftain., 1921-05-04
By Frederic J Haskin.

tRf A. 'A'A - - AAaNhAAAH
New York City. May Josephine
Mandre stood on tho deck OF tho
French freightcr BelEravia. grazing
miserahly at the impressive shorellnc
OF New York. She vas a slim little girl,
uumlstakably French. with dark. ser
Ious eyes and two long braids of black
hair dangling down her back Her dark
dress wa. worn and rumpled her
high-hseIed French shoes scratched and
shapcless-
For 10 days she had been on the Bel
rravia. a stowaway and the only wom-
an among a crew OF Mediterranean
sailors. II had been grim nerve
racking experience for a lb-ycar old
by the thought that eventually It must
ond-end in America, the world famous
land OF opportunity. And now there
was America before her eyes. and she
was told that she could not land.
VERY well.' she told the customs Of
ficials who reluctantly broke the news
to her. but l shall not go back.
Monsieur. From noS on do not eat
In a little time. before the ship sails,
! will be dead That will be better than
going back"
As the customs Official reviewed the
girls story. he was haif-lnciined TO
agree with hex. What would she do
IT shs ilu 20 PACK 4nrf- HttEH ako'
hcr father. a PoIlu. had been Killed at
the front. Then her mother had died
with no relatives or friends 10 help
her. the girl had made her way TO
Malaga, spain. where. she learned. II
was easy TO obtain passage to America
She had paid sailor on the Belgravia
$40 francs 10 stow her AVA. which h"
did in the 'twcendccks. providing her
with food and water. After the ship
was well under way the sailor attempt
cd to assault her. Her screams at
tractcd other members OF the crew. and
she was brought before the captain.
who put her IN a sthteroom and there
after kept n protecting eye upon her.
The captain intended to turn her over
to tho immigration authorities at
Ellis Island. but discovered that a
month before a now ruling had been
passed stating that all stowaways must
DO retained on board tho vessels bring
ing them. This meant that tho girl
would have to return tu Malaga on tho
BeigraNia. via South America, voy-
age OF many months. still the only
woman on board.
Rescue Of Josephine
Fortunately. however. she was not
compelled TO do thig. Nor was she
compelled to die. The customs auth
critics. becoming interested in her
AHhfhs hDNfAAfA TO NIlf INfNiNN NAAAN
Commission. which came TO her rescue.
and thus the incident ended happily.
Tho case CT Josephine Mandrc is only
one Of the many dramstic instances
which have recently hRrrasscd immi-
grafton and customs authorities here.
as tho result OF an unprecedented IN
nuN OF stowaways from Europe. Since
tho war. the greater part OF Europe
seems hcut upon coming TO this coun-
try. whether possessed or the ncccs-
sary passage money or not, and as
might hC expected. an obliEing or
Eanization has grown IN to help thcm
do II. An international stpwaway ring
"a sort OF Stowaway Limitrd-lz now
operating In all of the chief ports Of
Europe, collecting big profits on its
promise to ship immigrants in hiding
10 America. Tho difficulties Of land
ing at Ellis Island do not concern these
professional hiderS. They merely put
the trusting one on board In charge OF
ono Of their sailor acComplices, and
collect their fec. Some OF tho sailors
Of course, work alone. hut in such
risky business it is much safer to work
with the ring
Bsfore the war the cost OF stccraEe
transportation across the Atlantic was
FROM s25 to $40. Today It ranges any
where from $3.50 to $3.50. a prohibitive
price to many would-he Immigrants,
anxious 20 escape thr awful poverty
and nttcr-war depression OF Europe
Such dishcartened peasants arc easy
prey for the Stowaway gang You can
he hidden on board ship and supplied
with food and water and II will cost
you only $50" they arc told. And Of
course they grasp at the opportunity.
Hence. during the past year stow
aways have been coming in druvCs
sometimes as many as dozen carried
In the hold Of ono ship. They represent
all types and canduions of mankind