Dresden enterprise and Sharon tribune. (Dresden, Tenn.) 1907-1997, 1921-10-14
STARVING MEN !
ate RATS RAW
TWenty-Six Chinese Found Hid
den in Hold of Ship.
DODGED OFFICERS FOR WEEKS

Three Of the Men Collapse and Others
So Weak None Could Stand Upright
When Found-Story of Hardship De-
scribed as Comparable to Tales Of
"Blackbrders" of Slave Running
Days-Whisky and Opium Found
on Board.
A New York customs officer who
searched the British freighter BOwes
Castle in from Kobe and Singapore
recently, found 26 half-starved Chinese
stOwaways, three so weak that they
had to be carried to Ellis island on
stretchers and brought to light stO-
ry of hardship In the black hole of a
vessel which investigators described as
comparable to the tales of the black
birders' Of slave-running days. Other
searcherS found l6 cases Of whisky
and number of opium pipes.
Summed up for the customs men by
an interpreter, the. Chinese said that
they had been offered transportation
to America by HOngkonE boarding
house keeper They were shipped to
Singapore, where they boarded the
BOwes Castle, leaving that port late
in May. Since then they had been
slowed away, unknown to the ships
officers, In ballast tanks, dark corners
where rats consumed their ration Of
rice, and the crows nest, where two
were found Two others lined up with
the ships engine-rOOm crew..
After the Chinese had been Quoted
and questioned as they huddled to-
gether on Ellis island their story was
pieced together, and 1t was not com
pleted then Customs officers said
that the crueties they endured may
include the starving to death of sew
eral who started the voyage with the
twenty-six
Under Inspector HOkanSen, group
Of customs men boarded the Bowes
Castle as she lay at pier 4, Amerl-
can docks, StapIeton, s. l., in search
Of liquor, drugs and other cOntraband.
Crawling through narrow passage
near the engine room on the port side
OF the ship, Inspector Christian
Schmidt found manhole cover from
which the bolts evidently had been
removed. ~.., =. .*'.'
Goes In To Explore Tank.
He lifted the lid and flashed his
pocket lamp about the black interior
Of ballast tank about two feet deep
Straw at the bottom Of the tank at
tracted his attention and he decided
to investigate further. He crawled in
to the tank and paused. moment
while his sight became accustomed to
the dark. He found himself looking
into pair of cleaning eyes.
Schmidt glanced about and counted
IL such pairs Of eyes before he real
lied that he was surrounded. He
flashed his pocket lamp, called for
help and the Chinese were herded In
to the engine room.
Sc weak that they could barely
stand, % crawled out Of the tank.
Their muscles were cramped, faces
drawn and emaciated, and three
promptly collapsed and were carried
to the deck. The inspectors continued
their search and routed two more Chi
nese from the crows nest. When they
checked over the Chinese crew of the
engine room they found two men who
had not been entered on the ships
articles.
Inspector HOkanspn called for as
sistancp in taking the StOwaways
ashore and Inspector James W. Hal
leck sent the police boat John F. Hy-
Ian. From the Hylan the StOwaways
were transferred to police launch
and landed at Ellis island. The three
who collapsed were taken to tie hos
pital. Physicians who examined the
others found them so Ill that none
could stand upright.
Paid to Get Passage.
A Chinese interpreter who ques-
toned the men reported that the ma
jority had lain in the water tank for
several hours after they were gath
cred together from hiding places all
over the ship. Some had been in con-
slant hiding in the shaft alley, others
took to the coal bunkers, holds and
double bottoms.
"They paid money to Chinese mem
Der of the crew, who acted as 60
between in obtaining the permission
Of those In authority in the engine
room" the interpreter reported. what
food they received during the months
in hiding they cooked themselves or