Stow-aways weren't barred from entry into the United States. Section 3 of the
Immigration Act of 1917 establishes the conditions for their admission: they could be admitted as long as they didn't fall into any of the excludable categories. Before 1917, their fate was determined by Boards of Inquiry established by the Immigration Act of 1903.
Can you attach a date to when Solomon Rofer arrived in the US? If so, you may be able to make a direct judgment about the story.
