The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1915-04-01
SWODOOA CLAIMS TO
Be A CALIFORNIAN
Man Suspected of Causing Fire ON
La TouraAnc Under Arrest In
Paris,
SPENT SOME TIME IN NEW YORK
Was Guest at Manhattan Hotel and
Represents That He Had OIL to Sell
Which He Expected TO Offer French
Government.

New York. March s1.-Raymond
Swoboda. arrested in Paris on sus-
picion Of having set fire on the steam
ship La Toura!ne, got his American
passport vised at the Office Of the
French consul in this city on Feb
ruary 10. yet the word from Wash
ington today was that this passport
was not applied for in New York
until February &c, the day before the
steamship sal Led. Armed with the
passport that the consul had vised
Swoboda had no trouble getting MS
ticket at the office Of the French line.
The State Department has asked
the Department of Justice, according
TO Washington dispatches, to investi-
gate the whole matter of the Swobo-
da passport. The records concerning
passport applications are not kept In
this city. but are forwarded to Wash
ington.
The earliest trace of Swoboda taa,
could be found In New York today
was in the steamship list of the French
lines boat Rochambeau. which sailed
from Havre on January 6, and ar
rived at New York January Is. The
passenger record-the steamship has
no first and second classes, but IS
a zone class" vessei--bears the name
M Swoboda," fMonsieur Swokoda)
Claimed To he Californian.
Ellis Island. which takes note OF
every arrival in this country. was
asked today for the facts on the
NJ Swohoda, who arrived on the
Roeha mbeau. He swore that he was
American born, and gave his name as
Raymond Swoboda. Although he gave
his age at thirty five. he said he was
born in San Francisco on February
s, 1878. The rest of the immigrant
officers record reads male, married:
destination. Manhattan Hotel"
No further trace OF Raymond Swo-
boda appears until February "a. when
he registered at the Manhattan Hotel
No one could be found who had seen
him. or knew his wherea bouts mean
while. At the Manhattan he stayed
three days until the 27th. when La
Touraine sailed.
At the hotel he attracted no es-
pecial attention, II is recalled that
he was rather dark in complexion.
and wore moustachs. Apparently
he had plenty OF money. In casual
conversation he told people at the
hotel that he had been born in San
Francisco and had lived much in
Paris. He spoke OF his mother as
English and his father as Russian.
He had with him several samples OF
OIL and expressed the hope that the
steamship people would let him carry
these samples to France where he
hoped to sell supplies to the govern
ment. The hotel people. hearing today
OF his arrest in Paris, thought there
must be some mistake.
Strangers Called Oh Him.
At the hotel Swoboda registered as
p. r. Swoboda. or r. r. Swoboda.
The first initial is not clear. A clerk
thinks he overheard visitor address
him as Paul" After his name Swo-
boda wrote Paris" He was not
conspicuously we'll dressed 1t be-
ed with two Paris banks. Several
strangers called and talked with him
In the lobby.
In the gap Of fve weeks between
the time Swoboda landed and the
day he appeared at the hotel q man
appeared at the French eonsurs on
February 10 to have his passport
vised. The clerk. who habitually at
tends to all passport matters. was out
for lunch. This clerk has formed
the habit OF noting down the mum.
Der and date OF issue of each pass.
port. The assistant. who acted in
PihSSt 0tu ncatucT Vi these tHInES
but merely made q memorandum that
q person named Swoboda had called
with a passport and had II vised. The
clerk who did this says ne noticed
nothing unusual about the visitor.
Glsncing at the passport. which
seemed all right, and then at the
photograph pasted in the corner. and
comparing It with the man before
him, the clerk saw a sufficient resem-
blance between the two. He stamped
the passport and the visitor departed
French Consul Investigates.
Since then, about a month ago. the
French consul has made detailed
inquiry OF each applicant who wishes
its wise on passport. This includes
the object OF ones journey. references
and the applicants signature.
Swoboaa appeared at the Office OF
the French line on February rs. the
day after he registered at the Man
haitian Hotel. and two days before
La Touraine sa'led. Here he presented
. passport with the French consuls
wise and certain letters to the genera
agent, NJ. Faguet. The general pas
scnger agent. c. Treyvoux, got Swobo-
da's name rs Raymond Rolf Swoboda.
One OF the letters Of introduction was
from one Of the big English steam
ship lines The general manager OF
this fine says that Swobot9a Is un-s
known to him. and mis- assistants. and