Smyrna times., 1932-07-20
STOWAWAY SEES
LONDON LIGHTS
Raymond La Raviere, 2S
Boards Olympic and Was
Fined and Imprisoned
WORKS AND TRAVELS

IL is Stlll possible TO CTOSS ILS AZ
lantic as a stowaway, eat two
square meals daily for seven days
while mingling with the passengers
and crew, and then enter Great
Britain without so much as a ques-
ton from the authorities.
Raymond La Raviere, twenty
eight, who says he lived at 2432
Marquette road, Chicago, did it.
Travellers who have experienced the
thoroughness of the European in
yestigations of foreigners at ports
and frontiers, plus the usual ticket
and passport inspections of stew
ards and others aboard ship, mere
Iy go through formalities in no way
essential La Raviere proved it.
He boarded the Olympic in New
York 10 hours before the vessel
sailed, made himself comfortable,
Travelled to Southampton, landed,
tramped to London, and was going
for a walk with two newly found
girl friends in Drury Lane some
time later before the police called
him TO account. Then he was fined
$40 or given one month in Worm
wood Scrubs prison for the offense
of entering England Illegally.
See the Sights.
Afterwards he restored himself TO
the trust of the officials and spent
a month doing the tower, houses Of
parliament, Westminster abbey,
Kew gardens. and other points Of
interest.
La Raviere was even given a pO-
lice registration card such as all
Americans and other foreigners
who stay in England any length Of
time must have.
1t all sounds easy as he eH-
plains it.
He walked up the Olympic gang
plank, stored his luggage in the
crews quarters, and went for a
walk. He came back at eight, got
his bag, and picked out an unoccu-
pied third-class stateroom. Mat
tresses and other unused bedding
were stored in the room, and out Of
these he built a screen to shield
himself from the door. Then he
made his bed behind and turned in
for the night. When he woke up
next morning he was at sea.
La Raviere stayed in his state
room until evening, when he grew
hungry. So he changed his clothes
and went on deck. Then he learned
that the night crew was about to be
fed, so he dashed back and got into
his seaman's clothing in time TO fol
low the crew in to supper. He
helped himself and nobody asked
any questions.
He made this quick change twice
a day for seven days. He ate lunch
with the day crew and at night he
fed with a different watch. Nobody
suspected. The rest of the time he
ioIIed in deck chairs and mingled
with the passengers.
y
Cherbourg. but found this impossi-
Bile because of the landing card
necessary to board the tender. So
he went on to Southampton and was
uniucky enough to arrived there in
nid-afternoon. He saw two gang
planks taken aboard, one for the
passengers and the other for the
crew, who Immediately began un.
loading laundry. Then he did his
uuick change for the last time. He
left his bag behind to avoid customs
officers and walked off the ship with
the crew.
On TO London.
He was unable to get out Of the
dock yards at Southampton be
cause the only exit is through q
gate i'm a high steel wire fence and
this is guarded by immigration Of
ficers.
But he waited until dark and ther
Jumped the fence, the last hurdle
of his crossing taken. Then he
walked to London, a fraction less
than so miles away.
He confessed to a policeman
guarding the door of an American
organization in London that he en-
tered as a stowaway without &
passport. This policeman, La Raw
fere claims, refused to arrest hin
then, but when he saw him on th'
following day strolling with tive
pretty English girls he put him un
der arrest and took him to the i'm
migration Office in Bow street. H'
was convicted Of entering the coun
try Illegally and on the same da!
they took him to WOrmwood Scrubs
a prison on the outskirts Of London
There he says his treatment wal
of the best.
After his sentence was finished
La Raviere was sent automaticall!
20 Brixton prison to await deporta
tion. He appealed to the home of
nee for release and to polish of
his experiences he was allowed hi
freedom in the name Of Sir Herber
Samuel, home secretary. Through
out his difficulties American consula