A COOL STOWAWAY

Hawera Star, Volume LIV, 17 January 1935, Page 2

A COOL STOWAWAY

SELECTED JIIS OWN CABTN (By Air Mail from Our Own Correspondent). LONDON, Dec. 29. Few ocean passengers would trouble to pay their fares if all could hope for the comfort ana good luck which attended young Arthur Hamer, who was put ashore .just in time to spend Christmas with his family in Preston, Lancashire. Hamer had been for some years in Australia, hut unemployment decided him to return to England, So he walked on board the liner Barrabool at Adelaide, selected a cabin and went to sleep. Unable to take a seat in the dining-room for fear of being discovered, he lived on tea and sandwiches which were handed round between meals.

He took part in deck sports and was generally accepted as a passenger foi more than a month. Discovery came when the liner was approaching the Bay of. Biscay. A gale sprang up, and orders were given for portholes in all cabins to be closed. A steward came to the cabin in which the man was sleeping, and found that six people instead of the scheduled tl\ e were there.

But even then the story did not end unhappily, namer was put ashore at Hull and found himself in the police court dock. The penalty for his adventure was a two-guinea fine. Tlin.magistrate granted him time to pay the fine to enable him to go home for Christmas. When the young man said lie had only ten shillings and would ride to Halifax and walk the rest of the way, the magistrates, officials, reporters and police officers subscribed enough money to get him home for Christmas.