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The following is a reprint from an unknown
newspaper in Scotland.
The article was captioned "Rah, Rah, Ray, U.S.A." --
sub captioned: "What America Thinks of Her Team"
There was no "by line"
"STOWAWAY"
Early in the voyage of the S. S. President Roosevelt
Steamship four stowaways were
found on board. Having failed to gain places in the Olympic team,
they resorted to this method of reaching the scene of the Games.
One, Frank Hussey (Olympic Gold Medalist - 400
Meter Relay Team 1924 Paris), has been a personality in United States
sprinting; another, Hugo Leistner, a San Francisco hurdler; the
third was a Clyde Blanchard, a hurdler of Arizona University,
and the fourth Harold Wilson, an oarsman in the 1924 team.
Their fares were paid by different friends.
Two student who remained on board after President Roosevelt left
dock were put to work among the crew.
_______________________
"A SPRINTER STOWAWAY"
A rather pathetic story is wrapped around Frank Hussey, one
of the stowaways. In 1924, at the age of 17, he became one of the
foremost sprinters in America. He was chosen a member of the American
Olympic team, and was one of the 400-meter relay team which broke the
Olympic and world's record at Paris.
Returning from Paris, he entered Boston College, and as a freshman
became the leading Collegiate runner in America. But then he began to
slip, and from being first or second in most of his races he gradually
went down before mediocre sprinters until last year he did not win a
single race. He became stouter, and in spite of the hardest training
seemed to lose all his speed.
But he refuses to give up faith in himself, and determined to come
to Amsterdam in the hope that he may yet regain his old form. So it
was that he and other boys who feel the same way that he does, decided to
conceal themselves on the liner until she was well away from New
York. Their plans have so far proved successful.
_______________________
An American Newspaper also ran
a small article on the THREE Stowaways .. and said that...
All three (Frank Hussey, Hugo Leistner,
and Clyde Blanchard) were confined to the brig
overnight. Hussey was the first released when friends including the
runners, Joe Tierney, and Bob McAllister, raised $130 to defray the
expense of the passage. Hussey was provided with the necessary
credentials.
Leistner and Blanchard were still confined although it
was understood William Humphrey of San Francisco offered to
sponsor Leistner.
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