European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - September 12, 1980, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Jolly Magazine skyjacker advice hey a Hijacker welcoming committee. How Nice by Barbara Katz Cox news service i be Man lost an Eye in a cuban jail. An other has spent 10 years in prisons in Cuba and the United states. A third is free but can t get a Job. A fourth is still trying to figure out Wivi did  to any homesick cuban refugees or others thinking that hijacking 3, plane might be the answer to their problems a word of advice from these men in the know Don l do it. In Tife Abone interviews four Mea who hijacked Pubes la us 1960s us 1970s, including the tint skyjacker of chit period old toe Miami Newi that they would never do it again no matter Bow Desper ate their plight. Antulio Ramirez Ortiz who opened the modern spate of hijackings when he commandeered a National air lines plane from Miami to Cuba in 1961, warned today s would be hijackers it s a big  the . Government says the same thing what s More it has the figures to prove the Bromide that crime does not pay at least not the crime of sky jacking. Since 1961,290 people have hijacked 188 planes in the United states according to the Federal aviation administration. About 200 of them wound up in prison. In to vs., 122 were convicted and four were acquitted. Eighty eight others Are fugitives from . Charges an most of these Are believed to be in cuban jails. Twenty four Are in mental institutions. Twenty two were killed or committed suicide during or immediately after their hijackings. Nine had the charges against them four men who hijacked pianos said they would never do it again no matter How desperate their  dismissed seven were not prosecuted and action is still pending on the other 14. The four hijackers who were interviewed Are All in credulous that some refugees want to go Back now to Hecuba ruled by Fidel Castro. Everett White hijacked an Eastern airlines flight to Cuba from Miami in january 1969. He spent five years in cuban prisons and one year free there before return ing to the United states. Now on parole in Cleveland White said if he had it Todo Over again i would t have did what i did. I m still trying to figure out Why i did  he has been working in a foundry for five years has married and had two Chil Dren and feels pretty Good about things these Days. He said with a note of amazement they today s that sort of takes the fun out of it refugees wanted so bad to leave Cuba and then they come Here and do what they do protesting and every thing. They Don t even have the right to protest Over there. If they lived in a prison Here they d have it better than they have it in the streets Over  Garland Grant was involved in the Buck nationalist movement in the United state when be commandeered a Northwest driest airlines flight from Mil Waukee n january1 1971. He spent seven years in Cuba before returning to free air piracy cares inthe United state. Reached at the Federal prison in Oxford wis., where he is Irving a 15-year sentence for the hijacking Grant said he doubted that cubans would return to their coun try now voluntarily. In his opinion a Tot of these Hijack Ings were planned by Fidel Castro because be wants to show that cubans arc not satisfied with life in the United  Grant said the hijackers must be cuban agent brought in to Hijack planes Back to Cuba to make Cuba look Good. I realize a lot of them live in bad conditions in Miami and other parts of the ., but at least they have Freedom Here. It s a total police state in  those interviewed were unanimous in their distaste for cuban jails. Grant said he lost his right Eye in a cuban prison when a guard struck him in the face with a Bayo net. Nobel Mason who joined Everett White in hijacking the Eastern airlines flight in 1969, spent eight years in cuban jails before returning to prison in the unite states. Eight years in Cuba was rough he said. Their prisons Are much worse than Here. The food is bad. They abuse their prisoners. They beat them. Sometimes the kill  Why did he do itt i was 25, i was ready nah Uirt Here we a lot of discrimination against Wacky and i Joat Fot into something that was � Littleover my  aside from his bad prison experience Mason said he regrets the hijacking because i m a Felon now. I can t get a  he is on parole in Bis Hometown of Cadiz Ohio and he has been trying to find work. The Job he wants is As a Security guard. Friday september 12, 1980 the stars and stripes Page 13