TORTURES OF CHEKA

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 146, 10 September 1927, Page 9

TORTURES OF CHEKA

PRISONER DRIVEN INSANE SOVIET TRIAL OF SPIES by Cable.—Press Association.—Copyright LONDON, Friday. The Riga correspondent of the “Daily Mail” states that in spite of careful stage management the trial of -6 alleged British spies is attracting little attention, according to the Leningrad newspapers, which report that the population is more concerned by the recently-instituted ration cards for bread, flour, sugar, petroleum, tea and otter necessities. Most of the evidence is based on the alleged confessions of the defendants, many of whom were imprisoned and tortured for months before they consented to sign statements admitting writing political reports for a British naval officer. Captain Boyce, to whom they were transmitted through the Finnish Consulate. The tortures of the Cheka have driven many prisoners insane. Others, believing in a promise of leniency, oft»!Q sign documents which later prove their death warrants. A Dutchman, Huyer, is the Bolsheviks’ principal witness. A former Tsarist officer alleged

that Captain Boyce forwarded funds to biov up several destroyers in the Soviets Baltic fleet The testimony of other witnesses was equally ridi-culous,—-Sun.