into their populations with
cret trials. They just let the
word leak out with a menac
ing, heart-chilling effect. At
least 40 clergymen and nobody
knows how many laymen are
believed to be in jail in Bul
garia. They may be tried se
cretly.
So, obviously, western offi
cials said, making the first trial
public was Intended for window-
dressing for world opinion
Bulgarian Pastors called "dirty-crying cowards" and
"squealing little rats" by communist newsmen at recent trials
held In Sofia, the ministers had "confessed" to charges of
espionage for the United States and Great Britain but were
ridiculed by the commie press.
NO SIGNS OF DRUGGING
Why Defendants Confess
So Readily in Red Trials
(Editor's Note: Richard Kasischke covered the Sofia trial of
15 Bulgarian Protestant pastors and here gives his impressions
of why defendants In Communist trills confess so readily.)
By RICHARD KASISCHKE
Berlin W) What makes defendants confess so abjectly and volu
bly in those trials staged by the Russians and their eastern Euro
pean Communist satellites?
Nobody can say for sure ex-1
cept the secret police who ob
tain the confessions and the de
fendants such as remain alive.
But the police won't talk and
the defendants are not approach
able or can't talk freely.
But at least a corner of the
dark veil was lifted at the most
recent of these trials at Sofia,
where 15 Bulgarian Protestant
pastors were tried on charge of
espionage for the United States
and Great Britain and other offenses.
The observations of this re
porter and other western ob
servers admitted to this trial
appeared to rule out such
theories as drugging and hyp
notism. The more logical explanation
appeared to be a combination
of (1) duress, involving threats
of reprisal against the defend
ants' families; (2) a wearing in
quisition and (3) persuasion
a subtle injection of Commun
ism. In the IS years since the Mos
cow trials of 1936-38 many an
anti-Communist victim has stood
up publicly to denounce him
self as "vile" and "rotten" and
"heinous." Many a man has
called himself a once-benighted
soul who now sees "Communism
in its true light." He has only
one wish to "be spared my
life and a chance to help in con
struction of the socialist state."
The peep behind the "confes
sions" curtain afforded western
observers at the seven-day Sofia
trial was limited. They could
pot speak to the defendants in
jail or in court but they could
see them daily on the court floor
below and they did not look
drugged or hypnotized.
But Communist governments
can also throw a terrific fright
well as for internal fright.
How did the Communists
work it? What manner of men
did they bend to their wills?
At Sofia, as all the defendants
came forward with long public
confessions and statements of
repentance and several sobbed
and wept only the commun
ists derided them.
Sitting in the press section.
Communists of the government
press department, pointed at the
pastors and remarked to wes
tern correspondents: "Look at
the dirty, crying cowards. Cry
babies, they are. You would
never see a Communist down
there weeping like that."
The Communist press took
the same line. It called the de
fendants "squealing little rats"
and mocked at suggestions in
the western press that their con
fessions were extracted through
pressure or the use of drugs.
I asked these Communists
how the confessions were ob
tained. They answered: "The
pastors are guilty and they
know it, so they talk."
The Communists got the pas
tors' depositions at what they
called a "preliminary inquest
before the judge of instruction."
This is a sort of pre-trial.
Under the Napoleonic code a
defendant is presumed guilty
until he proves himself inno
cent. In the U. S. and Britain ne
is presumed innocent until
proved guilty.
The Communists take this at
least one step further. They ar
rest a political opponent, put
the screws on him in confine
ment to get a "confession." So
when he appears at public trial
if that is granted him he has
only one chance. That is to
plead extenuating circumstances
and beg to get off with less
than the maximum sentence. A
position of full repentance helps,
he is told.
Col. Alexis Yelisarov, Rus
sian deputy commandant of Ber
lin, once put this succinctly to
the American commandant.
Brig. Gen. Frank L. Howley
Speaking of Russian trials. Yel
isarov said: "We don't bring a
man into court in order to ac
quit him. We bring him in mere
ly to determine his degree of
guilt and his sentence."
In other words, Communist
police tell their political cap
tives, first off: "You've had it.
Better sing loud and long if you
want to get off easy. And any
thing you can tell us about your
co-defendants may help you get
off easier."
Then the defendant may be
reminded by interrogating po
lice that he has wife and chil
dren and hadn't he better think
of them? Several of the Sofia
pastors indicated this line had
been used on them when they
begged the court for mercy in
the name of their families.
Yet drugs apparently were
not used on them. The Sofia de-1
fendants all reacted in court in
apparently normal manner.
Besides duress there is "per
suasion to make defendants
talk. Some of the Sofia pastors
talked so much they got their
stories mixed claiming to have
conferred with U. S. and Brit
ish representatives who weren't
in Bulgaria on the dates men
tioned.
Correspondents got to only
one defendant after the verdict.
He was the Rev. Angel Diniov,
40-year-oid Pentecostal pastor
released on probation after get
ting only a light sentence for
allegedly spreading anti-government
rumors. Dimov return
ed home from court a free man
and said:
"1 was questioned for two
months before I made my final
statement" (in the police pre
trial). "I was told in the begin
ning that I would get light
sentence If I confessed. I got
better food and a softer bed
after I made my confession. My
statement in court that I was
well treated was quite a sin
cere one. I was well fed and
given plenty of books to read.
' "I was worked on sometimes
by a single interrogator, some
times by teams," he continued.
"I was confronted suddenly
with evidence taken from the
other accused a few hours ear
lier and my own evidence was
used immediately on the others.
"At first I was questioned
for quite short periods but as
time went on and they were in
a hurry they kept at it for long
periods, sometimes late into the
night."
Not only Christianity but
also Buddhism, Zoroastrianism
and Islam are. or have been,
missionary religions.
Capital Journal, Salem, Ore., Thursday, April 2R. 191919
North County High
Juniors Giving Play
Hubbard the junior class of
North Marion Union high will
present "Spooks and Spasms"
Friday evening, at 8 o'clock.
The play is a mystery comedy in
3 acts with ghosts kilters and
secret panels. The cast Includes
Joyce Hawkins, Donna Schei,
Carole Blake, Darlene Leim
bach, Charlene Dew, Joan
Young, Ed Kellcy, Calvin Alio,
Steve Treitsch. Keith Hcyerly
and Ramon Vredenburg. James
Saum is directing.
Your prospect is watching the
ads. Journal Classified.
jSilverton Justice
jCourt Sets Trials
Silverton Local Justice court
cases include Vernon J. Ging
rich, "overwidth load." $10 and
costs; Raymond Nevin "over
loading." $75 and costs; Delbert
King, "basic rule," $5 and costs;
E. R. Ekman. "double parking,"
$2.50 and costs.
George Kuschnick, depositing
debris on property of another,
entered pica of not guilty, trial
set for 10 o'clock May 6.
Other cases coming up for
trial that day are: Chester Stor
ruste, reckless driving charge
and a civil action. Credit
Bureaus vs. James Underwood.
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