Reporter Tells of Experiences During Year in Red Chinese Prison
r.dllnr'c Rain UTLII. -I n iZZl
communists arc trylns Francis
ui!? pi on jpy chircn in
Moscow this week, the story ol an
other spy trial and prison sentence
s oeins written in Tokyo. It is
..Li ' Pers0I s'ory or Bill Vim,
a Chinese reporter employed by
1 " international In Horn
vi'I' ia nrlson 1" Canton.
Mm tells how he was picked up
hV Commnn ti .......I... il-.
while on asslenment in China and
m. .rse? w"h "Pylnit. Here Is the
vn -i dlspatchei abaut his
By BILL YIM
Tokyo - IUPD - The Chinese
Communists imprisoned me
Xor one year on trumped up
spy charges. They knew they
were wrong. I knew they
were wrong. I lost one year
of my life, but now I am back
in freedom.
At 7 a.m.,' July 19, 1959, I
had crossed the border from
Hong Kong into Red China on
a news assignment. One year,
fcine days, two hours and 20
minutes later, I crossed back
again.
For one year, I never slept
in the dark. The single, un
shaded light bulb in my prison
cell glared throughout the
night. For one year I never
saw another prisoner, al
though I am sure there were
1,000 in the same Canton jail.
Runs Around Cell
For that year I sang to my
self, danced or ran around the
cell to preserve my sanity.
During that time I belonged
to the Communists. They had
my body. But they wanted
my mind. They finally re
leased my body. They never
captured my mind.
The story I want to tell is
the truth about the Com
munists - and their own com
plete disregard for the rights
of individuals and their con
tempt for the principles of
freedom and equality."
My Westernized name is
"Bill." My Chinese name is
Yim Yuen Lo. I was born 24
years ago in Kiangsi Province
of mainland China. My fam
ily fled to Hong Kong during
World War II when I was
three. I have lived in Hong
Kong since, working after I
finished school, first for a
European news agency and
then for United Press Inter
national. To Interview Downey
In July, 1959, I was assign
ed to go from Hong Kong to
Canton for an interview with
William Downey, younger
brother of John Downey, an
American citizen serving life
imprisonment o n espionage
charges. Younger Downey had
received special permission to
enter Red China and UPI
wanted me lo interview him.
All arrangements for the
Medford
Tribune
SECTION B
MEDFORD, OREGON, THURSDAY, AUGUST 18, 1960
PAGES 1 to 8
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NEWSMAN RELEASED Chinese newsman Bill Yim,
shown with his mother in Hong Kong after his release,
spent more than a year in Canton, China, in a Communist
prison. Employed by United Press International, Yim was
arrested on trumped-up spy charges. He was freed after his
captors tried in vain to reform him. (UPI Telepholo)
trip were made through the
China Travel Service, a Com
munist organization in Hong
Kong. I paid them $41 and
they bought my train ticket,
made hotel reservations and
arranged for their representa
tives to meet me in Canton.
I told them fully about the
purpose of my trip. They
gave me permission to take a
camera and typewriter. I re
ceived a tag for my lapel so
the Communists at the Can
ton railroad station would
spot me,
The next day I crossed the
border into China without dif
ficulty although I answered
many questions from the bor
der inspectors. I told them I
intended to stay only two or
three days.
Gels Good Service
A flood had hit the area.
On the the three-hour train
ride to Canton, I look pictures
of the high water and of Red
army soldiers, peasants and
workers at the four stations
where we stopped.
Two very friendly travel
men met me at the station
and look me to the Huachia
Hotel, where I got the best
room in the house. I paid for
the taxi, but the driver re
fused a tip as did the travel
service men.
I tried immediately lo con
tact Downey but without suc
cess. Everyone pleaded ignor
ance of his whereabout - that
day and the next. So I went
sightseeing, taking pictures of
streets, houses, people, traffic
and construction - typical
tourist photos.
Then my Hong Kong office
advised, me that Downey was
leaving Canton. I was told
the reason I could not reach
him was because I had not
contacted the New China
News Agency, although I am
sure the agency knew I was
coming. .
Confiscate His Papers
I made plans to return to
Hong Kong, but at 11:30 that
night a hotel waitress told me
the security bureau wanted to
talk to me. I look a taxi. Two
Communists were wailing for
me, young men about 25,
dressed in white sports shirts,
slacks and rubber shoes.
To my astonishment they
accused me of illegal entry
into China as an American
reporter. They said I should
have reported lo the security
bureau, They confiscated my I Then they drove me in a
papers, warned me not lo Jaguar automobile to the
communicate with anyone or
attempt to leave Canton and
to come back the next day.
For the next seven days I
was interrogated, usually at
night. Afterwards I was al
lowed to return to my hotel.
I decided I had lo notify
Hong Kong. I called a taxi
and said I wanted to go sight
seeing. When I got about two
blocks from the cable office I
had the cab stop and walked
the rest of the way.
Calls for Help
"Date return unknown," I
cabled UPI. "Need help." I
signed the cable, "Ivyman,"
because in Hong Kong they
knew I liked Ivy League
clothing.
I picked up my taxi, rode
around the city and returned
lo Ihc hotel to wait for a
phone call from Hong Kong.
It never came. The next day,
I tried to put through a call
myself. That did it.
Within minutes, a security
bureau official entered my
rooms.
"So you wanted to call
Hong Kong," he said, "Have
n't you forgotten our discip
line?" I was taken back to the
security bureau for the last
time. I had decided lo "con
fess." I was afraid for my life
and I wanted to survive, not
only for myself but so I could
tell my story.
Yim Signs Paper
The Communists accused
me of working for a "U.S.
imperialist propaganda o r
gan" and collecting military,
economic and political infor
mation. I admitted to "vio
lating the sovereignty of the
Chinese Peoples Republic."
That seemed lo be enough.
After half "an hour, the
Communists produced a paper
authorizing my arrest. I sign
ed it, thi?n wrote: "I do not
know the reason for my ar
rest." A door was opened and in
walked the hotel waitress I
had known. She carried my
coat, camera, typewriter and
a Pciping review magazine I
had bought. The Communists
had me check my possessions.
brick-walled prison.
Tomorrow: Kim tells of his
show trial six months after
imprisonment and of his "re
form" before he was released.
Public Should Be
On Guard (or Gyps
A warning lo the public lo
be on guard againsl the "ten
top gyps" was issued today by
Don McNeil, manager of the
Medford chamber of com
merce.
He referred lo a feature
article in the July issue of
Changing Times magazine
which lists the ten leading
schemes and practices current
ly exploiting the gullible, as
reported to the national bet
ter business bureau.
They are deceptive drug, de
vice, cosmetic advertising;
questionable franchise deals
especially in vending ma
chines; mail order sale of du
bious gadgets and garden sup
plies; unsound earn-money-at-home
schemes; high pressure
home improvements; fictitious
list and comparative prices;
bait ads; unordered merchan
dise schemes, especially in
charitable appeals; telephone
sale of doubtful securities; and
photography schemes.
"Consumers can best be
protected against the minority
in business which engages in
questionable practices by deal
ing with firms of known re
liability," McNeil stated. "If
there is any doubt about it, ap
propriate inquiry should be
made in advance."
Tips Tower-Climber
Says Judge is Right
Paxton, Neb. - Carter Pry-
sock, 28, in court after he
scrambled up a 200-foot lower
over the South Plalte river,
agreed with the charge of in
toxication. "I never could
have made il if I'd been
sober, he admitted lo the
judge who fined him $50.
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