HELD TO PLEA.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIV, Issue 88, 15 April 1933, Page 7

HELD TO PLEA.

SOVIET CHARGES.

MacDONALD'S PERIL.

Britisher Reverses Former

Admission.

JUDGES WILL NOT ACCEPT.

(United P.A.—Electric Telegraph—Copyright)

(Received 10.30 a.m.)

MOSCOW, April 14.

A sensation was caused yesterday at the trial of British engineers on charges of sabotage and spying when Mr. W. H. Mac Donald, one of the British engineers, reversed his plea of guilty, as recorded on the previous day. "When the Court sat again to-day— Good Friday not being recognised as a holiday in Soviet Russia—the judges, it appears, decided that, despite MacDonald's later withdrawal, his original flea of guilty still holds good. Allegation of Bribe. Dolgov, a middle-aged Russian, controller of the electrical inspection department, gave evidence to-day. He said that Thornton, on December 7, 1932, oave him a bribe of 3000 roubles. "Thornton opened a drawer exposing money," •witness said. "The blood rushed to my eyes and I then decided to take the money, but the same day informed the authorities and handed the money to the procurator." Thornton, questioned, admitted that he gave Dolgov the money but insisted that it was only a loan in response to Dol <r ov's entreaties, as he wanted to buy a fiat. "I categorically deny that it was in anywise a bribe," he declared. Dolgov admitted that Thornton had not asked him to perform any service for the money. "I understood," he said, "that I was expected to conceal defects found in Vickers' machinery. Nobody else employed by Vickers ever offered me money." Sabotage Charges. A dull witted young man, Kotlierevsky, head of the turbine department at the Zuevka electricity works, declared that his "downfall" began with the arrival of Mac Donald, who requested him to conceal defects in oil pumps and remain late at the works in order to throw scrap iron, nails and stones into generators. Mr. Monkhouse, the New Zealander, who is one of the British engineers charged, intervened, explaining that the Moscow office of Metropolitan Vickers ordered the replacements of the parts from London to enable the defects in question immediately to be remedied. The prosecution retorted that the parts were ordered only after a Russian commission of experts had commenced inquiries; - • *•' "The witness Kotliarevsky declared that he received 1000 roubles from MacDonald for throwing a bolt into a generator. Mac Donald, when questioned, admitted that he knew Kotliarevsky wrecked it. - Mpnkhouse declared that the bolt was milling from the generator casing and suggested that it had fallen and was not thrown into the motor.