"SLOW MURDER."

Auckland Star, Volume LXIX, Issue 58, 10 March 1938, Page 7

"SLOW MURDER."

DOCTORS CONFESS. i Russian Treason Trial Nearing Its End. THE " LAST PLEAS." United Press Association. —Copyright. (Received 10 a.m.) MOSCOW, March 9. Two world-famous doctors spent the seventh morning of the treason trial eagerly describing their slow murder of Yagoda's political opponents. Pletnoff told how lie applied unsuitable treatment to Kiubvslieff alter Yagoda had insisted it was desirable to kill him. Kazakoff confirmed description of the medical murders. He said Yagoda told him Mendjinsky must die. Five medical experts are considering the doctors' evidence. Maximoff, the last of the defendants to give evidence, declared that he had belonged to the Rightists since 1028. Representatives of foreign States were again mentioned in an official statement issued this evening regarding the secret session of the trial. "Rakovskv, (iringko, Rosengoltz, and Krestinsky testified their treasonable spying connections with several officials and representative* of several foreign States. Their testimony identified those representatives. as well as the States which they represented." read the statement. The statement added that Yagoda admitted that he organised the killing of l'ieslikoff. Doctors Held Guilty. The commission of five medical experts who examined the evidence regarding the deaths of Corky and others, submitted a report in which they found that the accused doctors criminally and maliciously maltreated patients so as to procure their deaths. The Court to-morrow will hear the speech of the prosecutor. M. Vishinskv, in which he will deman<T a penalty considered suitable for each prisoner. Defending counsel will then speak on behalf of tlie three doctors. The 18 prisoners who refused counsel may then speak in self-defence, after which all tlie prisoners will be invited to make a "hist plea" on Friday. M. Vishinskv will then make his final speech. The verdicts and sentences are expected on Saturday. Evidence in Secret. Yagoda. at. last evening's session, admitted that he had ordered the deaths | of Mend jinsky and Pieslikoff, lmt asked j for liis evidence to lie taken in secret. The request was granted. The admission was made after the evidence of Raul liula notf. his former secretary, who alleged that Yagoda had attempted to rid himself of political enemies by i poisoning them. ! Rulanoff said he was visited by a man to whom Yagoda asked him to give £41100. Yagoda said it was for Trotsky. The man came live times between 1!K!4 and 1 !»:{.">. mid each time received £40(M) <m Yagoda's instructions. Kryuchkoff, who was Corkv's secretary. gave evidence admitting "the treasonable killing of (iorky and his son." Yagoda said that as assistant chief of th<' Ogpu he supplied secret material, which RvkofT and Bukharin used in the struggle against the Communist party. Yagoda described the fears of the plot - ters after his removal from the Ogpu and the appointment of Yezhoff as chief. Therefore, it was decided to poison Yezhoff.