DEATH SENTENCE

Dominion, Volume 31, Issue 143, 14 March 1938, Page 10

DEATH SENTENCE

Accused at Russian Treason Trial

THREE LIVES SPARED Rakovsky, Pletnoff And Dessonoff Imprisoned (Received March 13, 9.30 p.m.) Moscow, March 13. At the Soviet treason trial the accused Rakovsky was sentenced to twenty years ■ imprisonment, Pletnoff to twenty-live years and Dessonoff to fifteen years. The remainder were sentenced to death. M. Brande, counsel for Levin, appealed for his client’s life, as he was the dupe of Yagoda. M Kommodoff spoke on behalf ot Pletnoff and Kazakoff on similar grounds. Then followed the last words of the prisoners. . ... . Gringko, speaking without a tiacc of fear, declared: "I am a traitor and admit all my crimes. I do not deserve clemency. I am happy that our conspiracy was crushed before more horrible crimes were committed.” Chernoff admitted he was a German spv and did not deserve clemency, but wanted his life spared in order that he miMit purge himself of his crimes. Ivanoff half-heartedly appealed for ni prey. The prosecutor, M. Vishinsky, demanded a sentence of 25 years’ imprisonment for Rakovsky and Dessonoff and death for the remaining 19 accused. M Vishinsky denounced the prisoners in most scathing language, and declared that never had there been such a case of a disgusting chain of villainy. 1 M. Vishinsky’s invective lasted for more than two hours. He said that the prisoners were agents not of a single foreign intelligence service, but of at least four —the German. Japanese, English, and Polish. In the course of his tirade against the prisoners, he said: “We cannot leave such people alive. I would ask for Yagoda’s head even if he was guilty of a millionth part of his crimes. The whole country demands the shooting of traitors like mad dogs.” The audience applauded loudly at the end of his outburst.