POLITICAL OPPONENTS

Evening Post, Volume CXXV, Issue 58, 10 March 1938, Page 9

POLITICAL OPPONENTS

DOCTORS' EAGER CONFESSIONS

THE MOSCOW TRIAL

(United Press Association—By Electric Telegraph—Copyright.) (Received March 10J 10 a.m.)

MOSCOW, March 9.

Two world-famous doctors spent this morning at the treason trial eagerly describing their slow murder of political opponents of Yagoda, former vice-chief of the Ogpu.

The accused Pletnoff told how he applied unsuitable treatment to Kiubysheff, former head of the Ogpu, after Yagoda had insisted it was desirable to kill him.

. The defendant Kazakoff confirmed Levin's description of medical murders and said that Yagoda told him Mendjinsky must die.

Five medical experts are considering the doctors' evidence.

Maximoff, the last of the defendants, gave evidence, declaring that he had belonged to the Eightists since 1928.

YAGODA CONFESSES GUBLT.

At last evening's session of the trial Yagoda, who earlier had retracted his confession that he ordered the deaths of Mendjinsky and Pieshkov, admitted his guilt, but asked that his evidence be taken at a secret session. The Judge, M. Ulrich, granted this request.

Yagoda's admission was made after "the evidence of Paul Bulanoff, his former secretary, who alleged that Yagoda attempted to rid himself of political enemies by poisoning.

Yagoda said that he supplied secret materials which Kykov and Bukharih used in the struggle against the Communist Party. Yagoda described the fears of the plotters after his removal from the Ogpu and the appointment of Yezhov as chief. Therefore it was decided)to poison Yezhov. Bulanoff said he was visited by a man to whom Yagoda asked him to give £4000. Yagoda said this money was for Trotsky. ' The man came five times during11934 and 1935, and each time,received £4000 on Yagoda's instructions. * ■'■■■■... "; i

Kryuchkoff, who was Gorky's secretary, in evidence admitted the "treasonable killing of Gorky and his son."'