OGPU'S CASE

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXX, Issue 21470, 19 April 1933, Page 11

OGPU'S CASE

FIERCE ADDRESS PROSECUTOR'S TACTICS ACCUSED BEITONS INSISTENCE ON GUILT / {PUNISHMENT DEMANDEI By Telesraph—Press Association— Copyriprl ' MOSCOW. April 1 When tho trial was resumed to-da; of the Metropolitan Vickers Company' employees iho faces of Thornton am Mac Donald Mere noticeably strained Monkhouse looked paler and careworn The prosecutor, M. Vishinsky. pound ins the table with his fist, continue! his address with renewed vigour. Hi described breakdowns at various powe stations and declared that sabotagi only could' have been the reason fo; x thern. Sometimes doctors when opera tin < / left instruments in patients' bodies Something of that sort had happenec at the Zouisvsky station, which cou eequently became pretty sick. Referring first to the Moscow statioi the prosecutor said the wreckers evi dently had a five-years' sabotagini plan, which they started in 1928. H< produced a, minor sensation by remark ing, apparently referring to Gregory "I am/ not certain about the guil of one of tho accused. I will dis / cuss him later." Cushny Denies Espionage The prosecutor described Mac Donah as an experienced and clever membei of the Secret Service. He declared h< had been caught red-handed in sabo tage, but had been comparatively honest and brave in confessing. Gusev ha!d confessed beir.g a sabo tageur and a secret agent, and h< would ask for very severe punishmem for him. There was a commotion in Conn when M. Vishinsky referred to Cushny as working like a crack secret agent. Cushny jumped up and shouted: 1 did not do any spying." The Judg< called him to order. Vicious Attack on Thornton After the adjournment, M. Yishin sky directed his main attack againsi Thornton. Once he turned wrathfulh toward him and exclaimed: "You wil b* no use in Russia or in England Perhaps you will be used as ferti liser for our Soviet fields somewhere.' Facing Cushny, the prosecutor said: "You deny everything, but we wil unmask you, like we have unmaskec Monkhouse, Thornton and Nordwall.' Continuing, M. Vishinsky declarec that all the prisoners were guilty except Gregory. "All of them deserve death," he said; "but our Courts art not vengeful. Nevertheless, if the Court considers it necessary to order that extreme measure your hands must not shake." Woman Accused Castigated The prosecutor loudly denounced Monkhouse, who, he asserted, had admitted giving bribes through Thornton, which were euphemistically called "presents." Monkhouse had gathered . State secrets. Monkhouse asked: "What constitute: gecre y) M. Vishinsky: "We will judge and convict you according to our laws.''' The prosecutor described Madame Kutosova, the Yickers Company's secretary /in Moscow, as a conscienceless, pleasure-seeking woman. He continued: "Rolling in a luxurious motor-car between Moscow and Perlovka, she sold herself for money. She was ambitious to make a foreign career, but her fuli confession must be considered in passing sentence upon her." Madame Kutosova's face twitched a> M. Vishinsky made insinuations against her morals and she was near to tears. Spleen Again Vented on Thornton Afl dressing Thornton again, the prosecutor said: "You are a worthless creature. The evidence shows that you were guilty of espionage, wreckage and bribery. "You arc a coward by nature. Within 24 hours you confessed, thus betraving and endangering the heads of 21 of your fellow-countrymen. That was not a lie. It was worse. It was cowardice and treachery. "However, the punishment of MacDonald, Monkhouse, Nordwall and Cushny must be the most severe possible. ' The Court, in deciding upon its verdict, must remember that the Soviet does not seek blood or vengeance, b/it the defence of the .Socialist revolution." . , . M. Vishinsky ended by declaring that all the accused except Gregory were guilty under Article which, he said, ofirried penalties up to shooting. However, their failure must be jnitigatorily considered. PLANT BREAKDOWNS THE REAL CAUSES OWN. REPORTS IGNORED (Received April 18. 0.55 p.m.) i Tim pa Cable . LONDON. April IS The Higa correspondent of the limes states that in his address to the court tho prosecutor completely ignored the reports of the Soviet's own investigating commissions to the effect that the breakdowns in the Moscow. Ivanovo, Zlatoust, Chelyabinsk and other electric stations were duo to mismanagement, bad transport and the scarcity of skilled labour which constantly caused serious damage in Moscow stations. The correspondent adds that none of <he Soviet reports mentions^the foreign engineers or wilful wrecking as the pause of the damage. WANTON OUTRAGE / OBJECT TO PICK QUARREL INCONVENIENT DEBTS (Received April 18, 0.55 p.m.) LONDON. April 18 Tlio ]\forning l'osfc says:—" J'he Soviet's wanton outrage against our subjects could only have been devised •with ojuc object, namely, in order to .pick a quarrel and use it as an excuse I ior repudiating inconvenient debts. "Under the exports guarantee system have incurred a. liability of •£7,000,000 in order to encourage AngloERiissian trade. This is likely to become a bad debt. It will, however, be some 'Compensation to know that it ends an ®rrangoment to use British money and ■predit to bolster up anil strengthen an •vowed enemy."