The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1919-10-28
HUNCHBACK CAUSE
OF MANY DEATHS
RingIeader of Murder Band That
Operated Under Bella Kun
in Hungary.
INGENIOUS HORROR CHAMBER
corvln Responsible for Death Of 500
Political Suspects and Active Agent
In Tcrturing of Ten Times a.
Many More.

L0ndon.-Otto COrvin, a ~hunchback,
was the ringleader of the murder and
torture band that operated under Bella
Kun In Hungary, according to Lucien
Jones, writing to The Daily News, Of
London, from Budapest. Jones says
of Corvin:
Had I not examined the police min
utes taken after the preliminary ex-
animation of Corvin and his associates,
and had I not questioned Corvfn my
self, I should not have believed such
fiendish practices to be possible In the
twentieth century. 1t appears from
the police minutes and statements Cor
vim has made that he himself was re-
sponsible for the death of five hundred
political suspects and was an active
agent in ~torturing ten times as many
more.
Under his auspices an elaborate tor
ture chamber, with all modern and an
cient devices. was fitted out In the cell
lars Of the new parliament buildings
and in a basement under the palace of
Count Bakonye, which is situated in
the main thoroughfare of Budapest.
The luckless suspects would be dragged
out Of their beds and taken to one
Of the places at dead of night.
One of the favorite methods of tor
ture Va to fix a gag I'm the mouth OF
the prisoner so that his jaws remained
wide open, while a lighted match was
held in the mouth until the victim
either confessed knowledge Of counter
revolutionary plans or agreed to pay
a large sum Of money.
A Dagger in the Throat.
Another form of torture was to
thrust a dagger down the throat Of the
prisoner until he assented TO their de-
mands. The favorite method, how
ever, was to bring a prisoner into q
room where various portions Of the
human body, such as noses, eyes, lips,
ears, which had been cut OF previous
victims, were lying on a table. He was
then given a choice Of a form of dis
memberment If no confession Of money
was Forthcoming.
Many died under torture rather than
yield, and every night a cart called
around for corpses, which, loosely
strung together. were weighted and
slung into the Danube.
It Is interesting to note that Corvin
admits that as long as a year ago
plans for this terrorism were laid IN
Moscow, with the active help Of Lenine
and Trotzky.
rnth4- &h4 landf-- @nrrNEfctG
captured is Gahor Schon, formerly a
sub-lieutenant In the Chinese corps
formed by the bolsheviH. He was
brought into the police station one
morning from the country where lie
had been found In hiding by peasants.
He had been terribly beaten and dis
figured. Nearly $4,000 In British and
French notes was found on him, and a
number Of blank forms for the immedi-
ate execution OF any who were politi-
cal suspects under the old regime.
Schon was noted for his extreme
avarice. and ~confesses to a number of
cases in which. under his orders. the
gold-flled teeth Of wealthy residents of
Budapest were pulled out with pincers,
and without an anesthetic.
Accused Of Murder.
I have also examined the documents
relating to one Emery Harangozo. q
pale-faced, evil-looking little man, for
merry a shoemaker, but under the
communist government chairman of
the executive committee Of soviets at
Macy Gerencs, a few miles from Buda.
pest.
Harangozo is accused Of the murder
Of four Roman Catholic priests. Be.
fore they were shot Harangozo tapped
them on the shoulder and said: "Give
my greetings to your White God"
Harangozo, like Schon was found hid
log in a forest.
A large crowd is assembled outside
the police station and 1t is with diff
Guilty that the bolshevist prisoners are
saved from being lynched. So bitter
is the feeling that one might say a
white" terror is slowly taking the
place Of the red terror, though the
police r taking active steps to main