Evening star., 1932-01-20
BY WILLIAM H. STONEMAN.

BY Gable to The Star
MOSCOW, U. S. S. r., January 20
Eleven very bedraggled Russian rail-
readers today sat on the stage OF the
auditorium of the KaZan Station Work
ers' Club in Moscow, facing possible
death sentences in a trial for sabotage
and carelessness.
This trial, which is being held be-
fore the Supreme Court, follows a
double accident at Kosino, 10 miles
south of Moscow, January 2, which
cost the lives of SO persons and resulted
in the serious injury of 128 others.
Two precious locomotives and several
coaches also were sacrificed.
According to the story published for
the first time two days ago, an express
train halted after running over a
drunken suicide. In the confusion OF
attempting to extricate the body, the
trainmen forgot to set the signals
warning the train following theirs.
The stationmaster also failed to make
sure that the first train was out of
block before he allowed the second to
proceed and the latter, travelling at
high speed despite automatic sema-
phores set against it, crashed into the
rear end of the express. telescoping
six coaches and killing and injuring
scores Of passengers.
Trial An Object Lesson.
As the survivors flooded over the
adjacent track bearing the dead and
injured, a freight train, also unwarned
by signals, bore down from the oppo-
site direction, killing and injuring many
others.
AS the whole future of Soviet Rus
zs.t- s..I, r4rto Il
rapid perfection of transportation, the
government apparently intends to use
this trial as an object lesson to other
careless railroaders. In similar trial
at Khabarovsk January 2, four men
were sentenced to death for careless
ness in connection with a wreck in
Siberia.
An astounding air Of nonchalance
bred of revolution, civil war and hard
ship characteriZes the Russian supreme
court in action. 1t is at the other end
of the pole from another of the worlds
most hard hitting courts-the black
shirt special tribunal-where a dozen
highly bemedaled and sleek consuls OF
the militia pass Judgment on political
prisoners.
In italy the prisoners crouch in an
iron cage, chained together, guarded by
gayly plumed carabinieri and young
blackshirts with bare bayonets. Here
the prisoners sit on the stage, looking
equally glum, but steadying their emo
tions with medicine and cigarettes,
guarded by mere pair Of young SOL
diers.
Workers Crowd Court.
At the door Of the crescent-shaped
auditorium stands stony-faced mem
Der of the gay-pay-oo in a fiat cap
topped with red, neatly tailored khaki
tunic, trim black breeches and shining
boots. He looks us over as we enter
and take our place with dozen other
newspaper men at long, red-draped
table facing the stage.
The auditorium is filled with work
ers, the men in shiny suits and dark
shirts, the women in plain dark dresses
and sweaters, their hair sleeked back
over the ears. They strain forward in
their seats gazing expectantly at the
stage, on which six red-covered tables
and four ricrophones await the OPEN
ing Of the action.
Without warning a soldier appears
from the left of the stage, followed by
IL unkempt and unshaven men in felt
boots, their arms behind their backs.
They walk to the right Of the stage and
sit in two rows of plain chairs. Two
Red guards in long khaki coats and
cloth helmets, with revolvers and sabers
at their sides, stand beside them.
With equal absence of ceremony,
three judges, A. P. Egorov, M A. Segal
and Sidorov, enter and sit at a red
table midstage. Judge Egorov is notable
for his white collar and tailored suit
and his round and extremely business
like face. The audience remains seated.
Prosecutor Arrives.
The next protagoniSt Is the tall and
imposing Mr.. Katanian, chief prose-
cutor Of the Soviet Union. He has
flashing black eyes, silvered temples and