Evening star., 1950-03-05
Continued From First Page.)
crimes of espionage and treason.
No Drugs Reported Used.


Shipkov. He was not beaten
severely he reports he was
slapped in the face and hit across
the back of the neck frequently
His torture was not of a kind
usually imagined in such cases.
The thing that broke him was
being forced to stand leaning
toward a wall. supporting him
self from falling by one finger
of each hand barely touching the
wall. This went on for hours on
end. with questions being pound
ed at him continuously by relays
of tormentors.
The State Department empha-
sized, too, that Mr.. Shipkov was
not broken down by the 32-hour
Interrogation alone" but was af-
fected also by a feeling of fear
resignation and oppression that
had been growing for months as
members of his family and COL
leagues in the Legation fell into
the hands of the police.
Three other Bulgarians en-
ployed by the American Legatior'
had died in Communist police
hands before Mr.. Shipkov was
arrested last August.
After thinking he had ended
his misery by his confession, Mr..
Shipkov was forced to promise
to return to the Legation and act
as a -informer for the police.
Instead of becoming spy
against his American employers,
however, the 39-year-old transla-
tor told American Minister Donald
r. Heath all that had happened
to him and then wrote his de-
tailed affidavit.
He hid in the Legation for
months, while Mr.. Heath tried
vainly to get exit permits so Mr..
Shipkov, his wife and child could
leave the country.
Slips Out of Legation.
The Shipkov case was one of
a series of things that led to
the United States break in diplo-
matte relations with Bulgaria on
February 81.
When it became apparent that
the American staff soon would
be leaving, Mr.. Skipkov slipped
out of the Legation in the hope
of making his way to Turkey.
The next American officials
knew of him was announcement
in the Bulgarian Communist
press on the same day that the
break in relations came that Mr..
Shipkov and four others had been
indicted on espionage charges.
The State Department empha-
sized:
Michael Shipkov was not a
spy. He was an employe of
the American Legation who per-
formed the routine, legitimate and
non-confidentia1 duties of a
translator.
His trouble was, it added, that
"as a private citizen he did not
conceal his non-adherence to
Communist dogma, nor his oppo-
sition to certain policies of the
present (Bulgarian) government" "
This is not a crime or treason
in a democratic country, the de-
partment pointed out.
But this, plus his employment
at the American Legation, was
construed by the Bulgarian public
prosecutor as treason for which
he was turned over to the Sofia
county court to be tried, to be
found guilty and punished.
Mr.. Shipkov's story starts with
his arrest at 2 pm, August 20,
1949, how he was taken to State
Security Militia headquarters and
faced with a statement that he
was a spy, traitor and saboteur
of his country.
He pleaded innocent, but also
said he was resigned to any pun
ishment. Until 9 or 10 pm, he
stubbornly resisted the question
ing of seven "functionaries, +"
working in teams of two, but in
the meantime, "tempers had been
rising"
Gives Own Story.
A partial text of Mr.. Shipkov's
statement follows:
Before the investigations passed
from one to another, the outgo-
ing one would come near, bluster,
slap me in the face; one of the
middle category ordered me to
turn around and face the wall
and then hit me on several occa-
sions with the thick of his palm
I imagine. in the back of the
neck I recall that this treat
ment was not particularly pain
full nor frightening, now that
was so afraid of its recurrence.
Before I had broken down,
saw the head of the team in
the room for half an hour-a
short, stout, pasty faced indivi-
dual of evident superior rank to
all the others. Yellowish tinge,
thinning hair, careIessly and slov-
enly dress. no culture, great ener-
gy, very sharp and cunning, very
highly strung and tense, very self
assured, I suspect, very self-satis-
fed. He professed and indicated
more knowledge of me than even
myself.
I was ordered to stand facing
the wall upright at distance
which allowed me to touch the
wall with two fingers of my out
stretched arms. Then to step
back some II inches, keep my
heels touching the floor and
maintain balance only with the
contact of one finger on each
hand And while standing so,
the Interrogation continued-nor
YVES I allowed to collect my
thoughts.
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