Evening star., 1951-08-22
Refugees Recall Torture Death OF Col. Lukos

~ 6S9h ~SS9 Shb
wounded in Africa, he came to
| Washington as military attache.
In April, 1947, he was recalled to
CzechoSlovakia and placed in
command of an armored division.
Seized After Red Coup.
Then came the Communist
coup in February. 1948. All those
who had served with Western
armies during the war became
unreliable" One of these was
Col. Lukas. 1t was charged that,
as a recruiting officer in France,
he had not accepted into the
newly formed Czech Army some
Communist Czechs from the 10y
lalist forces in the war in Spain,
and these Communists had been
executed later by the Germans.
So he was arrested and sent to
lPankrac.
This is in essence the story
that was later related to Czech
refugees here:
On May 4, 1949, at 4 pm, the
door of cell 334 was opened, adj
mitting the most st>hated execution
er of the prison. the SNB Sergt.
Frantisek Whisky. With him
were three members of the SNB,
carrying the limp body of a SEEM
ingly old and wrecked man.
This man wore a disarranged
civilian suit. Apparently he had
been dressed in haste. His stock
inged feet left traces of blood on
the cell floor. The shoes were
carried by one of the SNB men,
who threw them on the floor.
Human Wreck at 81.
The prisoners suit was clean
and bore no traces Of blood. But
on his skull was gaping wound.
His face was covered with black
and bleeding blotcheS. His gray
ing hair hung in blood-stained
wisps over his face. This human
wreck was Col. Lukas, the 52-year-
old veteran of two wars.
Other men, the story relates,
brought straw mattress into
the cell and dropped the body on
this meager bed. Sergt. Whisky,
the story continues, beloved to
others in the cell: Here you have
one of your colleagues, who has
not been cautious enough and met
with an accident. Try not to let
him die"
When Col. Lukas was un-
dressed, his cellmates were ap-
palled by the sight they saw.
His feet and legs were shapeless
and bleeding, and no ankles and
knees were discernible. 1t was
evident to the cellmates that he
had been beaten with ruhker
clubs all over the feet and legs.
The soles of his feet showed
traces of systematic beating, and
the old wound from the war was
opened.
CIubbed in Stomach.
The whole body, it was said,
was covered with bruises. The
stomach bore signs of recent
Iproddings with clubs. The pris-
oner's face had, it seemed, been
battered with closed fists. The
lips and eye were bleeding, and
an extended trace of cudgeling
marked his right cheek. There
was an open wound on the fore
head, and the arms, too, showed
marks of severe beating.
| Despite his battered condition,
Col. Lukas was conscious. When
he was left alone with his cell
mates. he said his interrogation
had started at 8 am. in the STB
headquarters in Bartolomejska
street No. 6, in the Office of DR..
ek-Belecky, the chief of the
section. When he refused to dis
close any information, he was
Systematically tortured.
Before the Interrogation began,
Col. LukaS was blindfolded, and
when he refused to answer ques-
tions the torture began.
First was what was called the
bear game" Members of the
STB formed a circle, with Col.
Lukas in the middle. He had to
walk around, and the men beat
him whenever they could reach
his body. Then he had to walk
on his. toes to strain the muscles
and was beaten across them.
Beaten on Bare Feet.
Another method resorted to
after a f1ve-minute break to give
him time to consider "confessing"
was the so-called "bastonade." He
had been made to kneel on a
wooden chair and lean over with
his hands on the back. His bare
feet were closely tied to it, and
the soles were hit alongside and
across until all the nails were
torn off.
During this part Of the torture,
Col. LukaS told his cellmates he
had lost consciousness and did
not remember what treatment
followed. He was revived with
buckets of water and remembered
later being beaten over the head
and stomach.
The whole torture lasted four
hours, with a few five-minute
breaks devoted to interrogation.
When being taken from the room.
he was warned that so-called
electric method of Interrogation