Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1953-08-11
Americans Tell
In Detail Of Red
Prison Torture
Given Ice Buths,
Beaten, Clicked;
lnformers Cursed
BY Jim Becker and
George Macarthur
Associated Press War Correspondents

FREEDOM VILLAGE, Aug.
Elaborated American SOL
diers told today shocking
stories of "squealing" by fellow
prisoners, some of whom chose
to stay behind rather than re-
turn to the United States.
Others described tortures suf-
fered because they defled their
Communist captors - tortures
that included hanging by the
arms. beatings, imprisonment in
crude dungeons, starvation ra-
tons and "ice baths"
Their stories-told to news
men at this processing center
for returned Americans-added
to the mounting evidence of the
horrors and intrigue that famed
in North Korean prison camps.
Corpl. Robert A. CHM, of Co.
lumbia, S. c.. told of the actions
of two informers which resulted
in a fellow prisoner being
sentenced just two weeks ago to
a year in jail.
Warned Over LOudSpeaker.
Corpl. CHM said the Chinese
announced over the prison loud
speaker that the captives would
not return in the exchange and
warned other men would get the
same treatment "if they failed
to straighten out"
Corpl. CHM said the Reds
broadcast the captive had been
convicted of "instigating against
Chinese and complaining about
the food"
"It is my belief two men in
my own squad went to the Chi
r1ese and squealed on this man. /"
Corpl. CHM said. II think it
was q mighty low thing to do. I"
Three Americans held in the
same North Korean compound
estimated 10 per cent of the
$40 Americans in their company
had gone along" with the Reds.
British Figure Called Larger.
The three, Sergt. Harold M.
Keck of Bethlehem, Pa, Corpl.
Clyde A. Keck Of Sparta. Mich,
and Corpl. Leroy Lam of Upper
CO, Md. said an even larger per-
centage Of British prisoners had
turned progressive"
They said that of IS Americans
who went along with the Reds,
at least 20 believed the propa-
ganda."
Corpl. Clyde Keck, no relation
to the other Keck, said he under
stood seven men in his company,
including the squad leader, chose
to stay behind with the Com
munists.
The day before the exchange,
he said, "the squad leader came
in and said he wanted to say
good-by. He didn't look happy.
It was like shaking hands with
a wet fish,"
One Man Beaten by IS.
Sergt. Harold Keck said the
Chinese instructor at his COM
pound was called Screaming
Skull-he looked like a monkey"
He said Screaming Skull" told
the "progressives to stick togeth-
er in the States and nothing
will happen"
Sergt. Keck said that he was
thrown into a cell with 81 other
men after an escape. During
his imprisonment, he said. an
American-SpaniSh sergeant did
not pay close enough attention
to what the Chinese guards were
saying.
"They brought up IS Chinks
and beat him up with clubs and
guns until he couldn't walk"
he went on. "He was a mess,
but he lived. After beating up
the sergeant they came in and
whaled hell out of IL of us.
had a rawhide across the face"
Pfc. Howard D. Estell of Co.
lunbus, Ohio, spoke bitterly
about the Red trials" saying,
when they want to put some
one in jail, they make up some
thing and then make you con-
(See HORRORS, Page A-3.)
d. n:~A~:L~ A