Evening star., 1953-09-13


AS Judge Novak began speak
ing, gathered from the in
tcrpreter that we all were con-
victed. I had expected that.
Now / braced myself to hear
what it would mean for me.
knew enough Czech to catch the
| judges meaning at once, ahead
of the interpreter:
william Nathan Oats .
deset let. :"
"Deset let"-10 years.
"Ten years deprivation of
freedom" the interpreter fin
ished.
Ten years in prison.
Ten years ago-waiting, fight
ing time, struggling to get
throuh each hour, mired down in
a dreadful swamp of days, weeks,
months. years.
Ten years. I looked across
that awful gulf, and I could not
measure it. It was as II I had
just read that light from some
star system deep in space takes
a billion years to reach the
earth. The figure was beyond
my comprehension.
But one thing ! knew; I had
lost a big chunk out of my life.
That thought hit me like cold,
hard hand and almost pushed
me over the rim of conscious
ness. My CUTS froze and the
courtroom went white. The
sense ebbed swiftly in my brain
and then, before it was all gone,
flowed back.
Other Terms More Harsh.
All this took only a moment.
And then I heard the other sem
tenceS:
Thomas Svoboda-20 years.
Paul Woydinek-18 years.
Peter Muntz-16 years.
We were all to forfeit our
property to the state. And I,
as a foreigner, was to be ex-
PEELED from the country after
completing my prison term.
Judge Novak then allowed us
to sit down, and he read a
statement of the courts reason
ing on the case.
Finally. we were told that we
might either accept sentence or
appeal. For the benefit of the
foreigner" the judge added that
in case Of good behavior. a con-
vict might petition for his own
release after serving half his
sentence.
He adjourned court for 10
minutes. We were led out a side
door of the courtroom and
across a hall and placed with
our personal guards in separate
cells.
AS I paced the narrow wooden
floor Of my cell. in came a neat
middle-aged man in a gray busi-
ness suit. He was a f1dgety
little man with poker face and
the quick, sidelong glance Of an
apprehenSive rabbit. He had
been introduced to me, only a
week before, as your lawyer,
DR.. Bartos."
Lawyer Not Surprised.
DR.. Bartos had with him a
police interpreter, for he spoke
no English. He had come to ad-
wise me on the next move.
Ten years!" I said to him.
That's pretty stiff, isn't it?"
Il thought you'd get Is years"
he said.
What do you think ought to
do?" I asked.
II think you ought to accept
the sentence"
I had pleaded guilty. Fourteen
people had testified against me,
and I was one of them. A denial
of my guilt in the face OF. all that
would get me nowhere. There
was no use to appeal on the ques-
tion of guilt.
had got the lighteSt sentence
laid down in the law for a case
like mine. There was no reason
to appeal on the question Of the
length Of the sentence.
I stood a chance to get out of
prison after 1ive years-maybe
even sooner. I could hardly hope
to get out so soon if I antagon-
lied them.
An appeal could do me no
good, and it might hurt me. I
agreed with my lawyer. would
accept the sentence.
Pardon Plea Promised.
I had a question for DR..
Bartos: The police had told me
that the United States Embassy
had taken charge of the few
clothes and books I had brought
with me to Prague. I wondered If
the authorities meant to claim
them, since the court had ruled
that my property should be con-
fiscated.
The lawyer waved his hand in
a gesture of depreciation.
THAT" he said, was just for
the public"
I grabbed at his promise that
he would petition President
Klement Gottwald, within the
next few days. for my pardon.
I gave him the address of my
wife. Laurabelle, in st. Paul,
MINI. asked him to cable her
that had got 10 years in prison
but that with good behavior I
could get out in five and that he
was petltioning for a pardon that
might get me out even sooner.
He promised me he would He
also assured me that, whenever
wanted to consult him, had
only to tell prison guard and
I would be taken to him. Then
he left.
| fo1,, v>onroo~ke 1o4o- ,,a e.,,~