Evening star., 1960-08-02
Three Powers Letters Voice Regret
For Mistakes, Tell Of Life in Prison

THE people here tell me tnaC
I am lucky to be alive, but only
time will tell me whether or
not I was lucky"
Francis Gary Powers penned
these words to his wife on May
Is as he sat in a Moscow prison
cell. They were the first re-
ceived by Mrs. Powers after her
husband was shot down while
flying a U-2 reconnaissance
plane over the Soviet Union on
May !.
Since then she has received
two others. dated June % and
July 10. Among other things.
Mr.. Powers reported he was
permitted to smoke, take walks,
sun bathe and read. He said
he was getting more than
enough to eat"
The flyer is to be tried by
Russia on espionage charges,
beginning August II.
Excerpts from his letters were
made public this week in News
week Magazine. All the COM
munlcations bore the postmark
of Lubyanka Prison in Moscow.
Regrets Past Mistakes"
The first letter. as published
by Newsweek, said in part:
Not knowing when, if ever,
will see you again, has made
me realize how much you mean
to me. I have had plenty OF
time to think since I have been
here and plenty Of time to re-
gret past mistakes,
II am sincerely sorry to be
the cause of any suffering or
pain that you may be having
because of the situation that
I am presently in.
II have been told that there
is lot of publicity in the L. S.
papers about me. I was also
told that you had returned to
the States and that you are
presently with your mother.
II am getting along as good
as can be expected. get more
than I can eat and plenty OF
sleep. I have also been reading
a lot. I have been treated
much better than l expected,
When I had to bail out OF
the plane I skinned my right
shin a little and carried a black
eye for two weeks. A lady
doctor treated them both and
they are well now.
ut Gets Lonely Here"
That was my first expert
ence with a parachute and !
hope l will never have another
could not use the election
seat because of G gravity
forces and had to climb out.
MY chute opened immedi-
ately, how don't know. I don't
remember pulling anything
The people here tell me that
I am lucky to be alive but only
time will tell me whether OF
not I was lucky.
Things happened pretty
fast after that. Before dark
that night was in Moscow
I have been in the same cell
stree then. 1t gets plenty
lol;ely here by myself but they
hs je given ms books to read
ara it helps to pass the time
I also get to walk in the fresh
air every day that 1t doesn't
rain. One day I even took
sunbath. 1t has been a little
too cold to do that every day
"On May 2 I was taken foI
a tour of Moscow which
enjoyed very much. Thes'
people are real proud of thei
capital city and it is a beau
tiful city. Another time I wa
taken to a park to review tn
remains of my plane. Thes
are the only two times hav
been out of this building.
Concerned About Dog
Il don't know what is goin
to happen to me. The investi
CATION and interrogation is sti
going on. When that is owe
there will be a trial. 1 don
know when the trial will be G
anything. I only know that
don't like the situation I am /
or the situation I have place
you in.
II was told that if the Unite
States Government would Il
any of you come that yo
would be allowed to see m
I would rather you waited unit
the trial or after so that I coul
tell you what the RESULTS we,
but 1 will leave the decision
when to come up to you"
At another point in the le