Judgment on Deltchev 1940

Author:Eric Ambler
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Published: 2011-09-29T19:54:51+00:00

Chapter 12

IT WAS ON THE FOURTH DAY OF THE TRIAL THAT THE evidence connecting Deltchev with the Brotherhood was given.

When the court opened a man named Kroum was called into the witness box. He was about fifty with a bald head and glasses and an erect, military appearance. He looked shrewd and brutal. He described himself as a Brigadier of Police in the detective department of the Ministry of the Interior. He was carefully washed and brushed and his manner was irritatingly complacent.

Prochaska began his examination in what was for him an unexpected way.

” Brigadier Kroum, how long have you been a member of the police?”

” Thirty years, Sir.”

” How long have you held your present appointment?”

” Twelve years, Sir.”

” Are you a member of any political party?”

“No, Sir.”

” Have you any political affiliations?”

” No, Sir.”

” None at all?”

” I do not interest myself in politics, Sir. I have my work to do.”

” An excellent citizen! Have you ever arrested a man or ordered his arrest for political reasons?”

” The only reasons for any arrest, Sir, is that a man breaks or is suspected of breaking the law. I do not make the law. It is my duty simply to enforce the law under the constitution. That is the duty of every police officer,” he added.

Someone near me sniggered at this; but my impression was that Brigadier Kroum meant what he said.

Prochaska glanced at a paper. ” In March,” he said, ” were you concerned with the arrest of eight persons on the charge of trading illicitly in prepared opium?”

” I was responsible for the arrests, Sir.”

” Did you also examine the prisoners?”

Kroum hesitated. ” Unofficially, Sir, and solely for the purpose of obtaining information about other members of the gang. The examining magistrate was responsible, of course, for the official interrogation.”

” You were not usurping the magistrate’s function but merely doing your duty as a police officer. Is that correct?”

” Yes, Sir. That is correct.”

” But you gave the prisoners the impression that they were making official depositions?”

” It is sometimes necessary, Sir.”

He had a blubbery mouth with bad tempered creases round it. Interrogation by Brigadier Kroum would not be an agreeable experience.

” Was one of those arrested a man named Rila?”

“Yes, Sir.”

” Did you interrogate him?”

” I did, Sir.”

” Tell the court about this interrogation.”

” Yes, Sir. This Rila is a criminal well known to the police. He is an old man who has served many prison sentences. I knew that his eldest granddaughter was pregnant for the first time. I told him that this time he would surely die in prison and never see his great-​grandchild, but that if he assisted the police by telling all he knew, a permit might be obtained for the child to be brought for him to see.” He looked doubtfully at the Prosecutor. ” It is customary to offer such inducements to prisoners. No regulations would be broken, Sir.”

” No, no. Continue please.”

” At first he refused to talk. Said he knew nothing.

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