Show Clue to Torture y Chamber Found in R Russ ss Prison Old Letter Gives Hint and Great Wall May Be Torn Down to find Sec Secret et Door DoorS S By VICTOR W KNAUTH f. U United Press Staff Correspondent MOSCOW March 6 5 United Press Revelations of the methods of the czars czar's frightful secret police wIth the prospect of discovering a complete torture chamber with instruments instruments in- in ot of cruelty similar to those of of the Spanish Inquisition tucked secretly away somewhere in inthe inthe the thick wall vall of the prison near Leningrad have just reached the soviet department of science This department since the revolution ot of 1917 has bas administered d the notorious prison to which the czars committed political prisoners It is now a museum A letter has been found wrItten In 1898 1896 by the of the prison an officer of the czars czar's forces named addressed to the tho czars czar's Ister o of war In this letter the prison dIrector reported that a hIdden hId hId- den entrance to the wall had b ben en accidentally discovered by workmen the masonry The secret gate opened Into a gallery accor according accord accord- Ing to the letter which led past a alake alake lake and ended In a filled dust littie lit lit- tie room in implements of torture were discovered Apparently the hidden door as as again completely sealed up At any rate no further document documentary ry evidence evi- evi dence relating to It has been found Only written report gives a clue and if he had been as discreet as most of the czars czar's other poll police e agents the existence of oC a the walls of the torture tor- tor ture ure chamber never have ave been S' S With the letter as a a clue hoever however how how- ever the department of science has pursued careful Inquiry among many of the present leaders of Russia Russia Rus- Rus sia some of were themselves at one time Imprisoned In on account of their activities Some idea of the existence or of a chamber of horrorS horrorS' had come to the prisoners wins lived Jh The was publicly admitted admit dmit- ted recently The investigators believe be- be lieve that they have gathered all available clues and hints regarding the hideous hidden torture chamber and h have ve separated the likely facts from the me chaff The department authorities have notified the Lenin officials that they proposE to break down the great wall of the prison at a spot where they think the secret door will be found The dramatic exploration exploration ex- ex will probably be under under- in the spring What lIes hidden behind the thick masonry perhaps the hollow gallery and the torture chamber will be determined de- de I then |