Originally Posted by
langleybaston
Hanging them as a knee jerk was very attractive, Philby alone was directly responsible for many murders. However, keeping them alive with a very long sentence in a British top security jail [remember Blake?] might have provided dividends in the way of intelligence.
An ailing old drunkard denied drink and his bumboy, with few comforts, might just opt for a Damascene conversion and spill priceless beans. Worth a shot surely.
I suspect their ideology was far toodeeply ingrained in them that they would never change their views.