I had this recent conversation with a friend. He seems to believe that torture works as a method to extract information, because during world war two spies were given cyanide capsules to use upon capture. I wonder however if the cyanid capsules were given to them because they would be killed after torture. I know this question could delve into speculation, but any help to shed light on this would be appreciated.
An L-pill is a lethal pill carried by spies to prevent them from revealing secrets if captured and tortured.
During World War II, some L-pills contained a lethal dose of cyanide encased in a glass capsule that could be concealed in a fake tooth and released by the agent's tongue.
If he bit into the capsule and broke the glass, he would die almost immediately. But if the pill came loose and was swallowed accidentally while the agent was sleeping or chewing gum, it would pass through his system without causing any harm, as long as it didn't break and release the poison.
The American pilot Francis Gary Powers, who was caught in 1960 while flying a CIA owned U-2 spy plane over the Soviet Union, carried a cyanide ampule. The poison was hidden in a fake silver dollar which Powers carried around his neck.
Luckily for Powers, the pilot never got to use it and was sentenced to prison by the Russian authorities. Cyanide necklaces have also been found on the bodies of the suicide bombers of the Tamil Tigers, the Sri Lankan separatist organization.