Leon Rasst, deposition on Ejército Constitucionalista notes, 3 April 1916

I, LEON RASST, hereby certifies, that the matter and facts hereafter set forth are true, said matters and fact being as follows:
That I, Leon Rasst, am a resident of Baltimore City, State of Maryland, residing at No. 1902 Eutaw Place, and that I am a purchasing agent and exporter of arms and ammunition for foreign countries. That about one year ago, long before the recognition by the United States Government of the Carranza Government in Mexico, the said Leon Rasst received from the Former Governor of the State of Guerrero, Mexico, namely, Gen. Antonio G. Olea about the sum of four hundred thousand pesos of so called Mexican currency, each pesos being marked Ejercito Constitucionalista de Mexico, and said currency being in denominations of ten and twenty pesos. That subsequent thereto, the said Gen. Olea went personally to the State Department of the United States, together with Leon Rasst, and in the presence of Hon. Leon Canova and R. C. Tanis ratified and therein stated that he gave the said Mexican Currency to the said Leon Rasst.
That Leon Rasst used part of said Mexican Currency sending the same to Mexico, and the balance of about three hundred thousand pesos, said Leon Rasst held, first, in the vault of the Riggs National Bank, in the City of Washington, District of Columbia, and later acting upon the suggestion of the Mexican General Consul in New York City, Dr. Catureger, who examine the said Mexican Currency and gave his opinion as to the genuinecy thereof, the said Leon Rasst placed and deposited the said balance of the Mexican currency in the vault of the Empire Trust Company, in the City of New York. That after he had been convinced of the genuinecy of the Mexican currency, the said Leon Rasst in connection with a transaction with Abbott Morris, of the City of Norfolk, State of Virginia, delivered the said Mexican Currency to the Title Guarantee and Trust Company, of the City of Baltimore, State of Maryland.
That soon thereafter, the said Leon Rasst having been informed that Abbott Morris expressed some doubt as to the genuinecy of the said Mexican Currency, he thereupon arranged with the Financial and Commercial Representative of the Carranza de Facto Government in the City of New York, Mr. Jorge U. Orozco, having his office at No. 1328 Broadway, New York, to take said Mexican Currency and send same to Mexico, for exchange for issues projected to be issued by the Carranza de Facto Government of Mexico, your affiant believing that the new issues were intended to take up all previous currency issued by any faction of Mexico. That said Leon Rasst thereupon notified his Baltimore Representative, Mr. Eugene O’Dunne, to withdraw the money from the Title Guarantee and Trust Company and send same by express to Mr. Orozco for the purpose of said exchange, as above expressed. That before the money could be expressed, your affiant was arrested by the Federal Secret Service Agents on the warrant issued by the United States Commissioners in Baltimore, who acted on behalf of the State Department of the United States, and at the instance of the said Abbott Morris, your affiant being charged with having in his possession counterfeit Mexican Currency. That your affiant by the action of the United States official is now under bail in the sum of twenty-five hundred dollars, and said currency to the amount of three hundred thousand pesos was taken by the United States Commissioners in connection with the arrest, and is still held by said United States Commissioners.
That as evidence of the statement above made to the effect that the said Mexican currency was to be turned over to the said Jorge U. Orozco, your affiant attaches hereto a copy of a telegram sent by the said Jorge U. Orozco to his Representative, Mr. Eugene O’Dunne, and your affiant makes oath that the said copy is a true and exact copy of such telegram, and in addition thereto your affiant attaches hereto a copy of an affidavit made by the said Jorge U. Orozco to the effect that the said Mexican Currency belonged to him.
I further certify that at no time have I attempted to sell any of the said Mexican Currency above referred to, to any one either on the Streets of any of the Cities of said United States, or by private transaction. I have used this money or attempted to use the money only in connection with transaction had with the Mexican authorities, except the transaction with the said Abbott Morris. In each instance in case of any transaction with the Mexican authorities, I offered this money subject to verification, and in the case of the transaction with Abbott Morris, he was given full and complete opportunity to investigate the matter, and all of my transactions with said Abbott Morris was prior to the recognition by the United States Government of the Carranza de Facto Government.
WITNESS my hand and seal this third day of April, 1916.
Leon Rasst (SEAL)

I HEREBY CERTIFY, That the said LEON RASST personally came before me this third day of April 1916, and made oath in due form of law that all of the matters and facts above stated are true.
WITNESS my hand and notarial seal this third day of April, 1916.
J Wilton Brandt
Notary Public