File No. 837.00/1429

The Cuban Minister ( De Céspedes) to the Secretary of State

[Translation]
No. 120

Mr. Secretary: I have the honor to forward herewith to your excellency a copy of the letter1 written under a decree of the Special Court in charge of Case No. 145, of 1917, in the province of the Examining Magistrate of Santiago de Cuba, by the judge in the case, Eduardo R. Sigler to the Secretary of Justice, in which he asks that the Secretary of State be requested to take the necessary steps with your excellency’s respected Government to the end of having placed at the disposal of the said court, as corpus delicti in the prosecution conducted by it, the sum of one hundred and ninety thousand pesos ($190,000) which was taken by the American authorities in the Republic of Haiti from the accused Rigoberto Fernández Lecuona, Luís Loret de Mola y Castillo, Luis Estrada y Estrada, José de Cárdenas Armenteros and Joaquín A. de Oro y Vizcaino, which sum is now deposited in the Department of State under your worthy charge.

By virtue of the said judicial decree and in compliance with my Government’s instructions, I have the honor to beg your excellency kindly to direct that the above-mentioned sum be delivered to me to the end and purposes of the proceedings now conducted in the competent court of Santiago de Cuba.

I renew [etc.]

Carlos Manuel de Céspedes

The Acting Secretary of State to the Minister in Cuba ( Gonzales)

[Telegram]

Please ascertain and telegraph nature of suit in Case 145, of 1917, before Examining Magistrate’s Court of Santiago de Cuba prosecuted on the charges of “rebellion and concomitant offenses against Rafael Manderley y del Rio, et al.” Who are defendants and what is the purpose of the suit? Is the purpose of the suit to determine disposition of the money taken out of Cuba by Fernandez referred to in your telegram April 2, 1 a.m., and subsequent correspondence? Cuban Minister has requested return these funds in connection with this case.

Polk
  1. Not printed.