This yen note played a crucial role in Iva Toguri's trial. It self incriminated Iva; since
she herself signed the note "Tokyo Rose," she essentially admitted she was the
famous traitor. The first prosecution witness, Sugamo guard J. Richard Eisenhart,
testified to witnessing her sign it; his autographed note was the first exhibit presented
to the jury. This shrewd move by prosecutor Tom DeWolfe immediately shifted the
burden of proof. No longer did the jury presume that Iva was innocent; after this
exhibit, she had to prove she was not guilty. In the end, the defense could not meet
this burden.
See especially 2014 Revised TR/AP, pp. 258-259, 349-351, 375 n8, 444, and 449.
Dick Eisenhart lives in upstate, NY. He told me he lost track of the note after the trial, but decades later, while touring FBI headquarters, he asked about it. Amazingly the FBI found the note and returned it to him. It's thanks to Mr. Eisenhart that I can show you this color copy of the note, which is so well preserved it looks like Iva signed it yesterday. By contrast, the smudged copies in the National Archives are almost illegible.
See especially 2014 Revised TR/AP, pp. 258-259, 349-351, 375 n8, 444, and 449.
Dick Eisenhart lives in upstate, NY. He told me he lost track of the note after the trial, but decades later, while touring FBI headquarters, he asked about it. Amazingly the FBI found the note and returned it to him. It's thanks to Mr. Eisenhart that I can show you this color copy of the note, which is so well preserved it looks like Iva signed it yesterday. By contrast, the smudged copies in the National Archives are almost illegible.
Yen Note
Tokyo Rose /
An American Patriot:
A Dual Biography
An American Patriot:
A Dual Biography
Click the thumbnail to view the note, along with its exhibit tag from the trial.