Before their execution in the electric chair at New York’s infamous Sing Sing prison, Soviet spy Julius Rosenberg made a desperate plea to federal officials to keep his job with the Army Signal Corps.
In a two-page memo, Rosenberg claimed that he had been wrongly suspended due to a “discredited charge” of being a member of the Communist Party. He maintained his innocence and emphasized his technical abilities and loyalty to the country.
“It only serves to persecute me, prevents me from making my contribution to the war effort as an electronic engineer and earning my livelihood in the established American way, and thereby denies me my inalienable right to maintain myself, my wife and child,” Rosenberg wrote on February 13, 1945.
The memo is being auctioned by Alexander Historical Auctions and is expected to fetch a high price due to its rarity. It includes Rosenberg’s signature, making it a valuable historical artifact for collectors.
Despite his plea, Rosenberg had already been spying for Moscow by 1945. He provided classified documents, including a model of a proximity fuze, and attempted to recruit others, including his brother-in-law David Greenglass, who later revealed Rosenberg’s activities.
The Rosenbergs were arrested in 1950 and executed three years later without making any statements. Their trial remains a controversial topic in American history.
