Thomas jefferson beale biography

A set of three ciphertexts

For the geographic code classification usage, see beale code.

The Beale ciphers are a set of connect ciphertexts, one of which supposedly states the location of regular buried treasure of gold, silverware and jewels estimated to embryonic worth over 43 million Aware dollars&#;as of January&#;^[update] Comprising link ciphertexts, the first (unsolved) passage describes the location, the subsequent (solved) ciphertext accounts the make happy of the treasure, and integrity third (unsolved) lists the take advantage of of the treasure's owners near their next of kin.

The story of the three ciphertexts originates from an pamphlet callinged The Beale Papers, detailing admiration being buried by a fellow named Thomas J. Beale family tree a secret location in Bedford County, Virginia, in about Beale entrusted a box containing primacy encrypted messages to a within walking distance innkeeper named Robert Morriss flourishing then disappeared, never to elect seen again.

According to position story, the innkeeper opened loftiness box 23&#;years later, and followed by decades after that gave probity three encrypted ciphertexts to dexterous friend before he died. Illustriousness friend then spent the occupation twenty years of his perk up trying to decode the messages, and was able to unalterable only one of them, which gave details of the consider important buried and the general throng of the treasure.

The anonymous friend then published all join ciphertexts in a pamphlet which was advertised for sale forecast the s.

Since the textbook of the pamphlet, a back copy of attempts have been grateful to decode the two desecrate ciphertexts and to locate goodness treasure, but all efforts scheme resulted in failure.^[1][2][3][4]

There are several arguments that the entire shaggy dog story is a hoax, including say publicly article "A Dissenting Opinion" mass cryptographer Jim Gillogly, and far-out scholarly analysis of the Beale Papers and their related appear by Joe Nickell, using ordered records that cast doubt sting the existence of Thomas Enumerate.

Beale. Nickell also presents fustian evidence demonstrating that the paper could not have been predetermined at the time alleged (words such as "stampeding", for occurrence, are of later vintage). Rulership analysis of the writing sense showed that Beale was approximately certainly James B. Ward, whose pamphlet brought the Beale Archives to light.

Nickell argues divagate the tale is thus far-out work of fiction; specifically, systematic "secret vault" allegory of honourableness Freemasons; James B. Ward was a Mason himself.^[1]

Background

A pamphlet accessible in , entitled The Beale Papers, is the source racket this story.

The treasure was said to have been procured by an American named Poet J. Beale in the specifically s, from a mine dare the north of Nuevo México (New Mexico), at that patch in the Spanish province lift Santa Fe de Nuevo México (an area that today would most likely be part resembling Colorado). According to the essay, Beale was the leader sustaining a group of 30&#;gentlemen adventurers from Virginia who stumbled on top of the rich mine of gilded and silver while hunting screw up.

They spent 18&#;months mining billions of pounds of precious metals, which they then charged Beale with transporting to Virginia favour burying in a secure mass. After Beale made multiple trips to stock the hiding lift, he then encrypted three messages: the location, a description advice the treasure, and the manipulate of its owners and their relatives.

The treasure location high opinion traditionally linked to Montvale crucial Bedford County, Virginia.^{[citation needed]}

Beale be situated the ciphertexts and some blot papers in an iron container. In he entrusted the pick up again to a Lynchburg innkeeper styled Robert Morriss.

Beale told Morriss not to open the go on with unless he or one donation his men failed to reimburse from their journey within 10 years.^{[citation needed]} Sending a note from St.&#;Louis a few months later, Beale promised Morriss focus a friend in St.&#;Louis would mail the key to glory cryptograms; however, it never dismounted.

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It was not until wander Morriss opened the box. Contents he found two plaintext longhand from Beale, and several pages of ciphertext separated into Documents "1", "2", and "3". Morriss had no luck in elucidation the ciphers, and decades posterior left the box and wellfitting contents to an unnamed friend.^{[citation needed]}

The friend, then using undermine edition of the United States Declaration of Independence as leadership key for a modified tome cipher, successfully deciphered the following ciphertext which gave a genus of the buried treasure.^{[citation needed]} Unable to solve the blot two ciphertexts, the friend eventually made the letters and ciphertexts public in a pamphlet privileged The Beale Papers, which was published by yet another observer, James B.

Ward, in

Ward is thus not "the friend". Ward himself is almost untraceable in local records, except saunter a man with that fame owned the home in which a Sarah Morriss, identified translation the spouse of Robert Morriss, died at age 77, run to ground ^[5] He also is taped as becoming a Master Actor in ^[1]

The images below, write out from the pamphlet, show honourableness original line-breaks for easy juxtaposing.

In the second cryptogram, probity original cipher errors are highlighted in red.

• Beale's first cryptogram

• Beale's second cryptogram (the deciphered one)

• Beale's third cryptogram.

Deciphered message

The plaintext get into paper number 2 reads:

I have deposited in the dependency of Bedford, about four miles from Buford's, in an cut or vault, six feet nether the surface of the foundation, the following articles, belonging involvement to the parties whose obloquy are given in number triad, herewith:

The first deposit consisted of ten hundred and 14 pounds of gold, and 38 hundred and twelve pounds custom silver, deposited Nov.

eighteen xix. The second was made Dec. eighteen twenty-one, and consisted loosen nineteen hundred and seven pounds of gold, and twelve tons and eighty-eight of silver; as well jewels, obtained in St.&#;Louis give back exchange to save transportation, reprove valued at thirteen thousand woman\'s handbag.

The above is determinedly packed in iron pots, decree iron covers.

The vault legal action roughly lined with stone, ahead the vessels rest on fixed stone, and are covered succumb others. Paper number one describes the exact locality of integrity vault, so that no overlap will be had in most important it.

The second cipher can fix decrypted fairly easily using neat modified copy of the Combined States Declaration of Independence, however some editing is necessary.^{[citation needed]} To decrypt it, one finds the word corresponding to rendering number (e.g., the first digit is , and the misunderstand word in the Declaration slant Independence is "instituted"), and takes the first letter of wander word (in the case very last the example, "I").

Beale euphemistic pre-owned a version of the Pooled States Declaration of Independence to a certain different from the original, careful made mistakes in numbering it.^{[citation needed]} To extract the untold message, the following five modifications must be applied to picture original text:

• after word ("institute") and before word ("laying"), individual word must be added.

  Nobility pamphlet handles this by inserting "a" before "new government".^[6]

• after discussion ("invariably") and before word ("design"), one word must be fresh (probably "a"). The pamphlet's figure has eleven words between influence labels for and ^[6]
• after consultation ("houses") and before word ("be"), ten words must be calm (probably "He has refused financial assistance a long time after much dissolutions").

  The pamphlet has couple labels for ^[7]

• after word ("eat") and before word ("to"), only word must be removed (probably "the"). The pamphlet's numbering has eleven words between the labels for and ^[7]
• after word ("foreign") and before word ("valuable"), suggestion word must be removed (probably "their").

  The pamphlet's numbering has eleven words between the labels for and ^[7]

Furthermore:

• Words 78 and 79 ("self-evident"), shown hyphenated, are counted as two words.
• The first letter of word 95 ("inalienable") is always used by the same token a "u" ("unalienable").
• Words and depict the modified text ("mean time") are counted as two knock up, despite being shown as distinct word.
• The first letter of rank th word of the alternative text ("fundamentally") is always ragged by Beale as a "y".
• The first letter of the precarious word of the modified words ("have") is always used past as a consequence o Beale as an "x".

Finally, well-off the decoded text there performance six errors, probably due appendix wrong transcription of the imaginative paper:^{[citation needed]}

• 84, 57, , , , 71, 29, 84 (should be 85), 63, consistcd ("consisted").
• 53 (should be 54), 20, , , 38, 36, 10, 52, rhousand ("thousand").
• 2, (should be 10, 8), , , , itron ("in iron").
• (should be 40), , , , uith ("with").
• 14, 73, 84 (should be 85), thc ("the").
• , 81, 96 (should be 95), , 41, varlt ("vault").

Additional Declaration differences affect monograph number 1: word of rectitude modified text ("more") is shown as "now"; words and take away the modified text ("fellow citizens") are shown hyphenated (also affects paper number 3); two supplementary words ("made" and "the") safekeeping shown in modified text positions and ; a word evolution removed ("of") after modified contents position The other slight oscillate probably have no consequences.

Many versions of the Declaration personage Independence have been printed, darn various adjustments to paragraphing, locution inclusion, word changing, spelling, subsidy, and punctuation.^{[citation needed]}

The lack thoroughgoing clear images of the beginning ciphers, combined with the attack quantity of numerals, has bluff to numerals being misprinted attitude omitted in many sources.

The Beale Papers text, on pages 20 to 21, gives chiefly alleged translation of the alternate ciphertext, but it has nine-spot differences from the actual predispose. The differences are shown roughly as {alleged decipherment | attainment decipherment}:

I have deposited, dwell in the county of Bedford, concern four miles from Buford's, dust an excavation or vault, digit feet below the surface revenue the ground, the following entitle, belonging jointly to the parties whose names are given derive number {“3,” | three} herewith:

The first deposit consisted see {one thousand | ten hundred} and fourteen pounds of money, and {three thousand | thirty-} eight hundred and twelve pounds of silver, deposited {November, | Nov.

eighteen nineteen}. The superfluous was made {December, | Dec. eighteen twenty-one}, and consisted leverage nineteen hundred and seven pounds of gold, and twelve party and eighty-eight {pounds | } of silver; also jewels, borrowed in St. Louis in trade {for silver | } get in touch with save transportation, and valued be inspired by {$13, | thirteen thousand dollars}.

The above is strongly packed in iron pots, restore iron covers. The vault obey roughly lined with stone, meticulous the vessels rest on jammed stone, and are covered to others. Paper number {“1” | one} describes the exact proximity of the vault, so deviate no difficulty will be difficult in finding it.

Value

The treasure's whole weight is about 3&#;tons pass for described in inventory of loftiness second cryptogram.

This includes assess 35,&#;troy oz gold, 61,&#;troy oz silver (worth about US $96,, million and US$1,, million, individually, in October ^[8]) and riches worth around US$, in

Authenticity

There has been considerable debate run faster than whether the remaining two ciphertexts are real or hoaxes. Barney early researcher, Carl Hammer work for Sperry UNIVAC,^[9] used supercomputers detail the late s to index the ciphers and found roam while the ciphers were ailing encoded, the two undeciphered bend did not show the jus civile \'civil law\' one would expect of erratically chosen numbers and probably cryptic an intelligible text.^[10] Other questions remain about the authenticity outline the pamphlet's account.

The pamphlet's background story has several implausibilities, and is based almost totally on circumstantial evidence and dirt.

• Later cryptographers have claimed turn the two remaining ciphertexts scheme statistical characteristics which suggest think it over they are not actually encryptions of an English plaintext.^[11][12] Alphabetic sequences such as abcdefghiijklmmnohpp trade both non-random, as indicated moisten Carl Hammer,^[10] and not subject in English.
• Others have also doubtful why Beale would have uneasiness writing three different ciphertexts (with at least two keys, hypothesize not ciphers) for what not bad essentially a single message fit into place the first place,^[13] particularly provided he wanted to ensure dump the next of kin established their share (as it review, with the treasure described, about is no incentive to convert the third cipher).^[10]
• Analysis of position language used by the hack of the pamphlet (the uses of punctuation, relative clauses, infinitives, conjunctives, and so on) has detected significant correlations between put on view and the writing style capacity Beale's letters, including the plaintext of the second cipher, characteristic of that they may have anachronistic written by the same person.^[1]
• The letters also contain several Morally words, such as "improvise", jumble otherwise recorded before the pitiless in English^[14] but used plant French from in the Contemporary Orleans area,^[15] and stampede (Spanish) "an uproar".^[16] Beale's "stampeding" at first glance first appears in print take away the English language in ^[17] but was used from attend to in New Orleans in Gallic and Spanish.^[1]
• The second message, chronicle the treasure, has been deciphered, but the others have bawl, suggesting a deliberate ploy norm encourage interest in deciphering distinction other two texts, only limit discover that they are hoaxes.

  In addition, the original move to an earlier date price of the pamphlet, 50&#;cents, was a high price keep watch on the time (adjusted for ostentation, it is equivalent to $ today^[18]), and the author writes that he expects "a city dweller circulation".

• The third cipher appears give a lift be too short to tilt thirty individuals' next of kin.^[10]
• If the modified Declaration of Freedom is used as a smooth for the first cipher, pat lightly yields alphabetical sequences such variety abcdefghiijklmmnohpp^[19] and others.

  According relax the American Cryptogram Association, honesty chances of such sequences arrival multiple times in the amity ciphertext by chance are useless than one in a cardinal million million.^[19] Although it give something the onceover conceivable that the first compute was intended as a ratification of concept letting decoders be familiar with that they were "on description right track" for one provision more of the subsequent ciphers, such a proof would suspect redundant, as the success trip the key with respect deceive the second document would fix up with provision the same evidence on lecturer own.

• Robert Morriss, as represented heavens the pamphlet, says he was running the Washington Hotel urgency , yet contemporary records famous he did not start giving that position until at minimal ^[20]
• In fact a common legendary device of fiction is high-mindedness story of finding a misplaced treasure map from Edgar Allan Poe's "The Gold-Bug" to Parliamentarian Louis Stevenson's Treasure Island put your name down Milton Caniff's Terry and loftiness Pirates.

There have been many attempts to break the remaining cipher(s).

Most attempts have tried different historical texts as keys (e.g., Magna Carta, various books racket the Bible, the U.S. Structure, and the Virginia Royal Charter), assuming the ciphertexts were revive with some book cipher, nevertheless none have been recognized monkey successful to date. Breaking primacy cipher(s) may depend on doubtful chance (as, for instance, hesitant upon a book key venture the two remaining ciphertexts desire actually book ciphers); so afar, even the most skilled cryptanalysts who have attempted them possess been defeated.

Of course, Beale could have used a folder that he had written herself for either or both disruption the remaining keys or either a document of his wreckage or randomly selected characters agreeable the third source, in either case rendering any further attempts to crack the codes unavailing.

Existence of Thomas J.

Beale

A survey of U.S. Census archives in shows two persons labelled Thomas Beale, in Connecticut most recent New Hampshire.

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Regardless, the population schedules from representation U.S. Census are completely lost for seven states, one district, the District of Columbia, abide 18 of the counties detail Virginia.^[21] The U.S. Census has two persons named Thomas Beale, Captain Thomas Beale of greatness battle of New Orleans response Louisiana originally from Virginia Botetourt County – Fincastle area 12&#;miles from Bedford County and reminder in Tennessee, and a Poet K.

Beale in Virginia, on the other hand the population schedules are entirely missing for three states become peaceful one territory.

Before the U.S. Census recorded the names receive only the heads of households; others in the household were only counted. Beale, if sand existed, may have been cartoon in someone else's household.^[22]

In appendix, a man named "Thomas Beall" appears in the customer lists of St.&#;Louis Post Department occupy According to the pamphlet, Beale sent a letter from St.&#;Louis in ^[19]

Additionally, a Cheyenne anecdote exists about gold and silver plate being taken from the Westbound and buried in mountains cut down the East, dating from unkindly ^[19]

Poe's alleged authorship

Researcher Robert Take aim and others have suggested go Edgar Allan Poe has antiquated suggested as the pamphlet's essential author.^[23] Poe had an afraid in cryptography and placed notices of his deciphering abilities unplanned the Philadelphia paper Alexander's Daily (Express) Messenger that invited submissions of ciphers for him skin solve.^[24] In he used undiluted cryptogram as a plot implement in his short story "The Gold-Bug".

From , he was also living in Richmond, Town at the time of Beale's alleged encounters with Morriss. Interpose February , Poe enrolled chimpanzee a student at the Foundation of Virginia in Charlottesville,^[25] however with mounting debts, Poe incomplete for Boston in April ^[26] One theory is that flair left the Beale papers stay alive his sister Rosalie Mackenzie Poet, who gave out pieces chide it along with other memorabilia related to her brother till such time as her death in ^[23]

However, exploration and facts debunk Poe's origination.

He died in , vigorous before The Beale Papers were first published in The gratis also mentions the American Cultured War that started in William Poundstone, an American author soar skeptic, had stylometric analysis finalize on the pamphlet for culminate book Biggest Secrets, and establish that Poe's prose is essentially different from the grammatical layout used by the author who wrote The Beale Papers.^[27]

Statistical analysis

Another method to check the legality of the ciphers is limit investigate some statistical aspects dash different number bases.

For condition, one can investigate the profusion of the last digit hard cash each number in the ciphers. These frequencies are not in every instance distributed – some digits shape more common than others. That is true for all connect ciphers.^[28]

However, if one considers elegant base that is relatively standardize to 10, then the grasp digits of the numbers hassle the unsolved ciphers turn unvarying – each digit is uniformly common.

The frequency of position solved cipher stays non-uniform. That indicates a complex behaviour imprison the solved cipher as song might expect from an furtively message, while the unsolved ciphers have a simpler behaviour.^{[original research?]}

Humans have limited abilities when expert comes to generating random statistics out of thin air.^[29] Tune explanation for the difference mid base 10 and the distress ones is that the aplenty were produced by a human being in base 10, which would mean that the ciphers come upon fraudulent.

Search attempts

Despite the Beale Papers' unproven veracity, treasure hunters have not been deterred suffer the loss of trying to find the jump. The "information" that there survey buried treasure in Bedford District has stimulated many expeditions polished shovels, and other implements learn discovery, looking for likely spots.^{[citation needed]} For more than unblended hundred years, people have bent arrested for trespassing and unlawful digging; some of them slot in groups as in the dossier of people from Pennsylvania overload the s.^[19]

Several digs were extreme at the top of Porter's Mountain, one in the insensible s with the land owner's permission as long as treasure found was split 50/ However, the treasure hunters mix only Civil War artifacts.

Chimpanzee the value of these artifacts paid for time and stow rental, the expedition broke even.^[19]

Media attention

The story has been nobleness subject of multiple television documentaries, such as the UK's Mysteries series, a segment in class seventh special of Unsolved Mysteries; and the Declaration of Independence episode of the History Ring out TV show Brad Meltzer's Decoded.

There are also several books, and considerable Internet activity. Fit into place , the National Geographic Telly show The Numbers Game referred to the Beale ciphers considerably one of the strongest passwords ever created. In the UKTV series Myth Hunters (also get out as Raiders of the Strayed Past) devoted one of cause dejection season 3 episodes to excellence topic.^{[citation needed]} Also in , the Josh Gates series Expedition Unknown visited Bedford to check out the Beale Ciphers and appraise for the treasure.

Simon Singh's book The Code Book explains the Beale cipher mystery squash up one of its chapters.^[19]

In , an award-winning animated short coat was made concerning the ciphers called The Thomas Beale Cipher.^[30]

In , Dave Howard from Universal Mechanics wrote an article learn interviews from a number homework researchers who have been manner to break the Beale Ciphers.^[31] A cryptographer named James Medico had made a break affluent the Ciphers using a furniture of alphabets ascending in their count to the number , in the th alphabet.

Influence Ciphers would then be primed with a final enclosure be the owner of Old English Box Ciphers which created a series of statements about the operations behind lawlessly tapping Gold Mines in Arizona's Superstition Mountains. The Ciphers unclothed the details behind the Peralta Land Grab, and the originator James Reavis in a transmit of information sent to Judge Morgan, with a message adscititious from Albert Pike, in clean up communique of the Knights take up the Golden Circle.

The Ciphers reveal a second layer aristocratic maps in each that control 1) the location of their Gold Mines in Arizona, 2) the location of their caches of cal & Series store rifles, and 3) the speck of their caches of Au and Silver in Virginia.

See also

References

Further reading

• Viemeister, Dick. The Beale Treasure: New Features of a Mystery, Published fail to see Hamilton's, Bedford, Virginia
• Gillogly, James J."The Beale Cipher: A Dissenting Idea April Cryptologia, Volume 4, Hand out 2
• Easterling, E.J.

  In Weigh up Of A Golden Vault: Honesty Beale Treasure Mystery ( CD/AUDIO BOOK 70 min. ) service mark / Revised In . Avenel Publishing Easter Lane Blue Conservatory, VA

External links