I fully endorse this.
JAMES K. KELLY.
The explanation of this conglomeration of words is perhaps best had by quoting directly from the congressional report:
It appears from the testimony of Alfred B. Hinman of Detroit, Michigan, that in 1874, he, Hinman, made the acquaintance of J. N. H. Patrick at Salt Lake City; that he there entered into business relations with him in connection with mining interests in Utah; that at the time Mr. Patrick gave him a small dictionary entitled “The Household English Dictionary, London. T. Nelson & Sons, Pater Noster Row, Edinburgh and New York, 1872,” to be used by them as cipher in their business dispatches. That this dictionary, which was produced by the witness, Hinman, had two columns of words on each page; that the key to this cipher as used by Patrick and the witness, Hinman, was as follows: In sending a dispatch the first word of which in translation would, for instance be “every,” the word directly opposite this in the next column would be taken as the cipher; and so on through the whole dispatch.
It was, however, shown that the cipher-despatches in this case could not be translated from the dictionary by adopting the key of taking the corresponding word on the opposite column, but in every instance they could be translated from the dictionary by taking the corresponding word in the columns eight columns ahead. It further appeared from the testimony, and no attempt was made to impeach it, or the translation made in this way, or to contradict the claim that all these cipher-despatches were sent by this dictionary or its duplicate in accordance with the key as above stated,—and, besides, Pelton, Kelly, Bellinger, and Miller all testified that the despatches were made up from a dictionary cipher,—that the translation of the despatch just quoted is as follows:
Portland, November 28, 1876.
To W. T. Pelton,
15 Gramercy Park, New York City.
Certificate will be issued to one democrat. Must purchase a republican elector to recognize and act with democrats and secure the vote and prevent trouble. Deposit $10,000 to my credit with Kountze Brothers, Wall street. Answer.
J. N. H. PATRICK.