The discussion on this thread has covered various influences found in the 1885 Beale Papers; the connection and events of the extended Risqué family bloodline, beginning with the duel of Thomas Beale and James Beverly Risqué to the massacre of John Pickrell Risque in 1882 at Gold Gulch, Arizona by Indians while inspecting gold and silver mines, the Kennerly branch who maintain a mercantile and outfitters store in St Louis, Julia Hancock, for which the duel was fought, marrying William Clark of Lewis and Clark, various literary and newspaper sources, ciphers from the works of Poe, Dr William Blair, and the Confederacy, and the relationships of those involved with the copyright, printing, publishing, and sale of the job pamphlet.
Analyzing the structure of the text, it is written as a novel of the time period, the encounter with the mysterious Thomas Beale taking a liking to Robert Morris and Sarah, a background of Morriss continues to draw the reader in, and then the "letters" that reveal the treasure from the west brought to Virginia. Note that the "letters" are written as a soliloquy delivered in Iambic Pentameter, a thespian influence, mentioning the "game" being worth the candle, followed by the years and money wasted trying to solve the ciphers and onto the disclaimer of not neglecting your business to solve the C1 & C3 unsolved ciphers-let the matter be.
The author is clearing telling the wary reader that this is only a story with play along ciphers for amusement.
Then the ciphers are presented, with the DOI "solved" C2 describing the "treasure", an inducement to play the game.
Many codebreakers have tried to break C1 & C3 but to no avail, as well as those who have attempted to establish who Thomas Beale was, documentation for any of the events in the narrative text of actually ever happening-No proof outside of the Beale Papers events exists.
In the words of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's character, Sherlock Holmes:
"When you have eliminated all which is impossible, then whatever remains,however, must be the truth".
...and
"There is nothing more deceptive than an obvious fact".
After eliminating the total lack of documented historical evidence of the Beale adventure as actually happening, and a through scrutiny of those involved and the sources employed, the obvious fact that remains is that the 1885 Beale Papers are a clever dime novel with parlor entertainment ciphers.
keep things on topic Please !
