TIGHAR

Amelia Earhart Search Forum => News, Views, Books, Archival Data & Interviews on AE => Topic started by: Anthony Allen Roach on July 10, 2012, 12:25:58 PM

Title: Encrypted Telegram
Post by: Anthony Allen Roach on July 10, 2012, 12:25:58 PM

Not that it is relevant to the search for Amelia or the Electra, but I would be interested in seeing the actual encrypted text of Ruth Hampton's April 23, 1937 telegram to Richard Black.

On page 29 of Richard Gillespie's book "Finding Amelia" the encrypted telegram is discussed.  "Hampton responded with a short encrypted message.  Messages originally sent in cipher are not at all unusual among the archived official government communications relating to the Earhart flights.  All have been decoded, however, except one:  Hampton's message is the only un-decoded message among the thousands in the Earhart archives.  The cipher Hampton used is no longer available, so the telegram's content remains a mystery."  The text refers to endnote 20.  On the accompanying DVD, the actual ciphered text is omitted and replaced with [cipher].

Is there a copy of the actual cipher text floating around somewhere?  It would be fun to play with.

Title: Re: Encrypted Telegram
Post by: richie conroy on July 10, 2012, 12:35:05 PM

not sure if this is same one you are on about

http://tighar.org/Projects/Earhart/Archives/Documents/Letters/Hampton4_29_37.pdf

http://tighar.org/sitemap.html

then go to letter's index

Title: Re: Encrypted Telegram
Post by: Tim Collins on July 10, 2012, 12:53:41 PM

Seems to me I remember a thread on this topic some time ago. Maybe a little digging might turn something up.

Title: Re: Encrypted Telegram
Post by: Bruce Thomas on July 10, 2012, 12:59:30 PM

See the page 3 of the messages in this PDF (http://tighar.org/Projects/Earhart/Archives/Research/JacobsonDatabase/RADIOMES/MSG5.PDF) ... it's the second one on the page with all the occurrences of [cipher]

Title: Re: Encrypted Telegram
Post by: Anthony Allen Roach on July 10, 2012, 01:03:10 PM

You are correct Mr. Thomas.  It reads "POINDEXTER GOVERNOR HONOLULU HAWAII; FOR BLACK QUOTE REURAD APRIL TWENTYSECOND [CIPHER] SINGLE QUOTE [CIPHER] END SINGLE QUOTE [CIPHER] STOP [CIPHER] STOP [CIPHER] STOP [CIPHER] UNQUOTE; SIGNED HAMPTON"

The one Mr. Conroy references is actually a letter, which is different.  I tried the search function, but could only find other telegrams, and not this one.  I'm looking for that omitted cipher text.  It would be a nice puzzle for amateur cryptography.