Frequency Tables

Frequency TablesColum 1Column 2Column 3Column 4Column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 the table for Column 1, the letterGoccurs 9times. Let us consider it tentatively asE. Then if the cipher alphabet runs regularly and in the direction of the regular alphabet,C(7 times) =Aand the cipher alphabet bears a close resemblance to the regular frequency table. NoteTUV(=RST) occurring respectively 7, 7, and 5 times and the non-occurrence ofB,L,M,R,S,Z, (=Z,J,K,P,Q, andXrespectively.)In the next table,Loccurs 19 times and taking it forEwith the alphabet running in the same way,A=H. The first word of our message,CT, thus becomesAMwhen deciphered with these two alphabets and the first two letters of the key areC H.Similarly in the third table we may take eitherForOforE, but a casual examination shows that the former is correct andA=B(even if we were looking for a vowel for the next letter of the keyword).In the fourth table,Iis clearlyEandA=E. The fifth table shows T=14 and J=9. If we takeT=Ewe find that we would have many letters which should not occur. On the other hand, if we takeJ=EthenT=Oand in view of the many E’s already accounted for in the other columns, this may be all right. It checks as correct if we apply the last three alphabets to the second word of our message,OSB, which deciphersNOW. Using these alphabets to decipher the whole message, we find it to read:“M. B. Am now safe on board a barge moored below Tower Bridge where no one will think of looking for me. Have good friends but little money owing to action of police. Trust, little girl, you still believe in my innocence although things seem against me. There are reasons why I should not be questioned. Shall try to embark before the mast in some outward bound vessel. Crews will not be scrutinized so sharply as passengers. There are those who will let you know my movements. Fear the police maytamper with your correspondence but later on when hue and cry have died down will let you know all.”The key to this message isCHBEFwhich is not intelligible as a word but if put into figures indicating that the 2d, 7th, 1st, 4th, and 5th letter beyond the corresponding letter of the message has been used the key becomes 27145 and we may connect it with the “personal” which appeared in the same paper the day before reading:“M. B. Will deposit £27 14s 5d tomorrow.”

Frequency Tables

Colum 1Column 2Column 3Column 4Column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 the table for Column 1, the letterGoccurs 9times. Let us consider it tentatively asE. Then if the cipher alphabet runs regularly and in the direction of the regular alphabet,C(7 times) =Aand the cipher alphabet bears a close resemblance to the regular frequency table. NoteTUV(=RST) occurring respectively 7, 7, and 5 times and the non-occurrence ofB,L,M,R,S,Z, (=Z,J,K,P,Q, andXrespectively.)In the next table,Loccurs 19 times and taking it forEwith the alphabet running in the same way,A=H. The first word of our message,CT, thus becomesAMwhen deciphered with these two alphabets and the first two letters of the key areC H.Similarly in the third table we may take eitherForOforE, but a casual examination shows that the former is correct andA=B(even if we were looking for a vowel for the next letter of the keyword).In the fourth table,Iis clearlyEandA=E. The fifth table shows T=14 and J=9. If we takeT=Ewe find that we would have many letters which should not occur. On the other hand, if we takeJ=EthenT=Oand in view of the many E’s already accounted for in the other columns, this may be all right. It checks as correct if we apply the last three alphabets to the second word of our message,OSB, which deciphersNOW. Using these alphabets to decipher the whole message, we find it to read:“M. B. Am now safe on board a barge moored below Tower Bridge where no one will think of looking for me. Have good friends but little money owing to action of police. Trust, little girl, you still believe in my innocence although things seem against me. There are reasons why I should not be questioned. Shall try to embark before the mast in some outward bound vessel. Crews will not be scrutinized so sharply as passengers. There are those who will let you know my movements. Fear the police maytamper with your correspondence but later on when hue and cry have died down will let you know all.”The key to this message isCHBEFwhich is not intelligible as a word but if put into figures indicating that the 2d, 7th, 1st, 4th, and 5th letter beyond the corresponding letter of the message has been used the key becomes 27145 and we may connect it with the “personal” which appeared in the same paper the day before reading:“M. B. Will deposit £27 14s 5d tomorrow.”

In the table for Column 1, the letterGoccurs 9times. Let us consider it tentatively asE. Then if the cipher alphabet runs regularly and in the direction of the regular alphabet,C(7 times) =Aand the cipher alphabet bears a close resemblance to the regular frequency table. NoteTUV(=RST) occurring respectively 7, 7, and 5 times and the non-occurrence ofB,L,M,R,S,Z, (=Z,J,K,P,Q, andXrespectively.)

In the next table,Loccurs 19 times and taking it forEwith the alphabet running in the same way,A=H. The first word of our message,CT, thus becomesAMwhen deciphered with these two alphabets and the first two letters of the key areC H.

Similarly in the third table we may take eitherForOforE, but a casual examination shows that the former is correct andA=B(even if we were looking for a vowel for the next letter of the keyword).

In the fourth table,Iis clearlyEandA=E. The fifth table shows T=14 and J=9. If we takeT=Ewe find that we would have many letters which should not occur. On the other hand, if we takeJ=EthenT=Oand in view of the many E’s already accounted for in the other columns, this may be all right. It checks as correct if we apply the last three alphabets to the second word of our message,OSB, which deciphersNOW. Using these alphabets to decipher the whole message, we find it to read:

“M. B. Am now safe on board a barge moored below Tower Bridge where no one will think of looking for me. Have good friends but little money owing to action of police. Trust, little girl, you still believe in my innocence although things seem against me. There are reasons why I should not be questioned. Shall try to embark before the mast in some outward bound vessel. Crews will not be scrutinized so sharply as passengers. There are those who will let you know my movements. Fear the police maytamper with your correspondence but later on when hue and cry have died down will let you know all.”

The key to this message isCHBEFwhich is not intelligible as a word but if put into figures indicating that the 2d, 7th, 1st, 4th, and 5th letter beyond the corresponding letter of the message has been used the key becomes 27145 and we may connect it with the “personal” which appeared in the same paper the day before reading:

“M. B. Will deposit £27 14s 5d tomorrow.”

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