New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1878-11-30
THE PLOr IN THE BACK PARLOR.

THE PLOT IN THE BACK PARLOR.
On Friday, the 1st Of December, 1876, a young
man of furtive aspect might have been seen creep
ing through the hall of an arStOCTatic mansion IN
Gramcrcv Park. He wore Garnet slippers he trod
on tptoe: and he carried in the left hand bundle
of kilograms. while the forclnGer of his right was
laid carefully by the side Of his nose. The door
porter with whom he had Just been whispering IN
tine vcstbulc. looked after hIm with an expression
Of appalling soemnity. and his right forefnger too
ay by the side of his nose while his left hand was
engaged in transferring 20 his pocket dollar bill
which he had received from the young man along
with some secret Instructions Dav and night had
the faithful domestic watched by that wintry door,
with one eve az the cold crack, to anticipate the
summons of the frequent telegraph boy, lest that
needless lad should ring the bell and disturb the
proprietor of the mansion, who sat by the drawing
room fire. thinking about Reform. Leaving the
mental on guard the mysterious young man slipped
into the back parlOr carefully closed and boted the
door covered the kcy-hole with handkerchief and
drew the curtains. Then seating himself at desk,
he extracted from secret drawer three or four
little III 'uonarics, two manuscript vo"ahularles.
collection of CIPHER keys, a number Of sheets OF
paper and case of lcad-pencils. spread open the
tecrrams and went to work.
The dispatches were addressed to various persons
to Smith, to King, TO Havemever, to Weed, to
Pelon TO Russia 10 TIlden-and directed to various
streets and numbers; but il seemed to have been
understood that they should all be slipped silently
INTO the hand of the trusty porter who stood by the
unattached front door, and by him conveyed stealth
lily to the back parlOr. The first that the young
man opened was dated at Portland, Oregon, and it
began "Gobble achromatic reject waggle refrang-
~, .,,,f,, bt.tI ait NJ
one of the dictionaries, and found to signify
"Goyernor all right without reward. One
elector must be paid to recognize Democrat
to secure majority. Will take 5000 for
Republican elector. Must raise money Can't make
fee contingent With n mutterrd explanation
about somebody being Odd hog the young man
went on with the second telegram. This too
from Portland. II was dated that morning, 1t was
signed "Gobblc," and it read Heed scantnesS
cramp emerge etc, the Translation Of which was
soon made ont TO be IL shall decide every point III
the ease Of po5tofce electOr in favor Of" and
he third was likewise from Portland. and read
"Bracksh iimation with filth syllabus at pliers
minutely graduation innOyatOr medicament buZ-
gard -" Can manage with four thousand at pres
ent; must have 1t Monday certain" The fourth.
dated Tallahassee December |, signed Fox.
This had to be treated first with a numerical
it was seen to be a confidential request TO "stOp
Moses from making propositions to the enemy"
A fifth message dated at the same place. was from
W. Call who wrote: ANSWER Mlxs dispatch I'M
mediately or we vail be embarrassed at a critical
time" And then came q sixth. da cd that morning
at Tallahassee, and signed Fox" sixteen fetch
may make thirteen forty of half of a twelve eleven
ten; can you say twoin nine Immediately If twenty"
which the young man studied with evident agtta-
tion as 1t resolved itself. after proper treatment
with one of the vocabuiares, into the following:
Board Fetch may make necessary expense of half
OF "A hundred thousand dollars; you say will
deposit Immediately in bank If agreedT num-
Der of other kilograms from Spain, and Max. and
Moses, and Thorx, and Patrick, and Gobble,
were impatientlv pushed aside and just then !
there was faint tapping at the door
The young man stcalthiy crossed the room, and !
stopping to the kcy-holc whispered the password
Denmark" A smothcred voice at the other side
of the aperture returned the countersgn. "Copen-
hagcn' Then the fastenings cautiously
loosed and a black bearded cOnsprator insinuatod
himself INTO the apartment, his fOrelinger likewise
being laid BY the side Of his nose. Read this,
Weedp said the younger man, handing the
newcomer the last dispatch from Fox;
and Mr.. Smith NJ. Weed, throwing down
with some impotence a pockct-full of cipher tele-
grains from Pope, who clamored at Columbia, Send
f. june immediately read the busineSs-like in
auiry of Fox, and asked. "What shall we dop
They looked at each other fora moment IN profOuns
silence
AT that instant n ticking. "a Of pedOmeter, was
heard in the next roOm and the consplratOrs, turn
ing toward the door OF communication, saw little
slip of paper pushed under it. They looked ut each
other again. "'Sh :" said the young man. "'ShD |
SAID Weed. Then they rose simultaneously, and
taking long, slow and careful strides. with the right
forciugcr pressed upon their lips, the left hand
extended backward aud all its fingers stretched
apart they advanced in step toward the paper, rs
the manner of conspwators when they quite
alone has always been from time immemOrial. The
paper contained only two words, Bolivia Lima"
But tney were enough. Chairs were drawn up to
the desk. The dictionaries and the tables of keys
were brought forth again. Far INTO the evening the
two men worked, writing cryptographIc dispatches
to all parts of the United States. 10 Fox they ttle
graphed first in high delight Twill deposit dollars
agreed" TO Moses they said, Consult with
Fox" To Patrick whose little affair in Oregon now
seemed of less consequence, they replied Can't
you get the Legislature together y To a number OF
dissatisfied agents who were quarreng with one
another they flashed words of peace and softsawder.
10 the ChIef-Justce of Hail Columbia they SAID,
Have Bath hold on to Cuba there may be a lit
tie delay" The labor was only Interrupted by the
appearance every five ten minutes OF the watch
full mental with more kilograms; twice he brought