The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1902-02-05
Copyright, 1901, by @. w. Hooke

TAHE remarkable cipher valentine
which originated in the small
town of Leedsboro, Me-. and
gained national reputation a
dozen years ago has been solved at last
In a way that caps with romantic inter-
est this strange little story of mystery.
There's lesson In 1t, too; SO the de-
the simple facts of this case.
The puzzle was the work of Edward
Weld of Boston, whose sister Alice had
married John NJ. Shepard of Leedsboro.
1t consisted of twelve lines of doggerel
written on the back of valentine
which. If rightly read. revealed very
important secret.
Shepard was well to do at the time of
his marriage, and his wife had about
$4,000. They might have passed their
days In comfort. but the husband fell
into dangerous ways, beguiled by one
of those circular letters which are sent
into the rural districts by a certain
class Of city brokers. He began to spec
ulate, and within two years his own
property was in nearly hopeless con.
dillon, and he had wrongfully used
some thousands of dollars belonging to
his wife.
In these operations he manifested an
ingenuity almost incredible, borrowing
two or three times upon the same &C.
eurity in that little town where ev-
erybody was supposed to know every
body else's business and yet entirely
escaping suspicion until, when the
wreck was nearly complete, his wife
learned the truth. She Immediately
communicated with her brother Ed
ward, and he came to Leedsboro with
all speed. There must have been a
painful scene in the old Shepard home
stead, but not a whisper of 1t got
abroad. Even Uncle William Weld
who lived in the town, was kept wholly
In ignorance.
1t was decided to save Shepard In his
native place, where exposure and dis
grace were coming on at gallop, and
nothing but ready cash could avail.
Weld returned to Boston TO see what he
could do with his sisters remaining
property and Shepard's precarious In
terests in the stock market. He sue
ceeded much more promptly than he
had hoped in raising the sum required,
and on Feb. IL. 1885, he left Boston for
Leedsboro with s6.2J0 In his pocket.
Alice was not expecting him. and she
had gone to Hortonville, neighboring
town. 1t WAS thought that she would
return In the afternoon, and her broth
er waited. Then came word that she
would remain over night. Edward was
obliged to take the late afternoon train
for Boston, and he was in q quandary
about the money. He dared not trust
Shepard with penny. and he was I'M
der pledge to keep the secret inviolate.
He spent most of the day at Uncle
William Yields house and probably
meditated taking him into his conf
dence, but finally decided upon another
course. In the middle of the afternoon
Edward and his uncle walked over to
the Shepard house, and on the way Ed
ward bought the valentine which sub
sequently became the center of so
much interest.
When they reached the house. Uncle
William, who was not on good terms
with Shepard, having opposed the mar
rage with all his power. strolled out to
the barn to wait for his nephew and
there encountered Shepard. Meanwhile
Edward was in the house. and no eye
was upon him. Where he went or what
he did could be learned only from a
brief and hasty scrawl which he left
for his sister.
He finally Joined the other men in the
barn and had a few words in private