[Maddison] SOLUTION FOUND! New Items! 4/22/2007

[lonelyelendi]

Maddy found these on her doorknob...no pigeon.

EDIT:

After finding out that there was a black piano player by the name of Blind Tom Wiggins who was around during the 1860's, lg15panda used the autokey "blind" on the code, and out popped this solution:

Beanville - Holy Swamp - Above below the head - PU - Hurry!

We figured out that Beanville = Beantown = Boston.

Holy Swamp = Holy Marsh = Marsh Chapel on the Boston University campus.

We have yet to solve the the rest of the phrase.

[ignatzmouse]

Transcription:

Code: Select all

Cpiayjplr - Cwwj Wdoxn - Sxoht bfzja ulp vatk - TB - Luugs!

[lonelyelendi]

4/22/2007 - 11:09 AM PST

The code in the first picture is not a shift cipher (Thanks Linc-D)

[lonelyelendi]

Empty House?!: Wiggins Quote c.1860. 6 broken stings: Mute them.

[Musique]

I wonder if the "Wiggins 1860" is in reference to this court case:

http://supreme.justia.com/us/65/303/case.html

[surrealisticpill]

maybe "Empty House?!: Wiggins Quote c.1860. 6 broken stings: Mute them."

is the clue to passkey to the cipher? and the cipher looks like it leads to another drop.

[lonelyelendi]

What is the connection do you think Musique? (not contradicting...just can't read legal stuff before lunch!)

[Musique]

Not entirely sure what the connection is here. It was a case brought before the Supreme Court in Taney's time. It somehow appeared in California, and yet the parties involved were from New York.

Odd. Drops have been known to be made in both areas, no?


"6 broken strings; mute them". hmm.

Could be the broken strings are parts of a puzzle. Maybe they are objects that need to be destroyed. Or individuals who need to be silenced.

[ignatzmouse]

4/22/2007 - 11:09 AM PST

The code in the first picture is not a shift cipher (Thanks Linc-D)

Trying Deagol's known plaintext attack on Vigenere autokey doesn't seem to bear fruit if the last word is (again) "hurry", we'd get a key of "eadpu", and it's difficult to see how that fits into the word breaks to form English text. Of course, Zipp may have learned not to make such easy-to-guess plaintext.

[Elixir]

I found this information:

Thomas "Blind Tom" Wiggins (May 25, 1849–June 13, 1908) was an African American autistic savant and musical prodigy on the piano.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blind_Tom_Wiggins

He composed this in 1860:

http://archives.colstate.edu/findingaid ... llop.shtml

This shows the sheet music.

ETA: "In 1860, Blind Tom played in the White House before President James Buchanan. Local musicians wanted to check if his act was mere trickery and made him repeat two brand-new compositions. He did so perfectly. The "challenge" later became a regular part of his performance." From Wiki.

Thinking of the possibility that we are being 'challenged' with two messages, and we have just solved two drops. I still can't find an actual quote though, yet.

[lonelyelendi]

Thanks sooooooooooooooooooooooo much ignatzmouse....I honestly do NOT understand how to do that!

[lonelyelendi]

Solution Found! 4/22/2007 - 12:14 PM PST

Beanville - Holy Swamp - Above below the head - PU - Hurry!

autokey = blind

THANKS TO lg15panda ON IRC FOR THE SOLUTION AND TO ELIXIR FOR FINDING OUT ABOUT BLIND TOM!

[Musique]

Beanville? As in Vermont?

[lonelyelendi]

We are thinking so yes.

[JenniPowell]

http://www.everysingleplace.com/Vermont ... 70171.html