Sherlock Holmes - The Baconian Cipher

Sherlock Holmes Short Stories

In this episode of Sherlock Holmes Short Stories, the great detective and Dr. Watson investigate a cryptic message hidden within the 'Agony

Key takeaways

• Holmes utilizes the Baconian cipher technique, grouping letters in units of five to decode a message from 'Box XQL696'.
• The decoded message identifies a victim named Quilter at 'The Elms' in Penge who is in need of assistance.

Main topics

• Baconian Cipher decryption
• Crime investigation at The Elms

Notable quotes

The game's a-foot.

Conclusion

A classic mystery that demonstrates Holmes's deductive brilliance, ser

Transcript preview

Speaker 2 (0:00) That tree wine brings you Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce in the new adventures of Sherlock Holmes. Speaker 2 (0:13) The Petri family, the family that took time to bring you good wine, invites you to listen to Dr. Watson tell us another exciting adventure he shared with his old friend, that master detective, Sherlock Holmes. And I want to ask you something. You know, every now and then I've told you about the good old American custom of serving a glass of sherry before dinner. Particularly, Petri California sherry. And I wonder if you've tried that Petri sherry. Really, a glass of Petri Sherry is the best beginning a good meal ever had. Petri Sherry is clear, fragrant, and truly delicious. It's a wonderful wine whose flavor is the essence of luscious, sun-ripened grapes. And Petri makes two kinds of Sherry wine, a regular Sherry and Petri Pale Dry. If you don't know which you prefer, try them both. Don't buy one, buy two. But remember, always buy Petri. Because Petri wine is always good wine. Well, I'm sure Dr. Watson's ready for us. Let's go in and join him, shall we? Speaker 3 (1:29) Good Speaker 2 (1:29) evening, Mr. Bartell. Evening, Doctor. Speaker 3 (1:31) Quiet, Willie. Quiet, Willie. Speaker 5 (1:33) The dogs Speaker 2 (1:34) seem very pleased with themselves tonight. Did they have a good day? Yes, the Speaker 3 (1:38) three of us did, my boy. Go on. Run off out in the patio. I took a seven-iron and some old golf balls on the beach this afternoon. I improved my game, I think, and the dogs had a great time chasing the golf balls. On the way home, the little rascals had a... furious battle with an elderly pelican. So their day was complete. Speaker 2 (1:56) I'll have to join you on one of your afternoon strolls, Doctor. You and the dog seem to have so much fun. Oh, Speaker 3 (2:01) I'll be glad of your company, Mr. Speaker 2 (2:02) Bartell. Speaker 3 (2:03) Well, draw up your usual churn. I'll get on with tonight's Sherlock Holmes adventure. Speaker 2 (2:07) From the hint you gave us last week, I guess a Frenchman played a prominent part in the story? Speaker 3 (2:11) Yes, indeed he did, Mr. Bartell. His name was Francois Navillard. He was a detective of some note in his own country. The time my story begins, it was in 1889, to be exact. Livia had come over to London to discuss with Holmes the difficulties of translating some of his monographs into the French language. At this particular time, I was in the early days of my marriage, Mr. Bartell, and this fact, combined with the busy practice, meant that I saw very little of my old friend. Speaker 2 (2:40) He must have missed you, Doctor. Oh, he Speaker 3 (2:42) did. Well, of course, he didn't admit the fact, but to get on with my story. One cloudless June afternoon, I found myself in the neighborhood of Baker Street, and I couldn't resist paying a visit to Holmes. Mrs. Hudson was out, but having retained my old latchkey, I let myself in and mounted the familiar stairs. It gave me a strange feeling as I raised my hand to knock on what once had been my own living room door. Speaker 3 (3:13) Come in. Come in. Oh, hello, Holmes. Oh, Speaker 5 (3:17) I Speaker 3 (3:17) beg your pardon. I didn't know you Speaker 5 (3:18) were... Watson, my dear fellow. How very nice to see you again. It's Speaker 3 (3:21) great to see you, Holmes. I'm sorry I interrupted Speaker 5 (3:24) you. I didn't know that you had company. Not at all, my dear fellow. We're delighted, aren't we, Léviat? Watson, this is Speaker 4 (3:30) Monsieur Léviat. Speaker 3 (3:31) How do you do, sir? Speaker 4 (3:32) How do you do? Enchanté, monsieur. I have often wished to meet the so charming Dr. Watson. Holmes has told me a great deal about you. Oh, it's Speaker 5 (3:39) very nice Speaker 3 (3:39) of you, Speaker 5 (3:39) sir. Ah, very. It suits you, Watson. You look splendid, old fellow. Gained a little weight, haven't you? Oh, yes, a few pounds, I mean. Here Speaker 3 (3:46) he Speaker 5 (3:46) comes. You sit down, won't you? Speaker 3 (3:48) Are you sure that I'm not interrupting you in some important discussion? Speaker 4 (3:52) Oh, no, no, no, no, Monsieur Doctor. We were having a good-natured argument on the relative abilities of the French criminal compared to the English. Speaker 3 (4:00) Oh, interesting. You must lend me your support, Speaker 5 (4:02) Watson. Monsieur, the V.I. is convinced that the English criminal is a very dull dog indeed. Speaker 3 (4:07) Well, we've met some far from dull ones in our time. Are you sure you're Monsieur Léviat? Ah, Speaker 4 (4:13) the exception rather than the rule, I fear, Monsieur Doctor. You're Speaker 5 (4:16) stubborn, aren't you, Léviat? Speaker 4 (4:17) Believe me, my dear friend, that I will yield to no one in my admiration of your knowledge and skill. That is why I wish I could persuade you to practice in Paris. Ah, there you would find opponents really worthy of your steel. What can happen to interest you in this land of grey frogs, boiled potatoes and pots of tea? Speaker 3 (4:38) You're not very flattering. Oh, now be so insular, Watson. Oh, I meant no Speaker 4 (4:41) offense, my friend. Well, Speaker 3 (4:43) you say that the English criminal is dull. Well, perhaps if you were to read a published story of mine called A Study in Scarlet, you'd think differently. It tells of a very exciting adventure that Holmes and I had. Speaker 4 (4:54) I have read it, my friend. Oh, you have? An extremely gripping story, but surely you will admit that the crime was essentially of American origin. He's right, Watson. He's perfectly Speaker 5 (5:04) right, dear Speaker 4 (5:04) me. What can Speaker 5 (5:05) I do Speaker 4 (5:05) to vindicate the... Speaker 5 (5:07) Dishonor of the London Criminal. Let me see. Oh, yes, yes, of course. A copy of Today's Times. That's fine. I shall introduce you to a section known as the Agony Column. I will. Oh, yes, here we are. This should convince you of the color and variety of English life. The agony column? It Speaker 4 (5:25) sounds most painful. What is it, Frank? A Speaker 3 (5:27) personal column is liable to contain anything from a lover's frantic appeal to his lady love to a ransom note. In Speaker 5 (5:34) my profession, I've frequently found it an invaluable medium for contacting the underworld. Uh-huh. Yes, now. Here we are. Here's something. Dear me. Oh, dear, no. Today's column seems rather uninspired, I'm afraid. Speaker 4 (5:47) May I examine it? Speaker 5 (5:48) Of course. Here you are. Merci. Speaker 4 (5:51) Um, if the lady who helped my little boy across the road at the corner of Threadwell Street and High Auburn last Wednesday at four will get in touch with Box 845, she will learn of something to her advantage. Speaker 2 (6:06) Help me can Speaker 4 (6:07) be more colorful than that in Paris, my friend. I think we can do better than that, too. Look at this, Speaker 3 (6:12) William. The printer must have been half asleep when he set up the type for this advertisement. Will any gentleman interested in discussing cryptography and cipher writing please communicate with BoxXQL696 the Speaker 4 (6:29) time? Oh, I fail to find this message any more stirring than the preceding one. You notice the execrable printing, don't you? Indeed I do. It is all mixed up. The first word, Will, starts with a capital W and a capital I. The second word, Any, starts with a small a. and then has a capital N and Y. It is a shocking example of typography. Speaker 5 (6:50) And when it occurs in a paper noted for its excellence in typesetting, one realizes that this is no mistake. What do Speaker 4 (6:56) you mean, Holmes? This is undoubtedly a code message. Speaker 5 (6:59) Oh, Speaker 4 (6:59) come now, my friend. I defy even you to make a mystery out of a printer's negligence. I Speaker 5 (7:04) accept your challenge, my dear LeBiard. Speaker 4 (7:06) If you recall, the Speaker 5 (7:08) Baconian bilateral cipher depends upon the use of two sizes of type. If we group the letters in units of five, the arrangements of small and capital letters within the group should give us the message. Now, let's see. Two capitals followed