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CIPHER, LETTER,

TELEGRAPH CODE
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LARRABEE'S CIPHER
AXD

SECRET LETTER AND TELEGRAPH CODE,

WITH HOGG'S IMPROVEMENTS.
THE MOST PERFRCT SECRET CODE EVER INVESTED OR DISCOVERED. IMPOSSIBLE TO BE READ WITHOUT THE KEY. INVA.LCABLE FOR SECRET. MILITARY, NAVAL, AND DIPLOMATIC SERVICES, AS WELL AS FOR BROKERS. BANKERS, AND MERCHANTS.

By

CHARLES

S.

LARRABEE,

THE ORIGINAL I.VTENTOR OF THE SYSTEM.

PATENTED AMD COPYRIGHT SECURED.

SECOND EDITION.
NEW YORK:
D.

VAN NOSTKAND. PUBLISHEE,

2.3

MURRAY AND

iJT

WARREN STREET.

1884.

PREFACE
My
attention

was

first

called to the importance of Secret Cipher writing while

employed

upon some
I

special service for the U. S.

Government

in 1863.

very soon discovered the imperfect character of the then existing systems, and set myself
to devise a better.

to

work

After a great deal of labor and

many

unsatisfactory experiments,

I hit

upon

this system, the idea first striking

me from

the

"Key-word Lock."

Other occupations

compelled

me

to temporarily defer the publication,

and not

until the winter of 1869-70 did I fully

perfect the code

which

herewith present to the American public.

for
its

Pending arrangements

publication,

learned, that
After

Mr.

G.

Hogg, of London, had

subject^

published a code almost identical with

my

own.

some correspondence on the

he very honorably acknowledged

the part relating to figures

my right

to the

main
his.

features of the code, while I admitted that

was unquestionably

1 claim to

be the original discoverer of this

system, which I call the

"Key-word System."

CHARLES
New
YouK.Jantcary
1st, 1871.

S.

LAKRABEE.

Entered, ftccording to Act of Congress, tu the year ISTO, by C.

S.

LARKABEE,

in the Offlce of the Librarian or Congress at

Washington.

INTRODUCTION
This Secret Code
it

may

be used by any oue.

It is so perfect

that

no message written by

can possibly be read without knowing the particular kej--word us3d.

In most of the Cipher sj'stems a mere changing of the order of the alphabet, or certain
signs
for

certain letters, has been used,

and in consequence

of the

same

letter

being always

represented by the same cipher, an expert could easily read any message.
constant change ot cipher for every letter makes the message perfectly secret.

In this system the

By

its

use any number ot persons

may

write the

same message, and each be

unintelligible

save for those intended.

or misunderstanding.

It is very simple,

and with ordinary care there can be no mistake

Your message can be written in any language.

3

I lY

ST

RUCT

and
that

Fix upon a key-word which cominuuicate to your correspondent any word may be adopted, care must be taken it is judicious to select one that can be remembered by both parties
; ;

it in

spelled alike

by both,

else the

message could not be read as intended.

and

To Convert a Message into Cipher. A key-word having been arranged between receiver, first write down plainly and distinctly the message to be sent then
;

yourself
lorite

the

key-word over

(he message,

repeating
first letter

it

as often as

necessary to the end of the message.

Find

of the kej'- word and the first letter of the message and find The letter underneath is the first same position in Table I. cipher. Repeat this jirocess with all the letters, taking the second letter of kej-word and the second letter of the message, the third letter of key-word and the third letter of the message, and so on to the conclusion.
the ciphers thus:

Take the

the same letters in

exactly

the

To Convert Ciphers into the Message. First

write over them the

write

down

the ciphers as received,

it

then

particular key-word

between yourself and correspondent, repeating

as often

as necessary

till each cipher hc^ a letter of the key-word over it : take the first letter of the key-word and the first cipher, and find the fame letters in exactly the same position Table II. the letter which is under them is the first letter of the message. Repeat this process with all the others, taking second letter of key-word and second cij^her, and finding second letter of message, and so on till the ciphers are all translated.

'

EXAMPLES
I.

A MESSAGE CONVEETED INTO CIPHERS.

Key-word,

"Jove."

Key-word
Message
to be sent

MOVE FORWARD
VCQ
II.
I

JOVE JO'VE.TOV EJ OVEJO IN FORCE

OC

Cipher to be sent

MA

FY

MW

TJ VL

Key-word, "Hope."

Key-word
Message
Cipher to be sent
II.

'.

HOPE II O P E H O P E H O .....SELL E V E R Y T H I KG Z S A P L J T V F HWMUU

.
.

CIPHEKS CONVEETED INTO A MESSAGE.

Key-iwrd,
Key-word..,..
Ciphers received
'
'

Decatur.

'

Message reads

D ECATUR DECATUR D V E R L BG D H H K AMY C B S A I L I MM E D I A T E L Y

'

IV.
Key- word,
' '

LoclL

'

Keyword
Ciphers received

Message reads

LOD ILODILODI LODILODI EVH XCSVQOSQB ZFGMCG LB THE PRESIDENT OKDERS IT

Instructions for 3fessages containing Figures.

Let the letters Stand for the figures

A B C D E F <}

II

IJ

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

the above letters for such other letter from as shall indicate the number of letters following, which are to be read -as figures. Thu
as

When writing your message down first on paper, substitute A H G A for 1871. But prefix such letters by the letter Q, and

figures,

A
:

to I

QAF
Q B IJ QCBC D

90

234
J.J

QE AE

15500
directed, proceed to convert the lohole of
it

Having written down your message as

in the usual way.

into ciphers

(The

letter
it is

is

never found in any part of a word unless in conjunction witli

tlie letter

U, and therefore

the only letter that can be selected as a sign.)

6

Examples

relating to Messages containing Figures.

I.

A
Original Messas^e

MESSAGE CONVEETED INTO CIPHERS.

Remit 3750 dollar?. Remit Q D C G E J
Key-word, "Hanover"
dollars.

To be written thns

Key-word. Message
Ciphere

H A N O V R H A N O V E R II A N O

YEZ WOUU
II.

R E :M

T QD CG E
J

DO

J.

AR S

GRXY S C S AEG

TO CONVERT CIPHER INTO MESSAGE.

Key-ioord, "Hero."

Key-word
Ciphers received

HEROHEROHE
first

Message reads

V R C M X fl S S Q N Only Q I) C E J J
or,

'Only

2,500."

TABLE
Letter of

I.

Key-word

Letter of Message

Lelter of

Key- word

TABLE
Letter of

I.-Continued.

Key-word

Letter of Ke'^'-word

TABLE
Letter of

II,

Kev-word

Letter of

Key-word
. .

Cipher

. . . .
,

TABLE
Letter of Ko}--\\or(l

II.- Continued.

Cipher
Letter of Message
.
.

NN NN N N NNNN N NNN NNNNN N N N N N N N A B C D E F G H I J K L N O P Q R S T U VWX Y Z

]S[

P Q R S T U V

WX

Letter of Key-word

Cipher
Letter of Messa<;e
.

Letter of Ke^'-wonl

Cipher
Letter of Message.
I^etter of
.

Key-word

Cipher
Letter of Message Letter of
('iplier

Key- word

'

Letter of Message

Letter of Key-word

Cipher
Letter of Message.
.

Letter of

Key-word

COO

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