Mystery Beneath
the Baneberry Bush
A Family Legacy Hidden in Cipher
Author James Becker is the great-grandson of Patriot Jacob Becker — the emissary sent to France to secure funds to finance the American Revolution. As a result, ten shiploads of Solomonic treasure was sent to America.
George Washington had it buried in caves in western Pennsylvania. President Franklin Roosevelt had the gold transferred to Fort Knox — a transaction recorded in Secret Treaty Number One.
This information has been maintained down through the Becker generations, alongside other accounts of the Revolution and government incidents, all recorded in this book.
Journal Entry — Trove Contents
The Ark and the Cave
A sol Mosaic arc brims in a boys moc arc at lea. When Gilbert Bean and his mother went inside the cave to investigate, they found an Indian toddler laid to rest on a mound inside the cave.
There had been an Indian campground near this area. (“C” was sometimes substituted for “k” throughout the code.)
A sheet taken from professional archaeologist Dave Decker’s report indicating areas of interest on the hill described in the code.
Journal Entry — Hidden History
Eloee and Henry Lee
The underground railroad ran through the area of Bean’s Cove. A runaway slave girl lived in a cave atop the promontory that jutted out toward the cove. She helped Bet Bean Beale in the kitchen at the inn.
When Henry Lee was at the inn and saw Eloee, he was attracted to her beauty and fell in love with her. They had an affair, and a son was born to them. The little earl was the love of Lee’s life — this affair kept secret until revealed in Gilbert Bean’s journal.
Archaeologist's Report
Dave Decker's Survey
The cover page for professional archaeologist Dave Decker’s report. The geographic picture of the hill where the vault is buried, with the exact spot indicated by a dropped pin.
Bedford County, Pennsylvania
Buford's Land & the Perdew Auction
An early survey map in Bedford County, Pennsylvania of the plot sold at public auction to William Perdew Jr., showing the adjoining land as Buford’s land.
One of the Beale ciphers, previously deciphered, stated the trove was about four miles from Buford’s — now called Montvale, Virginia.
Correspondence with Don Carns, who believed the map indicated the trove was on the “Eby” place — unaware of the research and journal entries already deciphered.
Double Encryption
The Code Within the Code
The words in one of the decoded papers are aligned to show a diagram of the hill using the “E” in the words — also indicating where the pit is on the ledge and its exact location.
The Beale ciphers are coded twice: Gilbert coded the information, then coded the code itself. These images show the first layer of coding, including a diagram of the hill embedded within the number sequences.
National Archives
Gilbert Bean's Military Record
Genealogy & Translation
The Perdew Family & Beale Paper No. 2
The genealogy of the William Perdew Jr. family — the first legal owner of the property where the trove is located. Gilbert Bean writes in his journal that William didn’t know about the trove and it was safe. Elijah Perdew is also named in the code.
A translation of Beale Paper Number Two — the first paper in the code to be deciphered.
Beale Cipher Association Pamphlet
The Forward
The “forward” from the pamphlet published by the Beale Cipher Association — context for the broader history of the Beale treasure mystery and the efforts made by others to solve it.
Journal Entry — Preservation
Building the Underground Vault
A journal entry on the preservation of the trove — explaining how they built the underground vault and the care taken to make it waterproof.
The record of an event during the American Revolution: Lee sent out ten men in a boat for a “watch.” They went ashore for water. Ten others were sent out in their place. The replacement party was spotted by the British and blown up — foam rose from the water, and men’s shoes and debris washed ashore. The men on shore wept.
Photograph — The Brick House
The Perdew–Cessna Property
The picture of the brick house: When the land was auctioned off following the Revolution, Gilbert Bean lost the bid. It was deeded to a William Perdew. The brick house was built by the Perdew family 1n 1854 with home-made brick. It now belongs to the Cessna family who continue to live there.
Photograph — Ground Penetrating Radar
GPR Survey
The half picture shows the GPR I hired to go over the area. It is probably sitting on top of the trove. The pictures were taken by me and are therefore legal. The guys not shown were the young man in charge of the GPR and Carl Cessna, one of the owners of the land.
Photograph — The Grotto Entrance
The Line of Trees
The picture of the line of trees is the top of the rock wall where the entrance to the grotto existed. The graves of two little boys were buried there but have been farmed over.