ROBERT MORRISS: CANNIBAL SLAYER

After reading the solved DOI cipher 2, Button glanced up and remarked, " The treasure list is very similar that of that Kentucky man, Robert O Willis, who I wrote about in '79. The gold ,silver, and jewelry worth $65,000 found hidden in a cave".
"Yes, Sir, we did use that story in ours", Sherman replied," Many of those who would purchase our Beale Papers in Lynchburg would remember reading that article and would connect it to our treasure story".
"I see", mused Button.
"Cue" in TWILIGHT ZONE Theme Song HERE...
 

With a hand gesture, Button stated," believe you will need to run advertisements to generate sales".
"Yes, Sir", Sherman replied quickly, and then further explained," The sale price for THE BEALE PAPERS will be set at fifty cents, and half of our profits will be donated to the families who suffered loses in that fire. Max said that his Lodge brothers will match our donations".
"Max and his Lodge have always done good deeds for Lynchburg", remarked Button."Now let us discuss those advertisements".
 

"This is what I will do to help, John", stated Button, "because half of the profits will go to the families of those poor fire victims, I'll run the first ten adds gratis, but as you well know John, our revenues are down, and I am considering selling the newspaper".
"Thank you, Sir", replied Sherman, and added as a second thought, "I wish I had the money to buy the LYNCHBURG VIRGINIAN".
 

Sherman was now editor of the LYNCHBURG VIRGINIAN, but the pressure of keeping the paper solvent kept him in a constant state of stress. His behavior had become erratic, with civility eroding bit by bit, which was noted by his cousin James and friend, Max. Sales of the Beale Papers had dwindled, and it was a constant struggle to make ends meet.
Working late on a cold Virginia January at the newspaper office, Sherman kept feeding the wood stove to keep warm, staring at the stack on unsold pamphlets on the floor.
The front door opened, and an old one arm man entered, holding a copy of the Beale Papers in his only hand.
"Why did you print this? Do you want to send people to their death? The're still out there in the woods.That is how I lost my arm when I was a boy".
 

After the old man had departed, Sherman thought long and hard on the man's childhood tale, remembering the Morriss journal cousin James had shared with Hutter, Guggenheimer, and him about the Bedford county cannibals.
The more he thought on the matter, the more depressed and despondent he become.
Sherman then felt a chill, and realized the fire in the woodstove was low, and noticing there was no more firewood in the office.
Glancing at the stack of Beale Papers pamphlets and devoured in a manic frenzy, he began feeding the fire with job pamphlets, his laughing face illuminated by the fire's glow.
 

After the old man had departed, Sherman thought long and hard on the man's childhood tale, remembering the Morriss journal cousin James had shared with Hutter, Guggenheimer, and him about the Bedford county cannibals.
The more he thought on the matter, the more depressed and despondent he become.
Sherman then felt a chill, and realized the fire in the woodstove was low, and noticing there was no more firewood in the office.
Glancing at the stack of Beale Papers pamphlets and devoured in a manic frenzy, he began feeding the fire with job pamphlets, his laughing face illuminated by the fire's glow.
BRAVO!
 

After the old man had departed, Sherman thought long and hard on the man's childhood tale, remembering the Morriss journal cousin James had shared with Hutter, Guggenheimer, and him about the Bedford county cannibals.
The more he thought on the matter, the more depressed and despondent he become.
Sherman then felt a chill, and realized the fire in the woodstove was low, and noticing there was no more firewood in the office.
Glancing at the stack of Beale Papers pamphlets and devoured in a manic frenzy, he began feeding the fire with job pamphlets, his laughing face illuminated by the fire's glow.
Later, Sherman was taken to Western State Hospital in Staunton, Va. by THE SHERIFF; Sherman died there and is buried in Roanoke, Va. I LAST saw him in his room, at WSH... He was there for his BiPolar/Manic-Depressive Disorder; he was writing NUMBERS on the walls of his room.
 

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A crew of painters were hired to paint over the numbers scribbled on walls of Sherman's room.
Directing the painting crew was a WSH Head orderly with a badge that identified him as Mr Otey, who was writing the numbers down on a slip of paper, careful to maintain the order as written by Sherman.
Upon completion, he ordered the workers to commence painting, then walked down the long hall to the nurses station, where he maintained an iron box for personal possessions.
 

Days turned into weeks that turned into months as Otey tried to make sense of the numbers he copied from Sherman's wall. He knew a great treasure was involved, listening as Sherman endlessly spoke of a vault with iron pots filled with gold, silver, and all manner of jewelry, but the numbers from the wall would not reveal Sherman's secret.
Otey thought back to the many visits to Sherman by his cousin Ward, when once he inquired of Ward the story behind the Beale Papers. Ward's reply still contained a bromide taste; "If you can't devote time from your work here at Staunton, let the matter alone".
He could not let the matter alone. It consumed his thoughts day in and day out until frustration caused him to tear the paper he wrote the numbers upon, when his sister came for a visit and noticed this passion that had consumed his every thought.
She related that her husband, Clayton, had made copies of the Beale ciphers from an original source that was in the possession of his boss, Mr Hazelwood, and asked if she could take his now torn paper of numbers to her husband to study.
Otey, looked at his sister, thought about it, and realizing he was keeping it in the family, placed the torn paper into his iron box, and said,"Yes, let Clayton have a look, and have him show it to his brother George".
 

Plate one.
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Plate two.
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Years later, that old WSH building was used for INSANE inmates as Staunton Correctional Institute, in Staunton , Va; Virginia Department of Corrections closed & tore down the old building. NUMBERS appeared mysteriously on the walls of a certain cell; driving the inmates further INSANE; no explanation was forth-coming from the Va. DOC, as "EVERYTHING was STILL under on-going investigation" (reviewing OLD Records aka "Jackets"; VSP/BCI (Va. State Police/Bureau - Criminal Investigation) was "in the LEAD". They are were ALSO working with Blue Ridge Community College "GHOST(S) BUSTERS, from the BRCC Parapsychology Program; 2 year degree in Law Enforcement Sensitives (LES), formerly known as PSYCHIC DETECTIVES. Heh... I was the one reviewing the Records/"Jackets", for VSP/BCI... they called me, "Ollie North"; I Reviewed & Shredded ALL old Records over 5 years old... AH WELL! DANG!
 

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While in possession of Clayton Hart, Otey had never seen the Iron box containing the numbers he transcribed from the wall in Sherman's hospital room. After attending Clayton's funeral, Otey's sister returned the box to him, now including copies of the Beale ciphers that Clayton had added to the iron box.
As his sister handed him the box, she emphatically stated, " Clayton told me to rely this message to you. He and George never found the treasure, but encountered things that should not be, Let this matter alone".
Otey returned home and placed the iron box and contents on the top shelve of a hall closet, where it remained, forgotten, gathering the dust of several years, taking his sister's advice to let the matter rest.
A few years after Otey had passed away, George Hart paid a visit to the Otey family, and sitting in the passenger seat of his red and white Chevrolet Bel Air was an English lady, all prim and proper.
 

As Pauline walked to the Otey house with George Hart, her thoughts were filled with what had brought her here. She had always held an interest in astronumerology, and after reading the Hart Papers, she knew she or her fiancé, US Rear Admiral Walter D Innis, could break the ciphers.
Taking a deep breath as she stepped up onto the porch with George ,she was about to see the iron box Beale gave to Morriss, complete with the ciphers.
 

As Pauline walked to the Otey house with George Hart, her thoughts were filled with what had brought her here. She had always held an interest in astronumerology, and after reading the Hart Papers, she knew she or her fiancé, US Rear Admiral Walter D Innis, could break the ciphers.
Taking a deep breath as she stepped up onto the porch with George ,she was about to see the iron box Beale gave to Morriss, complete with the ciphers.
She SCREAMED... "THAT IS CLASSIFIED!"!
 

Pauline sat at the family's large dinning table, taking notes as various members gave their opinions on the Beale treasure. One spoke about Luck's farm, another mentioned Hazelwood's property that now had a railway running through it.
George turned to Mrs Otey, and inquired about the iron box and ciphers, and she told one of her older boys to fetch it.
Bringing out from a hall closet, he placed it on the table as Mrs Otey produced a feather duster and commenced to brush decades of dust away.
George then opened the iron box and withdrew the contents, handing the items to Pauline.
Spreading the papers from the box across the table, there were the three ciphers and a torn paper covered with handwritten numbers.
 

Examining the papers spread before her, Pauline exclaimed," Oh, this is perfect for my book"!
Mrs Otey questioned,"Book...", but George cut her short.
"Yes", George replied," Pauline's book will be about the HART PAPERS and Clayton and my search for the Beale treasure".
At first Mrs Otey's face just ghostly, turned a whiter shade of pale as she asked," Are you telling her about...".
George interrupted her once again," No, not that".
Pauline took notice of this verbal exchange, "Is there something I should know"?
"Somethings are best left unknown", was her reply, as she put an end to this meeting.
Putting the papers back into the iron box, George reminded Mrs Otey that he said he could take it with him.
"Glad to be rid of that" she retorted as George and Pauline stepped down from the porch.
 

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