MASKERS UNMASKED, AND PLODDING PLOTTERS EXPLODED.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume V, Issue 241, 12 October 1870, Page 2

MASKERS UNMASKED, AND PLODDING PLOTTERS EXPLODED.

To the Editor op the Nelson Evening Mail. Sir — The public mind has been perplexed and agitated by the appearance in your contemporaries of a mysterious advertisement full of Roman numerals; but, while every one must have felt that it boded mischief, no one has, to my knowledge, been able to throw light upon its purport. Having been led, partly by a peculiar turn of mind, partly from an early intimacy with the late Edgar Allen Poe (whose well-known tale, the "Gold- , beetle," reveals a consummate faculty of analysis), to study cypher- writing, and other secret methods of conveying hidden meanings, I have been enabled to solve this occult, and, I must add, this treacherous mystery; and I hasten to communicate the result in your columns. It will certainly shock your readers to learn that there is in their very midst a band of conspirators having designs that remind one of the Vehmgericht and other secret societies of the Middle Ages ; but it is surely better that we should become aware of its existence than be unsuspiciously victimized by its dark machinations. I shall show, however, that this society is not medixval, but Egyptian, iv its complexion. I now proceed to unravel the somewhat clumsily - concealed meaning of the advertisement, the nature of which is plain euough to an expert in these matters. I first remark that an attempt is made to throw dust in the eyes of outsiders by the use of the words Chop and triple X, which may be supposed to be suggestive of a merely convivial and harmless gathering. Equally futile and transparent is the pretence of imparting a Masonic color to the meeting called, by appendiug the letters " W.M." to the signature (as if for " Worshipful Master.") The heading is political, " Symp." being short for sympathizers, the designation, you will remember, adopted by the American abettors of Canadian treason ; but whether this secret association sympathizers with the Maoris, the Fenians or the Prussians, I cannot pretend to decide. In decyphering a " cryptograph," as these veiled messages are termed, the first thing is to find a clue to some one leading or central word, which then becomes a key or pointer to all the rest. In the present case it is easily discovered. One has only to look at the full or principal line in this production, to see that its exact centre is occupied by the word-number or numberword LXX, which is the historical designation of the Egyptian version of the scriptures, known as the Septuagiut. Then if we wish to know what portions of it are drawn attention to, we find them plainly pointed out (the key being now in our hands) by the numbers on each side of the central number, namely XII. X on the left, aud IX. XXX on the right, in other words, the tenth chapter of the twelfth book (II Kings) aud the thirtieth chapter of the ninth book (I. Kings). Now let any one turn to the passage ia Jewish history which are here used as texts and en samples, and he will be at no loss to realise the sanguinary designs of the conspirators. We have heard much of the evil direction given to the policy of the Maoris by their eager adoption of the old Jewish precedents, but it is the first instance — may it be the last ! — of men of European race becoming infected with a like fanaticism. The chapter in Kings relates, you will fiud. to the massacre of seventy sons of Ahab by Jehu. We are told that their heads were thrown into a basket, an incident which speaks for the mode of their death, and becomes painfully suggestive when we find in the next line of the advertisement the word "Chop" placed in juxtaposition with the name of one of our leading citizens, who, being a terror to evil-doers, is not unlikely to have incurred their hot displeasure. Mr. Editor, there are Jehus in Nelson as well as in Israel; some of them sit in high places and even ride in chariots. He is called lucky who can afford to drive

j araL. demolish twos^f ic^o^p day. \ Efptlet them take'clrel The Jjapler iv ; Is\ Samuel reads a^ equally sanguinary lesson, which I do not wish to "dwell on, ' bot wllLoj^jcemark- thM-tbemnjnst-JhaFe-r been some reason . for this particular chapter being selected. ' PefhapV-it is because David's m ew mode of dividing Me— spoil mentioned InJt.ia-tOy be copied, but 1 am inclined . to-tbiol£.-we r have~tbe -clue in the circumstance of, his success being owing to "a revived JE^y|?^a»".' (see therheading of .the chapter).; This, is- -the second reference to r^gypt,in-ihis siugular advertisement; and there is a third. It bears the signature "St. Anton."- Now, to what, country ;did r St. Antony -or Anthony belong ? To Egypt ! There is" more- than chance here. Why this saint, this revived Egyptian should be" resuscitated to mingle' in sueh r bad company is by no means clear; perhaps it refers to the kind of warfare the saint was (palled. upon to wage in the desert, and. implies that the enemies of this society are as satanic as his were. The verdict of every loyal citizen will be exactly the reverse. May they get their deserts. I have now performed, Sir, my plain, but, I fear, perilous duty, in tearing the thin veil off the designs of this 'infamous conspiracy. ;; Whether they are to be counteracted by exacting an Oath of allegiance from every inhabitant of upwards of twelve years of age y by house to house visitation; by calling out our gallant volunteers; by employing a liberal amount of secret-service money ; or by retaining the services of ; Mr. Heller, I must leave to the parties responsible for the public safety to decide. , I am, &c ., Abracadabra. Nelson October 12, 1870. [We really think our somewhat nervous correspondent is alarming himself unnecessarily. To us, the hieroglyphics in question appear to savor strongly of the world-renowned message to the immortal Mrs. Bardell which got poor Mr. Pickwick in such sad trouble.-r-ED. N. E. M.} For remainder of News see Fourth page.

The English Telegrams.— The telegram question is attracting much attention in Ota<ro and Canterbury. The Timaru Herald strongly complains of thf* Government delaying the Pres^ messages, and suggests a meeting of all interested, at some central place, to take such steps as will effectually protect the interests of the Press against conduct, inimical to its freedom. The action of Government in th« late English mail matter it declares to be dangerous, despotic and dishonest. Leprosy in New Zealand. — The Tuapeka Times of a late date hat* the following : — We have learned thnt one out of a few Chinamen who have lately arrived from Victoria is suffering from leprosy — a disease which is loathsome in the extreme, aud highly contatri-ms. At the same time we learn with pb-nsm-c that the Government have taken si.is to guard against the increase cf tli<^ evil. Drs. Stewart and Halley, accompanied by the Chinese Interpreter, Mr. A. Blewitt, visited the sufferer at. his own quarters. We are not aware of the result arrived at by the medical gentlemen, but the Interpreter, who has seen the disease iv India and Victoria, pronounces unhesitatiu^ly and assuredly the case as one of leprosy in an advanced stage. The Position op England. — The London. correspondent of the Australasian writes: — "As for England, she remains passive but watchful. The war has so far done good that it has opened the eyes of the country, not only to the danger of trusting in allies, but to the weakness of her own military condition. Being brought suddenly face to face with the spectacle of a war — which onlj' five weeks ago everyone would have pronounced impossible — with armies of 300,000 men in conflict, the British public oannot help asking then selves what are their means of taking part, in any such contest, supposing that they had been forced into it ? Admitting that our navy is tolerably strong, where should we be if the two conspirators, instead of falling out and fighting each other, had carried out their project of dividing Western Europe betweeu them ? In what positiou are we to discharge any of our obligations to Belgium ? Our whole standing army at the present moment in these islands does not exceed 45,000. With that we have to garrison Ireland, and to protect — as it is called — the colonies. Why, the very idea of our calling ourselves a great power is laughable. Even if we could throw 10,000 men into Antwerp as there bas been a talk of doing, how long could that force arrest the progress of a French invading army ? All these are questions which have been suddenly brought home to the English mind by the war, and the first result is a hurry to supplement our national armaments. The Goverument, who have taken credit to themselves for reduciug one million in the expenditure of the year, have been forced to ask Parliament for £2.000,000 in order to raise the army by 20,000 men. The marines, which were reduced last year iv spite of most earnest protests, are to be raised to a thousand above their former figure. There is great bustle in all the Government workshops and arsenals. The sale of Woolwich Dockyard has been suspended, aud recruiting sergeants flaunt our streets. No one knows how soon uil th.HSi? preparations may be brought to the test. Some little excitement was caused among spurting men in Melbourne when the iii formation was received by telegraph that Liitle D'wk was scratched for the Cup. A Melionti.e paper suggests that the reti-on '■■ this step is that the horse is a little dicky Whitkbait are being caught iv abundant ii< ii.c Buller and other rivers ou the C«' : «'. f '•• local price is one shilling per fin:. Parau 'XiCAL as it may seem, he who r<-e s=i -a. gers most in the journey of lilt--, .-ik !i. sr.raightest cut fo perdition. Mind unemployed, is mind nuenjoyed. H^w i* it that Methuselah was the ohleM xnnu wheu he died before his father ? His father was translated.