Page 30 : Beale Ciphers Analyses

Epilogue

   The preceding few pages constitute, in my opinion, conclusive evidence that John William Sherman was the author of The Beale Papers, and that it is fiction. Documentary confirmation is desirable and absent.

    With this objective, we contacted the medical records staff at Western State Hospital in the hope that records of Sherman's 24-year stay there would still exist, and that they would contain some references to his previous career and writings. Indeed, they confirmed that records from that era, including individual patient records, were preserved on microfilm. Upon further inquiry we were informed that all historical files had been transferred to the Library of Virginia.

    We then contacted staff at the Library of Virginia Archives Research Services, who told us the following:

• They have no microfilm from Western State Hospital
• They have some patient records including admission registers, ward reports, census of patients, and a few labeled as medical records.
• Records less than 75 years old are not available due to privacy restrictions. (At this writing this restriction would apply to records later than 1934, at the end of Sherman's stay there.)
• Available records are in original volumes and may be used only in their manuscripts reading room.
   

    An experienced researcher with extensive Beale knowledge spent a day searching these files and found nothing linking Sherman to The Beale Papers, or to any of his other writings. The records found included the admission record, diagnosis, actual date of admittance, periodical personal inventories (eg. clothing), financial details, and other such administrative information, and some personal medical records. The following is a list of Western State Hospital archives at the library. Those items marked with an asterisk were viewed by our researcher, for the period of Sherman's residence there. He notes that there are many time gaps in the records.

    Upon further inquiry at the hospital he was informed that their microfilms are just copies of the original paper records at the library.

    The following are specific details discovered about John William Sherman:

Date of admission:  July 12, 1914
Diagnosis: manic depression, cause unknown
Occupation: Playwright - artist
Age: 56
Writer requesting admission: Sheriff
Death: December, 1938, of bronchial pneumonia

Descendants of John William Sherman and James Beverly Ward

  Following some diligent research we were able to contact living (as of 2014) family members of both these key individuals. Their stories were identical. Although they had heard of The Beale Papers, they had no knowledge of their ancestors' involvement and this was never a subject of conversation in the family.

Suggestions for further research

   For anyone interested in pursuing this subject, the following are my suggestions for areas that may yet yield documentary proof.

Library of Virginia

   Follow the link below to see the vast amount of information available. Click on "finding aid"  and then on "Complete Guide".

http://lva1.hosted.exlibrisgroup.com/F/MN75438MNHTM8F8H7112E1XL7D7SGKYRLUUN4446YBNMDH1C4U-32784?func=item-global&doc_library=LVA01&doc_number=001596264&year=&volume=&sub_library=GGARM

Forensic document examination

    In 2008, one of the two known original copies of The Beale Papers pamphlet was sold to a private collector. See Page 23 . A forensic examination of this original copy would confirm whether the copying procedure described on Page 29 is true or false.

Descendants of Charles W. Button

    As the owner of the business, and the bitter end of the relationship with Sherman, he may have left mementoes on this episode. This may be the most fertile research area.

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