A Hidden Message in Plain Sight
In 1942, a strange letter from “Mary Wallace” in Ohio to Argentina caught the attention of U.S. postal censors. The letter, filled with descriptions of dolls, was flagged for suspicious content. When the FBI traced it, they discovered the woman hadn’t written it at all. Four more such letters surfaced, all linked to doll collectors—each unknowingly tied to New York doll dealer Velvalee Dickinson.
A Shop With Hidden Business
Velvalee, Stanford-educated and once active in the Japanese-American Society, operated a doll shop on Madison Avenue. She advertised widely and corresponded with collectors, but her income didn’t match her lavish spending. The FBI found connections to the Japanese consulate and intercepted correspondence that hinted at coded military intelligence.
The Arrest and Evidence
In 1944, Velvalee was arrested with over $15,000 in traceable cash in her safe deposit box. Handwriting and forensic analysis tied her to the typed letters, which coincided with her travels. Cryptographers testified that doll references were stand-ins for naval vessels undergoing repairs.
Trial and Sentence
Velvalee pleaded guilty to wartime censorship violations. In August 1944, she was sentenced to ten years in prison and fined $10,000. After her release in 1951, she lived quietly until her death in 1961, her story mostly forgotten.
A mysterious letter intercepted by U.S. censors in 1942 described three Irish dolls—but the message raised red flags.
Investigators discovered similar letters signed by women who denied writing them.
All clues pointed to one person: New York doll dealer Velvalee… pic.twitter.com/K7WpehiPwQ
— Detective Tiger's Stories (@TigerDetective) May 21, 2025