I have located some interesting evidence that Andrews had left that I don't think has been reported here or any other printed articles. (1) The following statement comes from a police report and was reported in a San Francisco newspaper.
"Everything that could lead to a positive identification had been destroyed or taken away by Brush and the woman. He left, however, what apparently a telegraph cipher code, a private code, and written in pencil in a vest pocket memorandum book, which is accepted as evidence that he is one of a gang."
So possibly this code was used to send telegrams in code and also to make anagrams. Sending a telegram in code requires words that have some meaning that can be spoken and not just a bunch of scrambled letters, otherwise it would have drawn suspicion. This is a pattern that Andrews used; scrambled names an aliases such as Nulda Petrie=Edna Little etc.
If there was a way to search old telegrams there could be some more clues to who Erdnase really was.
Also if Andrews used codes he may have a secret message in Expert!
Notes: (1) Whaley may have found this info but I don't think it was examined to any degree in TMWWE. Gardner was not aware of this information at all.
The codes were very common in those days. Here is a link to Pinkerton's http://www.pimall.com/nais/pivintage/telegraphcipher.html
All these facts about Andrews are strictly speculation and theories, which are fun to explore without drawing a definitive conclusion.
It is just interesting that this private code has never been discussed since it was found in his personal articles.
The source is San Francisco Chronicle, Oct. 14, 1905.
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