The Arkansaw traveler., 1885-04-25
Biblio- -Kleptomaniacs.
Boston Globe.l

eff find you stealing my books az ain I'll have you locked up. Get out, now, quick! and don't let me see you in here again."
 The speaker was bookseller, who thus addressed a nicely dressed, venerable looking old man.
 "Steal it! Why, bless you, of course he meant to steal It." he said. We have those fellows come here so often and carry of our books without being caught, that when we do catch them at it we want to call the police, and suppose we ought to do so, but we do not. We find so many people who are thoroughly hon. est in other respects, who will steal books. that we are apt to become suspicious of everybody after being in this business awhile. Why, only short time ago, a clergyman was arrested right here in Boston, for book stealing. You don't hear of all the cases that we do, for, you see, when we catch party stealth 2, he IS always anxious to pay for the books and hush up the matter. Do we settle in this way? Oh, yes, we let most of them go, although suppose we should prosecute them. But, then, it takes a
 
 about the courts prosecuting. have seen all kinds of people come in here and steal books. Indeed, book thieves are almost always ofthe so-called respectable classes, for the ignorant lower class don't take interest enough in books to know their value. The poor ones that are arrested, convicted, and branded as thieves, just as if they had stolen a loaf of bread or bocket-book the ones that have a good enough social standing to get out of the scrape are simply biblio. maniaos' It is apt 10 make one cynical, and lose all confidence in humanity, when he finds such cases.
 "There are several classes of people that steal books. Some steal the whole books, while there are others who have a mania for fine plates aLd engravings. I have known numerous instances of par ties who stole simply the title-pages of rare and valuable books. Indeed, up entirely of those precious title-pages Thus taking out the title-page from an ancient work, of course, makes it worth very much less Let me find a cheap old book, and I'll show you how they do it, if you don't know"
 The dealer picked up a dilapidsted pamphlet and piece of string. Wetting the string, he opened the pam phlet, and, placing the wet string between two caves, he closed the pamphlet again for a few seconds, after which he drew the string quickly out. Opening the book, the pages at the place where the string had been placed were quite easily removed, and without the noise of tearing.
 "Now you see how they take out en- cravings, title pages, etc. By the way, speaking of this mania for stealing title pages, ought to tell you that in London there is a man-in the British museum, think he is-who has considerable to do making title-pages for old books that are mutilated in this way.
 Another trick the book thieves make use of is to have extra pockets made in their coats. Of course, when we find these fellows with extra pockets, seem. ingly made for the purpose of making book-stealing a business, we have no pity on them. We just hand them over to the police; there are very few who go to work systematically ts steal books. A good many whs buy cheap literature at news depots, it is said, roll two books to- gether, and carry them of when they have only paid for one"