Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1886-10-05
BOOK THIEVES WAYS.
GENERALLY MONOMANIACS ANCi Pill
FERERS WITHOUT REASON.

Chat With Boston Librarian-A Clever
Thief Valuable Part of u Library.
Safeguards Which are Adopted-Muti-
Iation by Picture Cranks.
Boston people arc exceptionally honest n
the handling of books - said one of the assist,
ant Librarians to a reporter at the Boston
public library yesterday. "ln New York
and cities abroad librarians and dealers have
TO exercise much greater precaution to pro
tect their books than in Boston At the
Aston library in Ncw York, for instance, al
officer is stationed at the door to inspect
people as they pass il and out. He sees that
books withdrawn by patrons of the library
are properly char, e, and permits nobody to
leave the building with book or parcel that
Is rot accounted for according to the methods
OF the library. If YOU go In there with d
book that Is your personal property you must
have lts'hcckcd at the door, or deposit it there
until you go away again This is, of course,
To prevent anybody from substituting Il
cheap book of his own for valuable number
in the library We have not had TO adopt
such severe measures in Boston, however,
and do not think it will ever he necessary.
You do occasionally lose books, do you
notg"
Oh, YES; but the loss is not of sufficient
consequence to justify us in restricting the
advantage, Of the library by more stringent
regulations. The numerous marks by which
our books can he identified make successful
rilfcring very difficult. Each book, as yOu
have probably noticed, has large printed
label on the inside of each cover, number
and a shelf label on the back, and the seal of
the library stamped in raised letters on the
title page ard in various parts Of the volume
We had some trouhlc Il while ago in detecting
a thief who had conducted his operations very
clcvcrly. Having Withdrawn a book he
soaked off tho various labels and transferred
them To their respective places on worthless
book, which he in due time passed in at the
returning counter. II was put in its proper
place on the shelf, and nothing was known of
the trick until somebody called for the same
book Il was then discovered, of course that
4 transfer bad been madr and steps were
tlkcn to recover the missing property 1t
Was eventually found in the possession of the
thief lie had been afraid to offer it for sale,
because he could not erase the marks of the
library seal
VULNERABLE PART OF A LIBRARY.
Tho most vulnerable part of the library is.
naturally, the reference shelves Books on
these shelves cannot be guarded =; those let
ont by card, and renewals are now and then
necessary 10y reason of losses frcm theft
Perhaps the most remarkable case of book
stealing on record occurred here when, on
the SAM day, somebody walked off with our
NorccSters ard Webstcr's unabridged die
nonaries We puzzled considerably over the
problcm of how it was done, and concluded
that two trims must have been made, and that
ths book was held open against the thief's
chest. and concealed by loose overcnat"
Dos your experience show that book
thieves are generally monomanlacs.7
A a rulo they are The book thief is
usually unable to show any adequate reason
Tor pllfrrin- Sometimes he Is an enthusiast
on certain subject, and strives to accumu-
lat2 special library: hut in cases of this
kind The thief Is generally rich enough to pay
Toy al the books he wants. Again, a man
viii steal book without any hlea of its
nature apparently being overcome with II
desire TO steal and taking the first book he
can lay his hands on.
"Eminently respectable people, professional
men, are sometimes caught m the act. \ re
case was that concerning a justice
on the supreme bench of Massachusetts, an
old story, hut being a true one worth repeat
ing. This gentleman was very old and POS
,.'Ssed of a mama for collecting funeral ser
mons. He purpcsed 20 beStow his collection
upon the college from which he graduated.
He went nosing about in libraries, searching
among the pamphlets. No one ever thought
of watching him, he stood SO highly in the
community One day he was examining a lot
of pamphlets hound together, and somebody
heard him rip and tear the volume After
he had gone an investigation was made and
it was found thatra funeral sermon had been
distracted. 4 note vas sent tc him request
ing the return of the missing pamphlet, and
it Is hardly necessary TO say that the sermon
came back by the next mail 1t was further
found that his collection contained quit. a
number of pamphlets stolen Ill a similar way,
hut the discovery ended his eminent piIfering
80 far as Is known
THIEVING REDUCED TO A MINIMUM