The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1891-02-06
NOTED BOOK THIEVES.
HISTORICAL PERSoNAGES WHO
STOLE UNIQUE VOLUMES.

STOLE UNIQUE VOLUMES.
The Well Dressed and Intelligent Look
Ing Glass Which Librarians Fear-A
Bishop. an Inspector General. a Pope
and Noted Priest Were Thieves.
Book stealing is an art upon which
much ingenuity has been expended. One
never knows in what form it viii next
break out. 1t is an incident by no means
uncommon in Booksellers row for a
biblopole 70 be offered n book which
had been stolen from his next door
neighbor. There is something more than
n tradition 70 the effect that bookseller
has on occasion purchased book taken
minute or two previously from tina
shelves outside his shop!
\ favorite mode Of stealing books from
public Libraries is TO procure book. SIT
down to read it and then wrap il up in
IN overcoat. and after this to take up
paper or magazine. The rest is easily
guessed The public Libraries suffer in
all sorts Of ways. for here the accumu-
lated wisdom of the thief finds plenty OF
scope Some of the tribe have q mania
for old directories. Librarians complain
frequently Of the clerical thief Of ser
mons and theological literature.
Novels and books of the bibliophile"
as the French call theml one can under
stand being stolen; but se.mons and
theology Women. LIore or less-gen-
orally more respectfully dressed, ara
often objects of suspicion with libra
mans; for the reoeptivity" of cloaks is
infinite, and the feelings" q the culprit
must also be considered As a general
rule, the thief Is Wei dressed and edu.
Gated. and frequently well to do
HISTORICAL THEFTS.
Whatever may be the causes which
prompt person to steal books there il
always this consolatiol-he is in good
company. This balm may not be very
healing one 10 the soul of the person
whose books are stolen. but il must DO
consolatory to the thief, when repeEting
in prison, 20 know that some great aud
good men have been touched with the
same species of insanity. Hearne. in his
hints that S.r Thomas Bodley had q
weakness in this direction. IF You
mold he warns Sir Henry Saville, "any
books so deare as that you would bee
loath to have him ont Of your sight, set
him aside" etc Moore. Bishop Of Ely
has likewise come under such n stigma
The anecdote runs % this effect: A
gentleman calling ca friend who hada
very choice library found aim unusually
busy IN putting his best books out OF
sight Upon asking his view in this hs
was answered, Don't you know tho
Bishop of - dimes with me today"
The very king OF book stealers was
Libri, who. as inspector general Of
French libraries under Louis Philippe,
had special facilities for helping hiIN-els
and whose known tbeits have irsn
valued at 100000 The most interesting
Illustration Of this mans dcpredati0us
was exposed in 1903 when Lord Ash
burnham issued translation Of tho
Pentateuch from Latin Ms. which had
been purchased by the late Lord Ash
burnham from Libri. who had sold it
under the condition that Il was not %
De published for twenty years IL had
been stolen IN 1877 from the Lyons
library and the last clause Of the agree-
nent therefore, could be easily Gnder-
stood Libri evidently was not one OF
hose whom Jules Janin describes al
people who don't think il thieving %
teal book unless you sell IL afterward7
POPE AND fRIEsT.
Innocent X, when still Mgr. Pam
Dhilio, stole book from Du MOustier.
who was himself book thief. and ought
20 have been en- courant with The de-
vices and designs Of his own weaknesses
It is refreshing 10 come across an eI-
ample when the tables are 80 completely
turned; and If anything would induce an
honest man 10 turn book thief 10 should
De the exhilarating fun Of stealing from
mother thief It is reported, however,
hat Du Moustier recovered the book.
md kicked the Cardinal ont Of tho
iouse. Catherine do Medici went in for
tealing books by wholesale and bare
aced she seized the hno library Of
Marshal Strozzi and promised 70 pay bis
on for IL ia instailments. but never a
arthing did he get
OF another and equally extreme type
vas the Spanish priest Don VIncsnto,
Who sold books and then murdered tho
purchasers 20 regain possession 81 his
coveted treasures Like most Of tho
,iblioklept tribe be came 20 grief ~ last.
The original edition (i452) Of the "FurB
ordinations fetes per los gi0rio8os Reys
10 Arago ais regnicols Gel Regn9 do
Valencia, was offered for sale by suc-
ion, and after a long and obstinate com
EDITION was Knocked down 20 a book.
elIer named FaxtOt
4 week afterward PaxtOt shop waa
,urned down, a1d he was suEOcated az
he same time. Suspicion was directed
oward Don Yincento, whose residences
vas sea- ned. and there a. length was
discovered the lucunabule above named.
The priest was arrested, and at the
e ring be coniessed-uOt from cOrtrs-
ION Or the fear If t0rIneuts ia the
ext world. but becanse IL . ypeazed tia.
ae volume Was not uBlqno. as had been
lie soobed violently when b.
7as condemned - ~ strangled, and tho
My defence he vouchszfed wa, All.
our wOr lip ny copy Was not UNIQUE"
. nNp