New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-12-20
WAS ALTERATION WRONG 2
CHARLES scR1BNER SAYS II WAS NOT.
CHARGES DROUGHT AGAINST THE LIBRARIAN
OF CONGRESS.

CHARGES BROUGHT AGAINST THE LIBRARIAN
OF CONGRESS.
CHARGES that A. H. sponord, Librarian Of Congress,
altered the records of his Office and seriously affected
case which is pending in the United States Circuit
Court have been made. The information comes from
fh- testimony Of Arthur w. Harrison, lawyer Oh
Washington, taken in that city on December j Inc
suit referred 10 is that Of Charles Scribners oohs
against the Funk & wagnalls Company ana o'her
publishing houses. The compainants are the agents 1or
the United States of a. & G. Black, OF EdinDurs'
publishers Of the ninth edition of the "Encyciopaedia
britannica In the work articles by American
authors, including one the history ana Cohsutu-
ton Of the United States, by Professor Alexander
johnson; on the physical geography ana stausuc'
of this country, by J. ID. Whitney ana tmfo oy
Francis A. Walker on the political geography ana
statistics of the United states These were all pub
lshed in the twenty third volume OF me encyclopaedia
The Henry G. Allen Company Is accused OF selhng
reprint OF the work containing the three articles
and the Funk & wagnalls Company is accused Of in
fringing the copyright Of Mr.. Walkers article suit
was brought against these firms Rowland Cox APP
pears for the scrbners and James A. Whitney for the
defendants.
The law prescrFbes that two copies of every new
book must be deposited with the Librarian OF Con-
ercss wsthan ten days f the date of publication, II
the work is to enjoy the benefits OF copyright
Volume % of the encyclopaedia appeared on March
%, 1885, Two copies CT the book, bound In the
regular way and containing many articles besides
the three by American authors, were sent to the
Librarian Of Congress on April A. according to the
complainants, who hold receipt OF the Baltimore
and Ohio Express Company of that date. 1t seems
that they were not perfectly satisfied that they should
have sent the complete volume, they April
forwarded Two copies OF the three articles alone
which had been torn from regular books The time
when these sheets reached Mr.. Spofords ONCE is In
controversy. There is an entry on what he
calls his express ledger which indicates that
they received ON April 6. At least, they came
under an entry dated April g. and above another one
dated April e. There is date attached TO the par
tculsr entry, but line opposite it and under
the date April 6. which virtually proves that the en-
syclopaedia sheets reached Mr.. spofard's Office on
April 6.
The copies Of the sheets were stamped April 7,
however, and that date appears IN the ledgers Of the
Office This difference of one day is doubtless due to
the great mass Of books which reaches the Librarian
Of Congress. II is easy to suppose that the clerks
were unable to handle all the volumes on the day Of
their receipt. it is declared that the books all
stamped before the day which they arrive over
but this seems unlikely in Of the fact that the
press receipt book shows that the sheets reached
Washingon the day after they were sent from New
York
In November representative Of the scribners, Mr.
Clark went to see Mr. spoord about the discrepancy
lie showed the express receipt, and this together with
the entry in the book express receipts, kept in Wash
ingon at once convinced Mr.. Spoford that his elerhs
had made q mistake. He at once changed the date
from April tosApril 6. There was no attempt at
concealment. lie did not erase the 7, but merely
wrote the six it, any one can see that the
was written first.
Mr. Cox attorney for the compliments, said yes
teroay Mr. sponords reputation is too well known
TO require any defence. He made the alterations
openly, because lie wished to rectfy mistake. He
changed the transcripts, which would be OF no value
in court so that they should correspond with the
original entry
Charles Scribner denies most emphaticaly that any
effort has been made the part Of the firm 10 have
the records in The Librarians Office at Washington
changed for the purpose of defrauding anybody. He
also says that the statement that the changes made
In some Of the records will jeopardze the hundreds
Of thousands of valuable copyrights flied there is as
untrue it is sensational.
"This last the part of the defendants Is
simply a dying gasp said Mr.. Scrbner to Tribune
reporter yesterday The published statements make
serious accusations but they will amount 10 nothing
Whoever Mr. Spofford, the Librarian, Is aware
that he incapable any wrong action such as see ms
to be imputed 10 him. There has been no tampering
clerical error about the existence of which there
no for any difference of opinion The eopy;
right records, Is we'll EnOwT are not OF fJriai
character The statute provides that TWO copies OF
every book shall be mailed or deposited WIN IN IN. Ile
librarian Of Congress within ten days OF publication
The records which show the date OF receipt OF DOORS
thus deposited are CoGN OF pacsSa by
and ledger open TO the public, made up IN part from
The book Of original entries. To correct the ledger
therefore go s. make it correspond with the book
Of original entries is merely clerical duty. go
ain the suits which have been Instituted
to enforce the copyright upon articles contained
in the Encyclopaedia Britannica, IT was shown that
publication was made March p. 1883. and that on
April two bound copies of the copyrighted books were
forwarded ey express the Librarian Of Congress- and
that on April two unbound copies, 10 make every
thf6s douby sure also forwarded IN the same
manner When the defendants set up tie claim that
we had not complied with the technical requirements
OF the law, We called upon Mr.. Spoford, showed him
the express receipt and asked to be informed when the
psckage reached him. On examining his books ne
found that the package had reached him the day after
n left New York, and the change in the dates was
accordingly made. The original record at the ONCE OF
the librarian shows entry OF the receipt OF any PACK
age from Charles ScTibneFs sons April Z, 1885 The
error was made, doubt. account of the large
amount OF work the Librarian has to do So much
work had accumulated april that OF IL had TO 60
over until the following day. , ,,..
"There foundation whatever for the unfortunate
reflection upon the character OF Mr. Sponord, but an
attempt will be made doubt, to make political cap
tal out Of it, II certainly will not affect The suits
The intmaton that he has I'm any way changed the
effect ct the evidence in the Britannica suits is most
unjust 1t his duty 10 make The changes, and he
did not hesitate TO do what was right"
MR. SPOFFORD MAKES A STATEMENT.
NE DENIES CHARGES OF FN.sIFYING A COPY
RIGHT ENTRY