Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1901-08-29
BOOKS MUTlLATEU.
Vandalism Discovered Among the Volumes
of the Institute Free LibrnrY.

of the Institute Free Library.
librarian George Il. Bowerman OF the In
stitute Free Library has discovered that
vandals hRve been ut work among the vol
umes at the library, and ut least LOCO books
have been damaged. How long tho depre-
dntions have been going on Is not known,
but the discovery was made last April,
when one day there came TO MIR. Bower
mans notice the fact that the frontispieoe
in an autobiographicnl work had been re-
moved. 1t was a steel engraving, and
plate that had some value. MIR. Bowerinan
placed one OF his assistants ut work, and Il
WIS discovered that other volumes bad been
despoiled in the same manner. Realizing
that this vandalism may have heen whole
sale, the librarian caused an extensive IN
vestigatiun to be instituted under his Ier-
sonal direction. This brought to light
that Mt lenet LOCO volumes had been shorn
either of clippings or engraved illustrations.
The Investigation Is still being carried on
by Mr. Bnwernlan. Shortly after discover
ing that some of the magazines had baen
tempered with, and choice selections been
made from them, the librarian caused
notice to be posted requesting patrons of
tho library TO take volumes TO tine tables
after removing them from the alcoves, in
steRd of remaining near the alcuyes TO read
the books. This method, II was thought,
depredations. The librarian thinks 1t
proved very effective In safeguarding the
magazines against the manipulntons of the
shrewd thief. Later when II became known
that the mutilation of volumes had been
wholesale, MIR. Bowerman consulted the
managers, and requested that n perforating
stamp, with the words Institute Free
Library be procured with which 10 mark
the photogravnres and engrayings such as
would prove tempting to the yandal who
had been shrewdly making extracts from
the library'e collections. Such mark TINT
.N.I
sale OF any prints or plates stolen from tho
library books. The stamp was procured
and used on all the books.
II was not long before Mr.. Bowerman
formed his suspicious and after Watching
carefully for several weeks, he reported the
details Of the vandalism, ard his suspicious
| as tp>yho had mutilated the books TO Chief
Of Police Mhssey on Saturday. Chief
Massey, Mr.. BuwermHn and John Il. Nields
conferred on Saturday afternoon in MIR.
Nields' office, when Mr.. Bowerman submitted
copies of magazines that had been cut
and mutilhted. Later Detective Francis
| was called in the case, and took entire
charge OF it..
| From the condition of the mutilatod
books at the library 1t is evident TINT the
person who has been clipping from the
books had choice. His scope OF opera
| lions seemed to be In the field of science,
art, music, history and biography. He had
| no preference for fiction, whatever, for no
| leaves had been taken from the volumes of
| fiction. Autobiugraphlcal works suffered
very much. They generally contained steel
engravings Of tho man whose lite was I'M
| der consideration, and these seemed to be
an allurement to the despoiler, Nearly all
OF the biographical works containing good
| illustrations, had thess plates torn from
| them. Whole leaves, sometimes running in
sequence for five or six pages, were removed
/ from volumes. Scientific subjects generally,
| N lie NM In In,
stahces, the articles stolen were those most
| useful for references, which depreciated
moie than ever the value of the books
damaged Tenuyson's Memoirs contained
10 choice photo engravures, and 81 these
but one remains in the volume. This ia
a work vnlned for its Illustrations. Kath-
crime Carey's "Tennysnnn contained 16
Illustrations and all were removed. Others
| were treated in this same manner, giving
an idea of the extent of the depredaticiis.
The Atlantic Monthly OF certain date
resemblod sieve when ii came TO the at
tention OF Librarian Bowerman, and
Munsey's Magazine for August, that came
into the library on July 29th. had scien-
titic article removed from it bodily.
Librarian Bowerman is unable TO esti-
mate the financial loss incurred by these
depredhtiOns. Some magazines mOfe than
81 years old have beer despoiled. The old
Knickerbotker Magazine, issued 81 years
ago had several leaves removed, and the
Mirror, Putnam's and other publications Of
the earlier decades of the Nth century, were
desecrated in the same manner. 1t may be
unable to replace some of these, and even II
they can be procured, 1t viii be at a high
price. An effort will be made to replace az
many of the damaged volumes as possible.
Detective Francis Is working on the case,
ana may make some arrests two warrants
having been issued by Magistrate Hollis.
Some clippings, supposed to, have come
from the library, have been recovered.