The Wilmington daily Republican., 1901-08-28
4 VADDAL !.
AT WORK.

I
mense pile ovclippings, engrayinrs
1 photosravures and plates from olt
books was found 10 one room. From
this collection, Librarian Bower.
man selected a bundle Of clipping.
and illustrations that he believed
were taken iron books at the II
brary. In the afternoon he fitted
the ilustr atioss tit the library
books that had bee d d am red apd
found that the correspond exactly.
There was no doubttnM Bowsr.
mans mind that the pages and
clippings he and Detective Fra uoia
recovered were stolen from the
shelves Of the Institute Library.
From the condition OF the mutt.
lated books at the library 1t is avi-
dent that the thief had a choice.
His scope Of operations seemed to
be 10 the field of science, art, mu.
sic. history and geography. He
had no preference for fiction, what
ever,>tor no leaves had been taken
from the volumes OF fiction. Auto.
biographical works suffered very
much. They generally contained
steel ehgravings Of the man whose
lite was under consideration, and
thesc seemed to be an allurement
10 the despoiler. Nearly all Of the
biographical works con tanning good
il Illustrations, had these plates torn
from them. The fine platcs were
torn from the books and then fitted
up and sold to some prominent peo.
pie in Wilmington. -e "a, d.,
This despoilation is the most ex.
tensive that has ever occurred ia
the Institute Library aud in fact
is the first wholesale raid that has
been made upon that institution, az
all previous cases ave been trivial
in character and entirely unworthy
OF being called to the attention Of
the police authorities. When tho
full story Of the present dedreda.
tions is known it will be scLs satlonsl
in its details, for the despoiler has
carefully carried on his work under
the very eye es Of the library officials
until it was detected by Librarian
Bowerman, A rigorous penalty 10
provided in the statutes for the mu.
ti'ation oil books in the public H.
brary, and if the offender is cap.
tured the library managers will
endcavor 10 have an example made
of him because OF the moral effect
it would have 10 the future.
Thera nra ind ica i~nn that AkA
rare volumes in the archives Of the
Historical Society Of Delaware have
been mu:llated in the same manner.
Henry {. Conrad. who is librarian
of the society, and whose interest
in It's prlZed volumes is exceeded
by none, has ciscovered that rare
prints aud clippings have been
torn from books in the society's
collection. This is beileved 10 have
been the work OF the same vandal
who operated at the Institute Lii
brarv.
Just when the predatory descent
on the volumes 10 the Institute LA
brary began is not known and"
probably never will be: The mu.
tilation Of books there may have
been carried on for year-, for all --
that Librarian Bowermau kuows,
or it may have been commence
within the present year. The de.
spoilation became known to Mt
Bowerman in April. shortly aftef
he was appointed Librarian 10 sud
ceed the late Mr.. Doaue. One DAM
there came 10 Mr.. Dowerman' . no.
tice the iact that the frontispisce
10 an photographed work had
been removed. 1t was steel en-.
CRAVING and plate that had some
value. Mr.. Bowerman placed one
Of his assistants at work, and II
was discovered !hat other volumes
had been despoiled 10 the same
manner. Realizing that this van.
dalism may have been Wholesale
the librarian caused an extensive
invcstis alton TO be instituted under
his person II direction. This brought
te light that at least one thousand
volumes had been shorn either of
clippings or engraved illustrations
by some person or persons. Tho
investigation is still being carried
on BY Mr.. Bowcrman.
Shortly after discovering that
some Of the mag azines had been
tampered with, and choice sele ct!ons
been made from them, the librarian
caused a notice 10 be posted, re-
Questing patrons Of the library to
take volumes TO the tables after "a
moving them from the alcoves. in- 4
stead ol remaining near the alcoves
10 read the books. his method, il
was thought, would minimize The
possibility of further depredatioht +
The librarian thinks II proved very
effective iu safeguarding the maya.
zines against the manipulations Of
the shrewd thief.
Later when it became known
that the mutllat!on Of volumes had
been Wholesale. Mr.. Bowermax
consulted the managers aud re1
quested that a perforating stamp
with The words "lnstitute Free LIN
brary," be procured with which 10
mark the photogr avures and co.
cravings such as would provo -
tempting TO the vandal who had
been shrewdly making extracts
from the library's collections. The
stamp was procured and used on
Al the books.