New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-04-17

Of missing books under the fellows bed Nearly
all pOeticaI works
why did you steal them asked the library
Official
Il love poetry" the young German declared Il
must have IT around me- I took the books to read
and read them"
Not to sell. 90 scofed the library
"Oh, you wrong me, sir. 1 am poor. but not dis
honorable. l love poetry. Indeed. am poet
In support Of this he produced some very bad
poetry Racing sheets found IN his pocket moro
than overbalanced this evidence, however. and the
German got sixty days imprisonment
a piece of string is in Itself innocent thing
as one could imagine. Produce piece in Of the
reference Libraries and as long as you remain in
the building the eye Of attendant viii be upon
you. 1t is all because piece OF string is the IA
vorite instrument OF the plate Ifter7-
The method is simplicity itself. The string Is
placed in the mouth until thoroughly moisteEed-
Then IL is slipped into the book at the place from
which the plate is TO be taken The book is then
closed ana it's weight presses the wet string
through the paper. Most mutilators prefer this
method to the knife. less likely to attract at
tentiOn-
At the Ienox Library the thieves are Of a higher
order of intelligence and greater skill must be
used in watching them This is due TO the higher
class Of books kept at the Lenox-
The true lover book thief is the most common
That IS what the library people call those who
steal books without any idea OF selling them. but
purely from a desire TO have fine books about them
This sort Of thief will take desperate risks TO
secure n favorfts volume. When caught he is most
penitent and = good ut begging or
The many books at the Lenox having ValuaDie
mates and engravings are great temptation TO the
plate HfterS-" young man was recently suspect
ed Of stealing engravings. a warrant was secured
ard his searched. Nearly fifty valuable plates
were found. ard he confessed TO selling many more
The art galleries at the LenOX need constant
watching At the hour few months ago
some thief tore from it's wires small painting BY
Sir David Wnkie. He succeeded in selling IT. but
when the dealer read OF the nbrary's loss he
promptly returned the painting
Nev-soaper files are mutilated continually. IL IS
so much easier TO clip a desired article than TO
copy IT, The damage done IN this way cannot De
repaired. for after the files few years
old II is impossible TO secure duplicates at any
price. Although reward Of $50 is offered for IN
forming on mutilatOrs. few are ever caught.
The man who has charge Of the patent records
has 20 Keep a particularly sharp lookout Patent
attorneys send their clerks TO steal design plates
and drawings which none but an experienced
drauEhtsman could copy. Tt IS much cheaper unless
. they are caught and there IS fine to pay. Many
are willing TO take the risk.
A writer for one of the encyclopedias issued not
long ago got into trouble by trying to himself
some work. He was caught cutting a desired
chapter out Of a valuable book
New-YOrk Is not the only place where the libraries
| suffer. Letters often received from Librarians
in various parts Of the country. asking for sugges
/
ton. Philadelphia. Chicago and St Louis frequently
report the theft OF valuable volumes. All Of the
big universities suffer from the library thief He
is generally a student. and is seldom punished be-
yond expulsion from the university. There have
been cases OF this sort recently at Harvard and
Columbia
An attempt is now being made in England 70 es-
tabIish free access in the circulating libraries. The
great loss which the New-York libraries suffer each
year is being dweIt upon by opponents OF the meas
urs.
would anord greater security than the IN use
without affecting the utility OF the library. The
present slip system requires signature and address
1t could hardly be made more exacting without in
suit the self respect OF the thousands OF honest
persons who use the library. With from five hun
dIed TO six hundred readers day the AstOr. and
about half that number at the LenoX amount OK
watching can bring about the return OF every vol
u-ue withdrawn. That the loss is not greater Is due
to tns Clev6rneSS Of the well trained staff. OF
whom seen 20 he able TO tell wOuld-be book thief
by instinct