The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1910-04-14
THE PLaGIaRISrS VICTIM.
Warm WosSis Frsm . writer whe Mas
ReeO Hsea@rrSi ny tire Ptlferers.

To THE EpIroR ~ TVS sUN-S~: ] am
not surprised that the writer who signs
himself -BlIsybody- defends the literary
thief. since there seems to he. no diminish
ing IN the ranks OF thO~e parasites who
grow fat on the brains Of others. Busy
body says that 70 10 not pla RiaFism Co take
'h. story Of another and make u into q
play witch you may rightly call your own.
" thi--is not doVuri ght stealing. then ~ hat
j.. Bu-yb Ody- -avz that th" two thinKr
are entirely diT~rsnt-and they are. but
merely IN the form of expression. The
idea - the same. ard "a is the idea which
counts The rest - merely mechanical.
both for the story writer and the play wright.
The result depends entirely on the skin of
The mechanic.
Lat SEASON ! drAmatized . novel Of mine.
but b"tOTe the piece opened a rep show
aud a ham actor-author stole Il and had
pIaved u two weeks aud the thief Of an
alleged auF hoT had the COnEumnlate gall
10 tell ~" house managers that "a. piece
month Nv dTamati2atiOn had the good
iurk 90 stHv out all last season. probably
b.cau-.. a veil known star carried 10 along.
but IN" Toyati~ 49, we're quite satisfactory
Two other dramattzation- OF nv novel
w~T- made nv -hanisl--- thieves and the
thr,,. VERSIONS would undoubtedly have
bs-u played rbbUt the country were II not
Tor the fact that IN zach CAss there was ~
-p.-,-lv d.t-, llou and the thieves had their
Or what financial benefit nv own ideas
Would have b-.sn To IN" had busyDody-
and his like bs~n free TO hlCh and dress
them a. ths-iT own
IL NAV b- true that there j. nothing new
- may ~ trr- that all great writer's stole
from men gone b~for' and T. on their ron
f.mporari"-. What dOas thai matter now
Instances ara common Wh"rs tWo writers
h., hS.. lam. .n . ~'oTT. sRa SE. s nsGS .nS
ca-s~ where authors have turned out a
story founded upon The identical plot OF
49, h FHlWF had
rived first ~ market With his wares. How
ever ~ these latter illustrations there was
no posi- bl~ connect ion bot wes'n them. merely
tn.' roincid~nC.' OF two or fIsorr minds trAV
cling th'' am" road NEARLY at the same
time
-busvbodv- has n perfect right 70 pat
tern hi~ cost after mine. and me- doubt im-
pro on mine. bit he cant steal my coat
and v~sr 4 ~ hts own More than that, he
property.
on account 81 loot public which wants
quantity rather than quality. The writer's
cant thiuk last enough to supply the de-
mand. and th"E steal each Others stun In
consequence 10 INV personal knowledge
one literary thief mas taken two separate
stories OF one column each from IHk Seq.
turned them ont a. yarns OF ;. sOO words
each and sold them to . we'll known maya
zine. In both stories the thief disguised
the :yid"nce o; he crime ne pnsr:ly by padding
characters. That was all.
What often appear to he deliberate
ien~s. hut IL j. to the know ing literary thief
I direct my VTafh For him here - no eG-
cuAe for him there ~ no ~ word In my vO-
cabulaTy The man who lays for you vita
a piece ~ leah pine - more Of n man because
he has a bat of bravery IN his makeup. and
the burglar tho plies he trade IL a FAR bet
Ter Indiy dual because he Is taxing a long
chance The literary crook merely re-
touches the pToduct of another's brain and
yold brick- a t25 a week magazine reader
Oh no. he worst thieves are not thoas
who steal from old women and children. hut
those who piifer the IDEAS ot hers and
profit thereby The piCkpockei. the high
Wayman. no burglar and The embexZley
may 10 detected but hs who steals the mind
81 anof her HaunfS the ~ pheuce of his crime
almost without fear 81 detcrtiOn
The bipomtng ass who cries that there are
no new IDEAS forgei@ the records Of the
Patent ONCE. Whirh prove there n no limit
20 Inc inventive mind Cf man IN any direc-
sinn NJ new ideas among writer's eh9
Well there are many Of them almost az
NAVY ~ there are thieves to steal Them
NV NOnH ApFil n LITERARY HACH