ROBBING A PUBLIC LIBKABY.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 1829, 1 May 1888, Page 3

ROBBING A PUBLIC LIBKABY.

(" Auckland ±$all.") It m slaod that Sir George Grey Is greatly annoyed, and jasHy so, over the robbery of bookii from his collection m the Free Public Library. The copy of Tennyr son's *' Enoch Arden " taken is of a rare edition. There Is reason to believe that these pilferinss are not done by the ordinary ran of petty thieves, who take a book to pawn It for a pint of beer, as these books are all stamped, and cannot therefore be disposed of In this way ; bat that this sort of thing Is dove by a very different class, with a view to appropriating them to their own personal use. The former class of laroeniats do not oat oat descriptions- of patents from scientific publications, reolpos, nngravings, etc. Some time ago a Sanscrit 3rammar woo abstracted. After a little investigation by Mr Shilllngton ('ha librarian) and Deteotive Walker, they got on a warm trail m high edaoatloual circles. A warrant waa applied for, but through powerful intervention, matters ended by the grammar being mysteriously replaced m the library. Until some alteration Is made m the Free Library these larcenies will go on. It la divided into a series of recesses or alcoves admirably adapted for the purloining of books without being detected. The yoaog lady assistant does her very best In keeping a wAtohftil eye over the readers, bat if she had the eyes of Ar^ua, she wou'd bo unable to prevent these larcenies, until the readers are kept to the centre tables, and prohibited from removing books from the shelves.