TAKEN FROM LIBRARY

Evening Post, Volume CXVI, Issue 96, 20 October 1933, Page 11

TAKEN FROM LIBRARY

BOOK WOBTH £50

YOUNG MAN CONVICTED

j A manuscript diary entitled "Dr. Bambridge's Voyage to New Zealand in 1841," valued at £50, which was removed from the Turnbull Library in the early part of this year and later recovered in Sydney, was exhibited in tho Magistrate's Court today when Frank Bradford Lewis, aged 22, a gold buyer, was charged with stealing it. He pleaded not guilty, but was convicted by Mr. .E. Page, S.M., and fined £25, in default two months' imprisonment. The Magistrate remarked that he had taken into consideration the fact that Lewis was relatively a young man. Lowis was not allowed time in which to pay the fine, and an order was made for the return of the diary. Detective-Sergeant L. Kevell conducted the case for the police, and Mr. W. P. Pringle appeared-, for Lewis. The detective-sergeant said that a Mr. Wyniark, of Sydney, had engaged Lewis in March last to come to New Zealand and buy Maori curios and old books. In May, Wy'mark received by post from Lewis the manuscript diary, "Dr. Bambridge's Voyage to New Zealand in 1841." Wymark submitted it to the chief librarian in Sydney, who recognised it as a work belonging to the Turnbull Library. The manuscript was thereupon sent back, the matter was reported to the police, and Detective Kane interviewed the accused. His first, explanation was that he had obtained the book in-Auckland from a mail whose present whereabouts he did not know. Then he- said that, he, had taken the book from the Turubull Library and forwarded it to Wymark, intending later to get it back and return it to the library. The diary was produced and identified as tho property of the Turnbull Library by Johannes C. Andersen, chief librarian of tho library, which is controlled by the Internal Affairs Department. He said that he had given no permission for the diary to be removed, and it was impossible to get permission to take any book from the lib- ' Cross-examined by Mr. Pringle, the witness said that the book had not been missed from the library until attention had been drawn to its loss by a letter from Sydney. If books had been borrowed from the library they must have been taken in an underhand way. There were fourteen rooms in the building, and only two or three assistants. Visitors were always seen to the door, but regular readers were not. The diary was worth £50 in the open market. . DETECTIVE'S EVIDENCE. Evidence was given by Detective Kane, who read a statement by Lewis, in which he said that he had previously borrowed books from the Turnbull Library and returned them. Ho did not receive anything from Wymark for the diary, which was the only volume sent to Wymark. Wymark had given him £50 for personal expenses. Mr. Pringle's submission, at this stage, that the case for tho prosecution must fail, was not upheld by Mr. Page. In evideiico Lewis related how he had met Mr. Wymark in Sydney. Mr. Wymark was a ; director of Angus and Kobertson, the publishers. Wyniark had commissioned him to collect Maori curios and anything pertaining to early New Zealand. Lewis said that he had borrowed several books from tho Turnbull Library. Ho knew that the books were not supposed to be taken, but be mado.noseeret of his borrowing to outsiders', and he always returned the .volur/ies. He .sent the diary to Wymark by .registered post, making no attempt to disguise the fact that it belonged to the Turnbull: Library. He did not know the ■library's .secret identification marks. He .hii'd.received no acknowledgment of the'receipt of the book by Wymark although' he had written asking for its return;, '7-' .'. Deteijtiy'e-Sergeant Eevell eross-ex-amine'd; Lewis regarding four previous occasions on which he Bad been interviewed by the police, two of tho occasions Bavin'g. resulted in convictions. " You'renpt the decent young man that you would like people to believe," said the Detective-Sergeant. LETTER FROM SYDNEY. Mr. Page read from the letter sent by the Sydney librarian to the Turnbull Library. The letter, stated that AVyniark thought he should be reimbursed either in. whole or in part for the expense of obtaining the diary. Lewis explained that the money given to him by Wymark was not for the book but for expenses. ■ Evidence-for the defence was given by Lawrence H. Pollock, who is art employee of Bethune and Co., and by Dudley G. Gallagher, a bailiff. In giving his decision, Mr. Page said that Lewis had surreptitiously taken from the Turnbull; Library ■a. book valued at £50, knowing that permission to tako the book would not be granted. He posted the! book to Sydney and appeared to have made no mention, of its source, telling Wymark' to keep it* until he (Lewis) returned to Sydney. When the book was recovered the seal of the library was not in it, and although, the librarian could not swear that the seal had been in it, he did cay that the seal was usually placed in the books of the : library. Lewis had lied to tho detective, and it seemed to Mr. Page tha,t. if Wyniark had not reported tho matter the probability was that the Turnbull Library would not have seen the book again. Mr. Pringle: Wymarlc did not report it immediately. It's rather suspicious that-he did not do so. He kept it for some time. The only reasonable interpretation, continued Mr. Page, was that Lewis had taken tho book, intending to deprive the owner of it, thereby committing theft.' ■.'. ' ■ "Wo look upon, him, now as quite bad at false, pretences," said DetectiveSergeant Kevell when the question of penalty was raised. He read : an early report from a detective that Lews was trying .to live by his wits, and he thought this case was an instance of it- ■;■_'.

■Mr. Pringlc. contended that Lewis was a very young man, contributing to tho support of his mother. The previous convictions against" him had been trivial. "My friond says that he has been living on his wits, but I think he has been very industrious," counsel remarked.