THEFT OF MANUSCRIPT

Taranaki Daily News, 21 October 1933, Page 7

THEFT OF MANUSCRIPT

PUNISHMENT OF SYDNEY MAN. TURNBULL LIBRARY BOOK. By Telegraph—Press Association. Wellington, Oct. 20. Removed from the Turnbull Library in the early part of this year and later recovered in Sydney, the manuscript of the diary entitled “Dr. Bambridge’s Voyage to New Zealand in 1841,” valued at £5O, was exhibited in court to-day when Frank Bradford Lewis, aged 22, a gold buyer, was charged with stealing it. He pleaded not guilty, but war; convicted by Mr. Page, S.M., and fined £25, in default two months’ imprisonment. Mr. Page remarked that he had taken into consideration the fact that Lewis was a relatively young man. An order was made for the return of the diary. It was stated that Lewis was engaged last Mareh at Sydney to come to New Zealand and buy Maori curios and old books. He sent over the stolen manuscript and it was recognised by the chief librarian at Sydney as belonging to the Turnbull Library.

Johannes Andersen, of the Turnbull Library, said that books could not be borrowed from the library and if they left they could only do so in an underhand way.