ROBBING CATHEDRAL LIBRARIES

West Coast Times, 25 June 1912, Page 1

ROBBING CATHEDRAL LIBRARIES

THIEF’S REMARKABLE CAREER. LONDON, April 2G. John Edward Tinkler, a book-dealer of Mylno Street, Pentonvillo, was convicted at Peterborough Quarter Sessions of stealing bocks from Peterborough Cathedral Library, tho propel ty of tho Dean and Chapter, and also of receiving hooks from tho Libraiy well-knowing them to have boon stolon. Ho. was sentenced to throe years’ penal servitude. Dr. Pago, the Dean of Peterborough, first detected th 3 leakage. Early in 1909 ho found gaps in the library bookshelves, and on enquiry being instituted it was ascertained that 210 bocks wore missing. Arthur William Champion, machinist of Cray’s Inn Road, said ho had known the prisoner about four years. 'Lie prisoner asked him to sell books for him. He did so, mud in sonic cases gave receipts for them. Ho sold one book to Mr. -Percy Dobell. Tho prisoner said be had been in business himself, and had gone “ broke,” and the dealers would not buy from him, wit’u tho exception of Mr, Stevens. All-. 11. N. Stevens, of Messrs Stevens and Sons, bonk-dcalors, Croat Russell Street, said ho bad known the prisoner twenty years, and lie undoubtedly had a great knowledge of old books. The witness remembered buying from him “Do Dehe Novo,” and “The War of the Churches,” among some oilier books, in April, 1999. lie sent a number of them to

Mr Hodgson for sale. Tho prisoner said lie had got the books from a sale in Kent. John Watts, a well and shaft sinker, of Gray’s inn rood, said tho prisoner teiri him in 1910, that ho sold old books for a living;. Being in the clerical profession, he obtained them from the authorities. Later, however, lie admitted ho got them dishonestly, saying lie “ went on tho bust for them.” 110 showed Dio witness a skeleton key with which he could got iiuo any Church or hank. Chief Constable AVatson said that tho prisoner was acknowledged to be on;; of tho greatest experts living in old and rare books. Ho had been a dealer in rare books ail his life, and was well known on the. Continent and abroad. Ha storied life as an assistant librarian at the Chatham 'Hospital and Library in Manchester, and after r};i -a years was promoted to be librarian, a po.-i!ion which he held for two y;: i-, when lie war. dismissed for unsal irfaeiary conduct in willing on hospital paper and buying and selling books in Munich, Horihi, and America Tins went on for some time, and when pressed by one dealer he obtained a rare hook from another. Tho hospital aiifT.oritips paid Ms liabilities, which wore considerable, and assisted him to California, but ho returned in four years, paid the hospital £2OO, part ol his indebtedness, and on pretence of looking at a. hook, ho obtained access to- the library, ami aflenvards a Book of limns and an autograph of Bryou were missing. Ho was described as the very quintessence of cunning and the incarnation of a book thief. Ho hid confederates in London and New York, ami though he could earn £2OOO a vein - , he was followed every whore by sharpers, who always Ileeced him.