The E-Sylum:  Volume 9, Number 39, September 24, 2006, Article 22

LIBRARY MAP THIEF PROSECUTED

A Reuters story published September 22 provides an update on the
trial of Edward Smiley, the thief who ruined rare library books
by stealing valuable old maps.

"A dealer of antique treasures who admitted stealing more than $3
million in rare maps was resentful of the world's top libraries and
acted to finance his rich tastes and rising debt, prosecutors said
on Thursday."

"In June, Smiley, once one of the country's most respected dealers
in rare maps, admitted to the thefts from the British Library in
London, New York and Boston public libraries, the Harvard and Yale
university libraries and a Chicago library.

He was arrested after a keen-eyed library staffer noticed a dropped
X-Acto knife blade on the floor.

"He explained that his initial thefts were acting out of resentment
toward persons at certain institutions that he believed had wronged
him, individuals who he believed had slighted him or used certain
of his research without accreditation," prosecutors wrote."

"They added that six of the maps likely never will be recovered,
while two are in the hands of identified collectors and 90 have
been or most likely will be recovered."

To read the complete article, see: Full Story

To read an earlier E-Sylum item on Smiley's thievery, see:
RARE MAPS STOLEN FROM LIBRARIES
esylum_v08n35a13.html

  Wayne Homren, Editor

	coinbooks.org Web

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