Kleptomaniac To Give Back Library Books

Several volumes of "Americana" taken from Widener Library were yesterday said to be among the articles stolen by the "literary kleptomaniac' who also lifted some 43 precious documents from the state archives.

Keyes D. Metcalf, director of the University library, who had known the name of the thief for over two months, claimed yesterday that the police were letting the man go unapprehended so that he could return some of the missing volumes.

Notice of the wholesale theft was discovered approximately one year ago when professor William A. Jackson, assistant librarian of the College, in charge of Houghton, was contacted by a New York art dealer who wanted to sell Houghton a letter from Peter Stuyvesant to the first Governor Bradford of Massachusetts dated 1649.

Jackson Uncovers Theft

Jackson immediately noted that only one such letter existed and was supposedly being kept in the state archives. Reporting the offer to state authorities, Jackson discovered the loss. The dealer then gave the letter to Governor Paul H. Dever and the matter was considered closed.

Two months ago the matter was brought to the attention of the Boston police when a local art dealer checked with the state about another old document which concerned the sale of land in Vermont by the Earl of Sterling. Discovering that this document, too, was missing from state collections, authorities began checking the stock and noticed that some 43 priceless documents were missing.

"Kleptomaniac" Confesses

Police immediately questioned a former employee of the state who had been working in the archives. The man confessed. He was labelled a "kleptomaniac" when it was further learned that he had also taken several unimportant pamphlets from Widener.

Library officials had suspected the man for some time, and his stack pass had been revoked. Metcalf had permitted the man to go unapprehended when he promised to aid in the return of the stolen merchandise.

The Widener books were of little value. Some of them have already been returned.