Tuesday, July 29, 2014

The "Tome Raider" For Tuesday...!

Here is a little story I thought you might find interesting, especially if you like to read!

Being a bookworm doesn't always mean that you aren't adventurous. In fact in some cases, a love for good books can be very profitable. Such is the case for this gentleman!

William Simon Jacques


02

The thief William Simon Jacques operated in the genteel world of rare books, manuscripts, and maps. The former accountant and Cambridge graduate has a genius-level IQ. During his days as a bandit, he presented himself as a polite, well-educated man who liked spending his free time in libraries. This innocent, academic persona initially kept folks from realizing he was more interested in stealing books than reading them.

Jacques began pilfering books in the 1990s, around the time he was finishing his degree at Cambridge. The Cambridge Library noticed some of their books went missing, yet they didn’t report the thefts, ashamed at having failed as caretakers of the treasures. Then, in 1996, when two copies of Newton’s Principia Mathematica went missing along with Galileo’s Sidereus Nuncius (worth over $500,000 combined), the library decided it could no longer keep silent.

Still, it took a while for authorities to figure out Jacques was the culprit. He continued to frequent libraries throughout the UK, courteously chatting with desk clerks while squirreling precious books under his tweed coat.

Finally, a library worker caught him in the act, and from there, it didn’t take long for police to pin him as the serial antiquarian book thief. He was jailed in 2002 and spent four years behind bars. Then, upon his release, he picked up right where he left off. He concealed his identity with false names and disguises, winning librarians’ confidences with his intellect. By this point, he had made off with over $1 million in books, and his famous exploits caused the media to dub him the “Tome Raider.”
He managed to slip through the hands of police until July 2010, when he was caught and sentenced to another three and a half years in prison.

It's my understanding that this gentleman is still out and about, plying his usual trade. Industrious sort, isn't he?

Coffee out on the patio this morning. Watch for the rain, though.

10 comments:

  1. Tome Raider -that's a good one! I'll bring some chocolate honey dipped donuts for all.

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  2. Wow...guess that's all I can say about that....I mean!hat is the sense of having a 500,000. book that you could never let anyone know about?

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  3. Hmmmmm - has anyone checked the Hermit's bookshelves lately?? I have, or at least for the ones he recommeds to me...
    Thansk, Bubba, for an entertaining thought. Beautiful volumes, too, aren't they?

    Big hugs ~
    Baby Sis

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  4. Now I love to read but this is insane. Hope they gave him things to read in prison. Did they check out their library before they let him go?

    Pass the pot please.

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  5. As my Mama would say, "he doesn't have any quittin' sense!" lol!

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  6. Hey Phyllis...
    Love those chocolate donuts!

    Thanks for coming over today!



    Hey Mamahen...
    He probably was only going to sell it. I don't think he kept many of them for himself!

    Thanks for coming by this morning!



    Hey Sis...
    I don't have them...honestly I don't! Of course, I might have already sold them!

    Thanks for dropping by today!



    Hey John...
    That he was. Guess he found his true calling in life!

    Thanks for coming by today!



    Hey Jo...
    They probably didn't have the kind of books that he liked in prison, but you never know.

    Thanks, sweetie, for stopping by today!



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  7. Hey Annie...
    I never heard that saying, but I like it!

    Hey, thanks for coming by today!

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  8. At least he picked something worthwhile pilfering. I love to rad and would be in heaven reading all those books.

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  9. I like this story. haha You never know what kind a fetish a person has. It is hot where I am, do mind if I could have tall glass of iced tea? Yep. I am a Canadian.

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