Man arrested over Shakespeare theft (Book valued at over $30m stolen ten years ago)

The Sunderland Echo (U.K.) ^ | July 11, 2008

[Stoat]

Man arrested over Shakespeare theft

 

 

The Shakespeare book is worth an estimated £15m plus

 

 

A man has been arrested on suspicion of the theft of a priceless book from Durham University ten years ago.

The first folio edition of a collection of the works of William Shakespeare, published in 1623, was one of a number of manuscripts and books stolen from the University library on Palace Green in December 1998.

It is believed to be worth at least £15 million.

Durham Police were alerted by the British Embassy in the United States, two weeks ago after a man asked a respected library in Washington to verify if the book was genuine.

It is understood he told staff he was an international businessman who had bought the folio in Cuba and agreed to leave it with the library for research to be carried out.

Their checks revealed it as the one stolen from Durham City and informed the authorities.

Durham Constabulary has kept in close contact with the FBI as worldwide inquiries were launched to trace the man.

As a result of information received yesterday an operation was launched by Durham officers.

They raided a house in Wigeon Close in the Ayton area of Washington where the man was arrested. He is currently being held at a local police station.

Det Supt Andy Reddick, who is co-ordinating the investigation, said the Shakespeare folio currently remains in the safe care of the Washington library.

He added: "A search of the house at Washington began yesterday and that will continue today."

The 51-year-old remains in police custody.

[Stoat]

Also:

Man arrested after 10-year hunt for £15m Shakespeare manuscript stolen from Durham University Mail Online

 

 

 

Enlarge  

 

 

The cover and frontispiece of the stolen William Shakespeare's Comedies, Histories & Tragedies first folio, published in 1623 - just seven years after the legendary playwright's death

[Stoat]

((((PING))))

[donna]

It sounds like he didn’t know he had stolen goods. What would they charge him with?

[9YearLurker]

My guess is the Cuba bit was a cover, that the cops had evidence linking the original heist to him.

[Stoat]

It sounds like he didn’t know he had stolen goods. What would they charge him with?

Of course this is merely conjecture, but it could be that he was seeking an expert certification of authenticity so that he could sell it, perhaps on the black market.

Regardless, I believe that 'possession of stolen goods' is an offense in and of itself.  He has some serious 'splainin'' to do....

I have no doubt that most thieves in prison had a defense of "why glory be, I didn't know it was stolen!  Surprise, Surprise!"

[donna]

I always believe the crooks story, LOL.

[Winniesboy]

In case anyone was wondering, this story does indeed involve both the small town of Washington, Co. Durham, and Washington D.C.

[Stoat]

Thank you :-)

[weegee]

All The World’s A Bootleg
Charles C. Mann, 10.02.00
http://www.forbes.com/asap/2000/1002/032.html

Shakespeare’s works are known entirely from badly printed quartos and folios, none of which were authorized by the playwright, and no two of which are identical. Romeo and Juliet, to cite one example, appeared in three disparate quarto editions—all anonymous, each different from its fellows—before first appearing under Shakespeare’s name in the First Folio of 1623. The First Folio’s editors complained that the earlier editions of Shakespeare were nothing but “stolen, and surreptitious copies, maimed, and deformed by the frauds and stealths of [the] injurious imposters, that exposed them” to the public. But the Folio editors published their edition seven years after the playwright’s death, and there is no evidence that they had previously consulted him. Indeed, according to Steven Urkowitz of the City College of New York, these editors—or someone else—rewrote 400 lines of King Lear, altering character, theme, and plot.

[RJL]

Does the National Archives “Sam Burglar” Sandy Berger have any younger brothers?

[NoBullZone]

Someone needs to buy the editor at Mail Online a dictionary - a manuscript is a hand written or typed document; the first folio was printed.

“With the possible exception of a few pages of Sir Thomas More, a play that Shakespeare may have helped write, no manuscripts of Shakespeare’s survive. The only certain evidence we have of his handwriting is his signature.” http://internetshakespeare.uvic.ca/Library/SLT/literature/manuscripts.html

[SunkenCiv]

· join list or digest · view topics · view or post blog · bookmark · post a topic ·
	Gods Graves Glyphs	Blast from the Past. Just adding to the catalog, not sending a general distribution. To all -- please ping me to other topics which are appropriate for the GGG list. GGG managers are SunkenCiv, StayAt HomeMother, and Ernest_at_the_Beach
· Google · Archaeologica · ArchaeoBlog · Archaeology magazine · Biblical Archaeology Society · · Mirabilis · Texas AM Anthropology News · Yahoo Anthro & Archaeo · · History or Science & Nature Podcasts · Excerpt, or Link only? · cgk's list of ping lists ·