The following article appeared today in the Harvard Crimson. --ECW
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New Twist In Smiley Case
Libraries suspect that map dealer might have stolen more maps than admitted
Published On 8/4/2006 2:21:04 AM
By BRITTNEY L. MORASKI
Crimson Staff Writer
Administrators from several of the nation's top libraries, including
Harvard's
Houghton Library, will meet at Yale on Aug. 7 to determine the ownership of
97 maps stolen by E. Forbes Smiley III.
But at least four of those libraries, including the Houghton, are missing
copies of the same maps, raising concern that Smiley may have taken more
than he has admitted to stealing from seven libraries over a
seven-and-a-half year period in a plea bargain he signed in June.
The maps missing from Harvard's collection, for example, overlap with maps
missing from collections at the New York Public Library, Yale University,
the Boston Public Library, and the British Library, according to Harvard
College Library (HCL) Director of Communications Beth S. Brainard.
The Aug. 7 meeting will allow the libraries to look closely at the 97 maps
recovered by the government to determine which collection each map was
stolen from, she said.
"Some of the institutions will come up with a longer list of missing items
after this meeting," Brainard said.
By comparing the edges of maps and damage to the paper the maps were printed
on, the libraries' representatives hope to determine what map belongs to
what book-and thus to what library, she said.
Harvard released a list last Friday of 13 maps missing from its collection.
Smiley has admitted to stealing only eight of those maps, and the
whereabouts of the remaining five remains a mystery. But Harvard is certain
that Smiley looked at the books containing the five unaccounted-for maps,
Brainard said.
The eight maps Smiley has admitted to stealing are expected to be returned
to the University around the time of Smiley's sentencing in September. But
because Harvard's missing maps overlap with those of other institutions,
fewer than eight maps will be returned if some of the recovered copies are
found to belong to other libraries instead.
The Connecticut U.S. Attorney's office, which is prosecuting the case
against Smiley, "has no reason to believe at this point" that Smiley hasn't
been forthcoming with the information he has provided them, according to
Justice Department Public Information Officer Tom Carson. But the Justice
Department is "more than willing to receive any additional information that
has been uncovered," he said.
The British Library believes that Smiley may have taken three other maps
from its collection in addition to the one he admitted to stealing. To prove
this, the library has hired a Philadelphia lawyer with experience
prosecuting art and culture thieves, according to The Hartford Courant.
Carson declined to comment on what might happen to Smiley if more stolen
maps were found.
"We continue to entertain serious doubts about the completeness of the
investigation and the extent of Mr. Smiley's cooperation with the
authorities," British Library Director of Scholarship and Collections Clive
Field wrote to the FBI, according to The Courant.
Though Harvard has yet to hire its own prosecutor, it may choose to do so in
the future.
"We're keeping all our options open right now," Brainard said.
Sheehan & Reeve of New Haven, Conn., the law firm defending Smiley, declined
to comment Wednesday.
Smiley's lawyer, Richard Reeve, told The Courant last Sunday that Smiley had
reported every map he had stolen.
"Either the maps have legs themselves or there are other people taking
maps," he said.