Sender: Rare book and manuscripts <EXLIBRIS-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU>
This story appeared in the (NJ) Star Ledger. --ECW
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Man accused of stealing, trying to sell classic books
Friday, November 30, 2007
BY BILL SWAYZE
Star-Ledger Staff
A thief knew what he was looking for when he snuck into a closed hotel
ballroom after the first of a two-day book fair.
With some 15,000 old books priced between $25 and $25,000 in the room, he
grabbed a first edition copy of Ernest Hemingway's "Farewell To Arms," worth
$15,000. And Rafeal Sabatini's "Captain Blood," $8,500. And Harper Lee's "To
Kill A Mockingbird," $12,000.
He took 11 other works from the Ramada Inn on Route 10 in East Hanover in
January during the annual New Jersey Antiquarian Book Fair -- 14 gems worth
a total of $100,000 that belong to a South Jersey dealer well-known in an
exclusive circle of rare book buyers and sellers.
Just how exclusive is that circle, alleged thief Richard Lunden soon
learned.
When he tried to sell one of the stolen books to Bauman Books in Manhattan,
the thief was served up to the police and ultimately charged this week with
theft of moveable property and conspiracy to commit theft, said East Hanover
police Detective Jack Ambrose, who investigated the case with the help of a
New York City police detective.
"When he tried to sell the book, he reached out to only the biggest rare
book businesses around," and the staff there knows the victim, Tom
Congalton, owner of Between the Covers Rare Books Inc. in Merchantville,
N.J., Ambrose said.
"Tom (Congalton) is in the upper echelon of the trade and was president of
the Antiquarian Booksellers Association of America. We knew immediately when
the books were stolen," said Gary Austin, owner of Austin's Antiquarian
Books in Wilmington, Vt., and the book fair's organizer for a dozen years.
Lunden, 36, of Hudson, N.Y., re mains free pending a municipal court
hearing, police said.
He could not be reached for comment.
Police said Lunden was familiar with the value of the books be cause he owns
an antique transport business.
The show was held on Jan. 12 and 13. The theft occurred sometime the night
of the 12th, police said.
The stolen books included two of Hemingway's 1927 "Men Without Women," and
1929 "A Farewell To Arms," as well as a copy of his 1928 "Fiesta," 1933
"Winner Take Noth ing," and 1940 "For Whom The Bell Tolls."
Also on the list: Jack Kerouac's 1957 "On The Road," Harper Lee's 1960 "To
Kill A Mockingbird," Ray mond Chandler's 1940 "Farewell My Lovely," Jon Le
Carre's 1962 "A Murder of Quality," Rafeal Sabati ni's 1922 "Captain Blood,"
B. Tra ven's 1935 "The Treasure of the Sierra Madre," and Eudora Welty's
1943 "The Wide Net and Other Sto ries," police said.
A man who identified himself as Robert Lunden called Bauman Rare Books in
Manhattan on Jan. 27, hoping to sell "To Kill A Mock ingbird," and mailed
the book to the store along with a bank ac count number so the buyer could
pay for the book. The asking price: $8,000.
The store contacted police and that ultimately led authorities to Lunden. He
claims he had an ac complice, who lives in California, but the alleged
accomplice has denied any involvement, Ambrose said.
After three meetings with Lun den and his attorney, 13 books are in the
police department's posses sion. One of the copies of "A Farewell To Arms"
has not been re turned, police said.