Book typed by Walt Whitman stolen from Brevard College, listed on eBay; employee arrested

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Book typed by Walt Whitman stolen from Brevard College, listed on eBay; employee arrested

by Ed Diorio - Thu, April 18th 2024 at 4:53 PM - Updated Thu, April 18th 2024 at 6:02 PMAPRIL 18, 2024 - A first-edition novel by Walt Whitman was taken from Brevard College by a now-former employee of the institute, Barry Beddingfield, 43, who is now behind bars. He allegedly stole a copy "Leaves of Grass," which was one of 337 copies typed by Whitman himself in 1855. The novel has been returned to the college. (Photo: WLOS staff)

APRIL 18, 2024 - A first-edition novel by Walt Whitman was taken from Brevard College by a now-former employee of the institute, Barry Beddingfield, 43, who is now behind bars. He allegedly stole a copy "Leaves of Grass," which was one of 337 copies typed by Whitman himself in 1855. The novel has been returned to the college. (Photo: WLOS staff)
APRIL 18, 2024 - A first-edition novel by Walt Whitman was taken from Brevard College by a now-former employee of the institute, Barry Beddingfield, 43, who is now behind bars. He allegedly stole a copy "Leaves of Grass," which was one of 337 copies typed by Whitman himself in 1855. The novel has been returned to the college. (Photo: WLOS staff)
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APRIL 18, 2024 - A first-edition novel by Walt Whitman was taken from Brevard College by a now-former employee of the institute, Barry Beddingfield, 43, who is now behind bars. He allegedly stole a copy "Leaves of Grass," which was one of 337 copies typed by Whitman himself in 1855. The novel has been returned to the college. (Photo: WLOS staff)

BREVARD, N.C. (WLOS) — A vintage piece of American literature was recently stolen from Brevard College.

A novel by Walt Whitman was taken by a now-former employee of the institute, Barry Beddingfield, 43, who is now behind bars. He allegedly stole a first-edition of "Leaves of Grass."

The piece was one of 337 copies typed by Whitman himself in 1855.

After leaving campus, Beddingfield listed the novel on eBay, which was one clue that led to Brevard police and Henderson County Sheriff's Office executing a search warrant to find the missing book just hours after it was taken.

"They looked at online things, they looked at video footage and were able to identify the suspect," Brevard Police Chief Tom Jordan said on Thursday, April 18. "We confronted the suspect, and he admitted to it. We were able to serve search warrants and recover just about everything, including the book."

Beddingfield faces charges of larceny by employee and obtaining property by false pretense, among others. He is being held under a $5,000 bond at the Transylvania County jail.

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