The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1900-08-23
Mr.. FLECHTER
WAS INNOCENT.
But He Was Convicted Of Steal
Ing Violin Valued at $4,000
SENTENCED TO pENITENTIARy.
Saved From Serving in Prison by a
Certificate Of Reasonable Doubt.
REPUTATION AND BUSINESS RUINED.
Later After Much Labor and the Offering 0
aReWat The Missing Instrument Was
Found and FIechter Was vlndlcated.

h. x
ago I'm Cincinnati / became acquainted
with a young Ishraelitc violinist named
Victor Fletcher. He was well connected
and extremely talented and his FRIENDS
were desirous OF raising fund 10 send
him to Italy there to perfect himseit az
musician. / did what / could to aid him.
The fund was raised and ne was sent
abroad. -.
He remained In Italy three OF iour
| wears From time TO time news came from
him 10 the effect that he was rapidly I'M
| provinn as a violinist and in due time
| he raturned 10 Cincinnati. A concert was
| gotten up I'm order that his friends might
| sec and hear for themselves what VIZ
| tuoso he had become.
Az that concert the fact was developea
| that though he was a remarhapiy 49,
nerformer on the king OF instruments ne
was NOT the wonder of the world that MS
friends had been led TO believe ne would
nrove 10 he He was not Paganini' ne
was not an ole Bull: he was not even
Professor Tasso who at that time was inc
greatest yiolinist in the west
The line of demarcation between good
performer and a consummate aruse 10
very thin one The poet says,
.,c,raat wit 10 madness is near allied.
And thin partitions do their bounds
divide" a..
Irle,cber discovered that he was on the
wrong side of the thin line or demarca-
ton. that he was not consumfnate a.t
list and that he was not likely 10 eNci,e
a furore I'm musical circles as Vioiihis'.
He also made another discovery and that
WAS that the commercial instinct In MS
nature was greater than the artistic lie
savo IN concertizing came 20 New horh
and opened up a place on Union SQUARE
his intention being to trade i'm rare musi--
cal instruments. especially In violins.
BUSINESS CAREER BEGAN.
He was a remarkably good judge OF
violins and soon developed into shrewo
trader I'm them. II was not long peiore ne
lsnew of all the valuable violins In the
oo,,ntrvl lie knew those who wanted TO
sell and he also learned very quickly al
81 those who having wealth ana apuhu-
ance wished to buy rare vionns.
He was fast on the road TO wealth.
when six years ago Professor bott'
well known violin teacher called upon
Fletcher and exhibited TO him famous
,,t,lin made by Stradivarius, which nao
once been the property of the Duke or
Cambridge. who was a cousin or queen
yictoria and commander-in-chief or the
British army. ,,,
Rott said he had purchased the violin
IN Europe for four thousand dollars. ne
wanted TO sell II for five thousand dollars
and agreed TO give Fletcher a hahusome
commission il he would sell IL Tor tnat
su,,, Fletcher opened UP negotiations
with Signor Nicolini, the tenor VINO was
pattrs husband an the time and great
connoisseur of musical instruments Ai'er
some backing and filling Niconni agreed
IN purchase the violin and onered MS
check in payment for II.
He was about TO sail Tor Europe anu
professor Bott declined to take the
In
violin This action incensed Nicolini ana
no refused to purchase It, Professor Bott
then took IL home and locked IL up
A few weeks after this young man
cal,ed AZ Professor Bolts house osten-
sihlv IN purchase the violin. The Profess
sor was out. but his wife allowed MN
10 handle the instrument and inspect IL.
While she was called away momen'arhy
ON some household business the young
man disappeared going away In car
riage and the violin, the loved Stradi-
yarius, disappeared with him.
When Professor Bott returned home
and learned of the theft of his grand
violin. he grieved greatly. The police
were notified and search was made for
the stolen instrument, but no trace or
IL was obtained at the time
ACCUSED OF ROBBERY
Professor Bott took his loss so greatly
10 heart that six months after the vio-
lin was stolen he sickened and died. This
was I'm 1895. Shortly after Professor Bolts
death Il was learned at the district at
torneys office that Flechter had I'm his
possession violin which was thought to
be the stolen one.
The widow OF Professor Bott inspected
Il and declared that IL was the one which
had belonged to her husband. Flechter
was arrested indicted and tried for hav-
ing the stolen violin I'm his possession.
He denied that the violin was the stolen
one. and he proved that the violin I'm his
possession bore the date of l7sS. while
the one Professor Bott had was made
I'm 1725.
The trial wns notable one In many
respects and was bitterly fought by the
defence, hut despite all Flechter and his
attorneys could do he was convicted OF
having the stolen violin I'm his possession
and sentenced TO serve term of one
year in the state pcnitentiary at Sing
Sing.
His counsel. however, secured certi-
ficate of reasonable doubt" which
served as a stay OF execution. and he
has ever since been at liberty on bail.
or course his conviction virtually ruined
his business and blighted his life.
| met him shortlysafter his sentence TO
the penitentiary and 1 found that his
troubles had aged him twenty years at
least. He declared 90 me in the most
positive manner that he was an innocent
man and I'm response TO my hoping that
that fact might be demonstrated. he
said: Macon! I am not an overly reli-
gious man as you know. bnt have faith
In Gods mercy and In Gods justice and
] feel sure that the time will come when
my innocence will be proven to all men
and that then ! can hold my head mp
again and look my friends I'm the face.
7 never had a crooked dollar In my life.
! never wanted one. Even n have TO
serve my sentence I fell that my vlndica-
tion Will come some time and that it Will
be complete and absolute"
These words were prophetic. Ever since
his conviction. Fletcher had labored In
season and out of season to sc, a trace
OF the stolen violin. Not long since he