The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-04-28
FuSsoYR kocllltlI.GNr!lY!i Violin.
FORMER MRS. CLOPTON BUTTS
IN By TELEPHONE.

wants 70 Know n IT'S Her Violin and FAD
bereasts Kocisn's Hest--Mr. C1opton
ssyv He viii Proceed Against Her "
she Doesn't Stop Csing. His Name
Cometh now Mrs Josephine Copton,
the divorced wife Of ". u. Copton, the
violin collector. and saith that maybe the
violin which young Jaroelav. kocian 10
alleged 10 have carried on to Europe was
her violin.
DR.. j. +. Chmelicek Luhan. the host OF
Kocisn In this city was called TO his private
telephone early yesterday morning.
woman's voice announced lite owner 70
be Mrs. Josephine Clopton.'
Il have read the story Of that violin IN
the papers, the voice went on 10 say; and
am very much interested In. II because
maybe it's q violin Of mine that my husosnn
refused to return 20 me, although have
made a number Of demands Tor H. VIII
you come over to my house. at 200 West
Eghtieth street, and tell me all about itf'
why. you ought to know as much a.
do about it, replied DR.. Gnhan. You
were here with your husband when he
CAME TO get It.
whats thati- came back from the other
end Of the line. Il never was near your
house and have not seen my husband
for long time. How did she lookP'
well. I thought II was you" said DR..
Luhan. Il didn't intend To-
.Fiddleeticks!- was the reply. and there
was not much more conversation.
Mrs. Clopton said yesterday that abe
had no particular reason to believe that
II was her particular violin that Kocian had
got. but she wanted to know.
He has six, !" she said, He says that two
we're made by Stradivarius. and that one is
a Guarnerius. A fourth violin is an heirloom,
he says. and has belonged 10 his family for
100 years. The other two 'violns bought
while I was married TO him. l did u Just
to please him. One Of them Is q Nicholas
a fine old fiddle just the same. That one
he took from me and put II with the rest OF
his instruments, and have never been able
to get 1t back. The sixth L. a Serafin,
made In Venice-I know little about
fddles myself-and that gave TO him as
his own
.Who's Mrs. Clopton'' demanded Mr..
Clopton when told Of ell this. There is
no Mrs. Copton.. I'm. going to proceed
against her II she keeps on using my name
This Guarnerius that Kocian fell in love
with and ran away with Is an heirloom.
How long it has been in our family don't
know. but I know that I brought 1t with
me from the South about. the time Of the
Civil War. This Mrs. Bell never gave me
anything
Mira Clopton. as she certainly does call
herself, was at one time Mrs. Josephine
Bell. She was sued In 1901 by Mrs. Minnie
A. Riker for $500 900 damages for Islander
and the jury gave Mrs. Rker $500. On
that trial Mrs. Copton testified that she
had been the wife OF Henri Msillard, the
confectioner. She Ia said to have received
500. 900 in settlement Of her claims on his
estate. In the same year she lost suit
in North Dakota to have Mr.. Clopton's
Dakota divorce from her set aside. That
summer she caused the arrest Of Mr.. Cop
ton In this city on the charge that he had
annoyed her and written threatening letters
to her. The case was dismissed by Magis-
trate Pool.
Mr.. Clopton said yesterday that he had
not done anything for the recovery Of his
violin beyond arranging to have u brought
back free OF duty II Kocian should return
Il through the captain Of the .-Auguste
Victoria. He had got the Hamburg Amerf-
can Line to cable to the captain TO bring the
instrument back on the return trip II Kocisn
was Wiling to give ftup.