Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1905-08-08
FAMOUS OLD VIOLIN
! WEALTHY RESIDENT OF SUTTON,
NER., BUYS GENUINE "sTRAp"
FOR HANS ALBERT.
Children viii Play on $4,000 VIOLIN
Eccentric Musician, Formerly Of OF.
tunnwa, to Be Their Instructor-Has
Been Played In Courts Of Kings.

An old violin over whose strings
some Of the worlds artists have
drawn bow, has been sold by e. M.
Nichols Of Des MONIES to a wealthy
citizen of Sutton, Neb., and will be
used by Prof. Hans Albert the fam
GUS and eccentric musician, formerly
OF ottunwa. While the price has not
been divulged it is understood that
the consideration was $4,000.
The instrument, which has been
played in the courts of kings and
queens and has been completely lost
sight Of time and again, but reappear.
ed to arouse the emotions of thous.
ands in concert In the United States,
is one Of the oldest instruments of
which there is any record. 1t is a
"Strad" OF the kind that the artist
truly appreciates, and has been
sought by old instrument lovers ever
since 1t was first played upon by
Hans Albert, the Omaha musician.
The instrument was manufactured
by Layrentius Guadaginni Pater AL
umnus Antonj Straduarj, and bears
the inscription in Latin, "Fecit Pla.
cente, ammo l740," on the inside OF the
body, which can still be plainly seen
through the F. Holes OIL the instru-
ment. Time has wrought its damage
and has obliterated the trace of it's
place of manufacture. but the inscrip.
tons remain to tell of the great mas
ter who first drew the bow over it's
strings.
Melody clinas to 1t.
The 165 years during which the in-
hos 1nI 4f,,1
have left 1t cracked and damaged in
places, but it's melody Is still unim.
paired and will be brought out by the
masterful touch of Hans Albert, for
whom Its was purchased and who but
recently was released from the insane
asylum at Lincoln.
On the left side Of the instrument
along the outer edge are two small
cracks. Near the tail piece on the
right side are two small assures worn
by time. Also near the tail piece a
small place had decayed and had been
splicod. A hole had been worn in the
instrument by the bridges and this
hole had been repaired by small
piece OF maple wood
Mr.. Nichols has not complete
history OF the violin and does not
know who was the first master to use
1t. He does know however, that Pc
ter Kaarsgaard of Copenhagen toured
the continent of Europe in concert,
during which he used the old violin.
Herbert Butler of Chicago has played
with 1t in concert, as has also Arthur
Heft. one Of Americas leading violin,
lists.
Hans Albert, who recently became
demented at Wayne, Neb., and who
was sent to the insane asylum at Lin
coin, has used the instrument for
years. He first appeared in America
with Theodore Thomas, whose solo
violinist h was for five years. Albert
was court musician at Germany at the
age OF II, and pupil of Schwender-
man.
Bought for Children.
It was about four years ago that
Mr. Nichols came into possession of
the violin, while he was acting as
manager for Hans Albert Albert,
after touring for two and a half years
became bankrupt and when he was
sent to the insane asylum at Lin
property was seized along with 1t the
violin belonging to Mr.. Nichols.
Mr.. Nichols had some difficulty in
regaining possession of the instrument
and had to produce number of wit