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Updated: May 27, 2025
Out of this incident grew the case against Flechter. The old musician was accustomed to leave his treasured instrument in the lowest drawer of his bureau at the boarding-house.
Bott, positively identified the violin as that of her husband, clasping it to her bosom like a long-lost child. This was enough for Durden, who gave the instrument back to Flechter and caused his arrest as he was passing out of the front gate. The insulted dealer stormed and raged, but the Car of Juggernaut had started upon its course, and that night Flechter was lodged in the city prison.
The boy went to the safe and brought back a violin in a red silk bag. Inside was inscribed: "Antonius Stradivarius Cremonis fecit Anno Domini 1725." The figures 17 were printed and the 25 written in ink. Durden examined it for some fifteen minutes and noted certain markings upon it. On June 26th they called again, found Flechter in and asked to see the violin.
Eller had sworn that he was still vigorously endeavoring to get the Palm violin back from Flechter.
Bott grew thinner and older week by week, almost day by day. When the professor did not feel equal to going outdoors Mrs. Bott went for him, and on these occasions often called at Flechter's store to report progress, ask his advice and secure his encouragement. One day during one of these visits in the July following the loss of the violin Flechter handed Mrs.
Naturally the chief point against Flechter, if it could be established, was his actual possession of the Bott Stradivarius when he was arrested. Upon this proposition Mrs. Bott was absolutely positive beyond the possibility of error. So were eight other witnesses for the prosecution.
As contradicting him in this respect, and as tending to show that the suit had not only been compromised but that he and Flechter were engaged in trying to put off the Palm violin as a genuine Stradivarius and share the profit of the fraud, the prosecution introduced the following letter from the witness to his lawyer: CLIFTON HOUSE, CHICAGO, ILLINOIS. March 23, 1896.
Thus both sides agreed that the fiddle now offered in evidence was a bogus Strad. once belonging to a man named Palm, the only element of conflict being as to whether or not the violin which Flechter had offered for sale was the Palm instrument, or, in fact, Bott's famous "Duke of Cambridge."
Ordinarily that would have been the end of the case, but Allen had his own private views as to the guilt of the dealer and on August 28th the Grand Jury filed an indictment against Flechter accusing him of feloniously receiving stolen property the violin knowing it to have been stolen.
He himself would want five hundred dollars, and Durden should have five hundred dollars, so that they must not take less than five thousand dollars. Once at Allen's boarding-house Flechter played upon the violin for Durden and the supposed Southan, and then the former asked to be allowed to take the instrument to a rear room and show it to a friend. Here Mrs.
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