VALUED VIOLIN LOST.

Auckland Star, Volume LX, Issue 255, 28 October 1929, Page 3

VALUED VIOLIN LOST.

CUSTODIAN DIES ON SHIP.

INSTRUMENT MISSING,

BENEFICIARIES' MISFORTUNE,

(By Telegraph.—Own Correspondent.)

WELLINGTON, this day

Two years ago Mr. Spiller, formerly a music warehouseman; of Wellington, died in Hobart, Tasmania, leaving his estate to his two sons, Messrs. P. and W. Spiller, of Wellington, and a married daughter in Christehurch. The estate included several violins, reputed to be of considerable value. One at least was deemed locally to be"either a Stradivarius or an Amati. If that were true its value would easily run into four figures.

This violin was played upon by Zimbalist when he was in Wellington, and though he could not say definitely whether the instrument was by one of the great violin makers of old Cremona he pronounced it to be one of the sweet-est-toned he had ever played.

The obvious thing for the beneficiaries to do was to send the instrument to England for examination by experts, and steps were taken to that end. The mission was entrusted to the late Mr. A. D. Riley, who was leaving for England on a business trip. Then the trouble began. When Mr. Riley was asked to declare the violin's value to the Customs authorities at Home a price of £2000 was placed upon it. This entailed a duty of £63. Whether this was paid is not quite clear, but the assumption is that the violin was released.

Mr. Riley was then to submit the instrument to experts in London. Whether he did so was never made known to the owners, but they were not perturbed, for in due course Mr. Riley would return to New Zealand and report. But fate intervened, and Mr. Riley died on the voyage out to Wellington.

The beneficiaries in the Spiller Estate have been left completely in the dark as to what happened in London, for there is no mention of the violin or any transaction in connection with it in Mr. Riley's papers, and nothing is known of its fate. A curious point is that as the violin was in the possession of Mr. Riley at Home, and was regarded, temporarily, at all events, as his personal property, the real owners cannot claim it, save through Mr. Riley's trustees.