Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
11
PIANO AGENT SENT TO JAIL.
CARL HOFFMAN'S ACTIVE CAREER.
AN OLD-TIME UPRIGHT PIANO.
J. S. Moody, Representative for the Weaver
Organ & Piano Co. in New Orleans, Pleads
Guilty of Embezzlement—Gets Year in Jail.
Kansas City Piano Man, Who Is About to Re-
tire After Nearly Forty Years in Trade, Was
a Strong Exponent of the Chickering Piano
—Sold Many of Them to Army Officers.
Located in Wausau, Wis.—Came from Ireland
Nearly 100 Years Ago—In Excellent State
of Preservation Despite Its Long Service.
YORK, PA., November 29, 1915.
The Music Trade Review, New York City.
Gentlemen—The following item appeared in the
November 23, 191;"», issue of the New Orleans
Picayune:
(Special to The Review.)
KANSAS CITY, MO., November 29.—Carl
MILWAUKEE,
(Special to The Review.)
W I S . , November 27.—News
has
reached Milwaukee concerning an old upright piano
man, of Kansas City, whose 1915 is his last year in at Wausau, Wis., which is said to be so old that the
the piano business, is known throughout the West firm which manufactured it long ago passed out of
as the exponent of the Chickering piano and of existence and the members of the company have
"lM,EADS GUILTY OF EMBEZZLEMENT.
"[ I ATTiKSTUTRc, Miss., November 22.—Julius S. pipe organs. Leavenworth. Kan., where he es- been dead for many years. The owner of the old
Moody, a prominent citizen of Pearl River County, tablished his first store in 1869, is near Fort Leav- piano is James McCrossen, who came into posses-
sion of the instrument through the Stewart family,
late to-day pleaded guilty to a charge of embezzle-
which brought the piano from Ireland nearly 100
ment, and will receive sentence to-morrow.
years
ago.
"Moody at one time was local representative of
The piano was manufactured by Priestly & Sons,
the Weaver Piano Co., during which time it was
Hampstead Road, N. W., London, more than a cen-
alleged lie became involved with his company.
tury ago. A short time ago Mr. McCrossen wrote
After the State rested in his trial to-day he pleaded
to the address of the London concern to learn the
guilty."
exact date of the instrument's manufacture, but his
We have just been advised by our Mr. R. E.
letter was returned with the notice that no such
Ilamme, who was one of the principal witnesses
firm is now in existence. Further inquiry revealed
for the State, that the sentence passed upon Mr.
the fact that the firm dissolved many years ago.
Moody was one year in jail, $•">()() fine and the costs
The retailer's name and address, which appeared
ot prosecution.
on the instrument, is Hart and Churchill, Castle
While we are sorry for Mr. Moody, yet we feel
Place, Belfast, Ireland.
it was our duty to piano dealers and manufactur-
The Wisconsin piano man sa,y.s that the tones of
ers to lend the services of our representative to
iheold instrument are rich and mellow, resembling
bring him to justice. All honest dealers who pay
those of a harp, the passing of years evidently hav-
for their goods suffer severely from the compe-
ing served to sweeten and blend them like those of
tition of the few who, like Mr. Moody, sacrifice
an old violin. The piano is smaller than the up-
instruments and embezzle the proceeds. If we
rights manufactured at the present time. Like a
failed to lay this matter before the authorities the
violin, it is said that it has no metal parts in its
Carl Hoffman.
guilty party would be free to prey on other manu-
facturers, without adequate warning to them. This en worth, and that field was a fertile one for Mr. construction. It is inlaid in beautiful designs and
Hoffman. It is said that every commanding gen- presents a carved open-work front, a background
would be an injustice to the legitimate dealer and
the manufacturer, and we would not feel we had eral, and most of the officers of lower rank, who of green silk and quaint lamp holders.
made headquarters at Leavenworth throughout a
done our duty to the trade nor to our country if
period of more than a generation, bought Chicker-
we spared ourselves the trouble and expense of
lending the services of our representative in a mat- ing pianos from him. The Carl Hoffman Music
R. K. Paynter, vice-president of William Knabe
ter of this kind.
Co. leased its present quarters—on which the lease
& Co., New York, returned Monday from a South-
We regret very much, for Mr. Moody's sake, this expires December Tl—at 1120 Walnut street in ern trip, on which he visited Savannah, Atlanta
occurrence and the unpleasant part our Mr. 1911, moving from H08 Grand avenue, which it and other important trade centers. Mr. Paynter
11 amme was obliged to take in it. Yours very truly, had occupied since 1906. The large Kansas City states that conditions in the South are on the up-
business had been built up since 1894, at 1012-14 grade, with a general improvement in all lines.
WEAVER ORGAN & PIANO CO., TNC,
Walnut street, although the company had had a
W. S. BOND, Sec. and Treas.
Mr. Paynter spent a little time in Washington,
store in Kansas City, a branch of the Leavenworth
D. C, where William Knabe & Co. will open a
house, from the beginning.
branch store in a few days. Decorators and car-
Mr. Hoffman knew intimately the great leaders penters are now making this store one of the most
in the piano industry from those early days, and attractive retail establishments in the Capital City's
his mind is a storehouse of reminiscences.
piaiif) district. F. X. Boucher, manager of this
Hoff-
KNABE'S NEW WASHINGTON STORE.
LAUTER
You should ask us to send
you details in regard to our
lineof L \ U T E R GRANDS,
LAUTER-HUMANAS
(players) and LAUTER UP-
RIGHTS. Not to have the
LAUTER on your rloor is to
miss many a sale that its
superb quality would certainly
secure for you.
Why not write us now?
LAUTER CO!
NEWARK, NEW JERSEY
"
Y3*V;
V
DECISION FAVORSJUJSH & LANE CO.
iicw Knabe store, is already engaged in develop-
ing an excellent business for the new branch.
Get Judgment for $18,000 Against Becker
Bros, for Infringement of Case Design.
Judge Mayer in the United States District
Court, Southern District, New York, signed an or-
der on Monday of this week whereby the Bush &
Lane Piano Co. is awarded a judgment of $18,000
against Becker Bros.. New York, for an infringe-
ment of a case design marketed by the former
company.
This case had originally resulted in a verdict for
$35,000 for the Bush & Lane Piano Co., but Judge
Mayer, on the application of the defendants who
maintained that the plaintiff was only entitled to
nominal damages amounting to a few hundred
dollars, sent the case to a referee in order to ob-
tain additional testimony as to the proper amount
to be awarded the plaintiff. John J. O'Connell, 31
Nassau street, New York, appeared as attorney
for the Bush & Lane Piano Co.
DEATH OF JOHN J. PRAGUE.
John J. Prague, father-in-law of George A.
Scofield, retail manager of the Behning Piano Co.,
New York, died on Sundajy at his home, 359 South
First avenue, Mount Vernon, N. Y., in his seventy-
seventh year. Mr. Prague was a retired architect
and had designed many buildings in the best resi-
dential sections of New York. He is survived by
two daughters.
Consult the Universal Want Directory of
The Review. In it advertisements are inserted
free of charge for men who desire positions
of any kind.
Smith,
Barnes
and
Strohber
Company
CHICAGO
Over 145,000 Pianos
in American Homes and
All Giving Satisfaction
MONEY MAKERS FOR THE DEALER
Write for Catalogues and Prices
Smith, Barnes & Strohber Go.
|872 Glybourn Arenue
CHICAGO