A Skokie woman who was mad at her husband placed his Stradivarius replica violin in the couple's driveway, and it was stolen less than two hours later, police said.
The 42-year-old woman put the violin at the end of the driveway on the 9300 block of Forestview Road about 1 p.m. Sunday, police said. Her 52-year-old husband said he did not know his wife had removed the instrument from their home until about 3 p.m. and that it was gone when he went to retrieve it, police said.
If you take it and it doesn't belong to you, it's theft. Simple really.
There's no moral to the original story, as far as I can see. Except that I've always considered musical instruments to be sacrosanct. In his place, I wouldn't forgive her.
There is a great John McCutcheon song about a man who buys a Red Corvette for $10. Turns out the husband left the wife, but called and told her he needed cash, and directed her to sell the car and send him the money. So she did!
Taking the fiddle from the drive wouldn't be considered theft here. Putting things to the curb is the favorite way to give items away. The theft was by the wife.
RichardB, if "a relationship with no strings is best", then I guess I must be half-safe because my wife sings but doesn't play any instrument although I play an instrument which is basically a big box with four strings attached to it.
I have to agree that if you put something at the end of your driveway or by the sidewalk, that means that you are giving it away for free where I grew up.... ok, often people will add a little sign saying "free", but not always. It's pretty common to find boxes of things left up for grabs curbside in residential areas in Canada. Though, to be honest, most of the stuff left out there is out there for a reason... a fiddle would be quite a find!
I brought home my instrument after seeing it sad and lonely sitting by a camper at a music festival with a price tag stuck around it's case. Not having a cell to check home I took pity and brought it home only to find out the wife had ordered another brand for me for Christmas. while I'm still very happy with my lovely dulcimer, if I were to inadvertently drive over it with the car she wouldn't be disappointed.
Was she the lucky lady ..had Mick Coleman and his friends passed by she would have needed to entertaining and ...make breakfast for ..maybe 50 Irishmen........Would she have wenjoyed it ???????.................Yes because THEY WOULD ALL PROBABLY HAVE PAID HER
A Cautionary Tale for Married Musicians
A Cautionary Tale for Married Musicians
From today's Chicago Tribune:
A Skokie woman who was mad at her husband placed his Stradivarius replica violin in the couple's driveway, and it was stolen less than two hours later, police said.
The 42-year-old woman put the violin at the end of the driveway on the 9300 block of Forestview Road about 1 p.m. Sunday, police said. Her 52-year-old husband said he did not know his wife had removed the instrument from their home until about 3 p.m. and that it was gone when he went to retrieve it, police said.
The violin was valued at $2,000, he told police
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chicago/chi-skokie-violin-blotter-n-bothsep10,0,4874148.story
And the moral is?
# Posted on September 10th 2008 by Jameson Stew
Re: A Cautionary Tale for Married Musicians
Don't steal cheap Strad copies....
# Posted on September 10th 2008 by Will Harmon
Re: A Cautionary Tale for Married Musicians
...If that was her attempt at revenge served cold, I imagine her cooking's not very good either.
# Posted on September 10th 2008 by nicholas
Re: A Cautionary Tale for Married Musicians
I can't wait to hear the banjo version of this story. You know - next morning there wrere ten banjos at the end of the driveway...
# Posted on September 10th 2008 by grego
Re: A Cautionary Tale for Married Musicians
... and then the husband shrugged his shoulders and said, "I was thinking about buying a more expensive violin anyway"...
# Posted on September 10th 2008 by VoxRob
Re: A Cautionary Tale for Married Musicians
I'm still trying to figure out how a fiddle intentionally left at the end of a driveway for two hours is "stolen."
# Posted on September 10th 2008 by Jameson Stew
Re: A Cautionary Tale for Married Musicians
If you take it and it doesn't belong to you, it's theft. Simple really.
There's no moral to the original story, as far as I can see. Except that I've always considered musical instruments to be sacrosanct. In his place, I wouldn't forgive her.
# Posted on September 10th 2008 by ethical blend
Re: A Cautionary Tale for Married Musicians
I left a harmonica at the end of my drive. Next morning the harmonica was still there but the drive had been stolen.
# Posted on September 10th 2008 by Steve Shaw
Re: A Cautionary Tale for Married Musicians
I don't think she liked his playing very much.
If that ever happened to me, I'd be seeing a divorce attorney the next day.
# Posted on September 10th 2008 by Marklar
Re: A Cautionary Tale for Married Musicians
If had a fiddle worth $2k my ex-wife woulda stole and sold it her herself.
# Posted on September 10th 2008 by SWFL Fiddler
Re: A Cautionary Tale for Married Musicians
Presumably one of our Transatlantic cousins can tell whether each of these people is a Democrat or a Republican.
But unlike the party narratives, this tale seems fairly devoid of moral content.
# Posted on September 10th 2008 by nicholas
Re: A Cautionary Tale for Married Musicians
He got off lightly. Remember Mrs. Bobbit.
# Posted on September 11th 2008 by oldstrings
Re: A Cautionary Tale for Married Musicians
That's why a relationship with no strings is best
# Posted on September 11th 2008 by RichardB
Re: A Cautionary Tale for Married Musicians
There is a great John McCutcheon song about a man who buys a Red Corvette for $10. Turns out the husband left the wife, but called and told her he needed cash, and directed her to sell the car and send him the money. So she did!
# Posted on September 11th 2008 by AlBrown
Re: A Cautionary Tale for Married Musicians
Had the man left the missus during a date at the cinema to go hear some peoples play diddly-idle music down the pub?
# Posted on September 11th 2008 by RockyRoader
Re: A Cautionary Tale for Married Musicians
Taking the fiddle from the drive wouldn't be considered theft here. Putting things to the curb is the favorite way to give items away. The theft was by the wife.
# Posted on September 11th 2008 by tracywag
Re: A Cautionary Tale for Married Musicians
RichardB, if "a relationship with no strings is best", then I guess I must be half-safe because my wife sings but doesn't play any instrument although I play an instrument which is basically a big box with four strings attached to it.
# Posted on September 11th 2008 by fauxcelt
Re: A Cautionary Tale for Married Musicians
I have to agree that if you put something at the end of your driveway or by the sidewalk, that means that you are giving it away for free where I grew up.... ok, often people will add a little sign saying "free", but not always. It's pretty common to find boxes of things left up for grabs curbside in residential areas in Canada. Though, to be honest, most of the stuff left out there is out there for a reason... a fiddle would be quite a find!
# Posted on September 12th 2008 by gretchen
Re: A Cautionary Tale for Married Musicians
I brought home my instrument after seeing it sad and lonely sitting by a camper at a music festival with a price tag stuck around it's case. Not having a cell to check home I took pity and brought it home only to find out the wife had ordered another brand for me for Christmas. while I'm still very happy with my lovely dulcimer, if I were to inadvertently drive over it with the car she wouldn't be disappointed.
Guess I'll not show her this thread. . . . .
# Posted on September 14th 2008 by jrathbun
Re: A Cautionary Tale for Married Musicians
Was she the lucky lady ..had Mick Coleman and his friends passed by she would have needed to entertaining and ...make breakfast for ..maybe 50 Irishmen........Would she have wenjoyed it ???????.................Yes because THEY WOULD ALL PROBABLY HAVE PAID HER
# Posted on September 14th 2008 by camlough