Stern offspring get cash, not heirlooms

NEW MILFORD, Conn., May 5 (UPI) -- The children of legendary violinist Isaac Stern are in line for a big payoff but not the one they wanted: expensive heirlooms sold off after his death.

A probate judge in New Milford, Conn., rebuked the lawyer who handled Stern's estate for selling expensive instruments and other items to satisfy debts.

The lawyer, William Moorhead III, was ordered to pay hundreds of thousands of dollars to the three grown children, the Danbury News-Times said Thursday.

"It's an outrage what happened here," said Mark Schwartz, a lawyer from Pennsylvania who represented the children.

Stern was 81 when he died. One of his sons, Michael, is music director of the Kansas City Symphony.