A 130-year-old brass bell that sat in front of the Ballard Elks Lodge on Shilshole Bay was stolen over the weekend.
Somehow thieves had loaded up the 800-pound bell from its resting spot in front of the lodge. Members reported the crime to police, hoping it was just a prank. Then when they started calling scrap yards in the area out of precaution, they made a sad discovery.
Recycling Depot in Georgetown told them that it received pieces of what appeared to be a brass bell.
“It’s really tough to decipher what’s stolen and what’s not stolen,” the manager of Recycling Depot told KIRO 7 when the TV station called. “We like to help as much as we can with something like this.” He said they bought the pieces for about $200.
It’s unclear how many pieces of the bell will be recovered. One member on Facebook said the bell originated from the Fremont Fire Marshall years ago.
In the meantime, Ballard Elks members said they’re putting up security cameras.