Police have recovered an historic bell stolen from the Pleasantville Fire Department. Thieves apparently had already begun smashing it to pieces by the time police, acting on tips, were able to obtain search warrants to recover the bell. Police suspect it was being broken up for its salvage value, CBS reports.
The 114-year-old bronze bell — which measures 3 feet tall and weighs about 200 pounds — was manufactured in 1909 by the Buckeye Bell Foundation. It was used in the early 20th century before the creation of sirens to alert firefighters about reported fires.
The department has been planning to create a memorial for the piece of history and had recently finished building a mount for it. As they were about to mount the bell, they noticed that it was gone.
Two men have been charged in connection with the case, CBS reports.
