TULSA, Okla. -- A piece of Tulsa history was stolen in broad daylight.
The owner of Brass Buff antique shop said the thieves struck twice in one week. Now, he’s asking for the public’s help in finding an original rope stand from the Federal courthouse.
The gold stanchion is an irreplaceable part of Tulsa history and the owners are desperate to get it back.
Inside the Brass Buff you’ll find pieces of history blanketed with the wears and tears of time.
"I enjoy this,” Robert Bolton, owner of the Brass Buff said. “It's fun to bring it back to life."
It’s a passion that's kept Bolton in business for nearly 40 years, restoring brass artifacts.
"This is cast iron with brass and that's the natural color of the metals,” Bolton said as he showed off an ornate sconce he was working on.
Bolton’s intricate work is glorified at Tulsa's exclusive little brass shop, and he takes pride in the pieces of history he’s restored over the years.
"It's kept me out of trouble for all this time,” Bolton joked.
But as fate would have it, trouble did find Bolton.
"About a week ago we had someone come through the front door,” Bolton said.
A thief, disguised as a customer, entered the store unseen, grabbed the antique stanchion, and ran.
"By the time I got up here he was already gone,” Bolton said.
However, the thief would soon return a couple days later, unfortunately with more trouble in tow. This time he confronted Bolton.
"He was looking for something for his grandmother for her birthday,” he said.
The thief is then reported to have acted interested in two antique fire extinguishers, both polished by hand to perfection.
"I mentioned to him a deal, and he said well yeah…OK,” Bolton said.
The shop owner said he went to ring up the unsuspecting customer at the cash register when he noticed the man swiftly walk out the front door, extinguishers in hand,
“I said, ‘Hey! Are you going to pay for those?’”
Unfortunately, the store didn't have any surveillance and the suspect’s description is a little fuzzy. However, the stolen extinguishers are the least of Bolton’s worries. He said the missing stanchion is his biggest concern of all.
"It is an heirloom, one of a kind,” he said.
Bolton is hoping if the thief tries to sell the items, someone will recognize them and bring them home.
The shop owners said they've now installed surveillance cameras throughout the shop to deter any thieves from striking again. If you have any information of the stolen items whereabouts, you can contact the Brass Buff or Tulsa police.
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