Stained glass windows are among the most cherished features of houses in the Skinker-DeBaliviere area. We are not alone in our fondness for them, however. In recent years they have been coveted by decorators for use in creating novel and nostalgic interiors especially in restaurants. The demand for stained glass has apparently exceeded its legitimate supply with the result that its black market value is high.
It appeared that stained glass theft was declining recently, possibly because of heightened awareness of the problem among police, but thefts are still occurring.
An instructive example with a happy ending is provided by Randy and Paula Grauer, who live in the 5900 block of Waterman. A week before they were to move into their home, thieves broke in and attempted to steal a number of windows. They were only partially successful because half of each window proved too difficult to remove. The Grauers were left with the remaining halves for identification purposes. They immediately took photographs of them.
The detective work on this case was done by Mrs. Grauer herself. First she spent several days on the phone with antique dealers trying to locate those who sold stained glass. (Several apparently civic-minded dealers will no longer handle it because so much of it is stolen.) At some of those stores where it was being sold she had to represent herself as a dealer interested in buying a large number of windows just to be allowed to look through their stock. In some cases this “stock” did not consist of just a few windows; one dealer had a whole basement full. During her search Mrs. Grauer learned that there are several dealers in town who are notorious for dealing in stolen windows. Although they were unwilling to be too specific about any criminal activity of which they were aware, some dealers suggested places she might look.
After two weeks searching through 14 stores Mrs. Grauer arrived at a small store on Manchester near Rock Hill Road identified only by a sign reading “Antiques.” There she found all of the missing windows. The owner, a Bob Holz or Holtz, claimed to have had these windows for a year until the policeman, whom Mrs. Grauer had called, informed him that she had pictures of them. He then produced the check with which he had paid his supplier. By that time the supplier was in jail on another charge. (Although he appears not to live in this neighborhood himself, he has a “helper” who lives several blocks east of DeBaliviere on Waterman.) Mr. Holz has also had his problems since this encounter. His license to operate a business in Rock Hill has been revoked for reasons other than this one. He can be expected to open a similar operation elsewhere.
The police were eager to keep the windows as evidence in any subsequent prosecution, but Mrs. Grauer, feeling that the photographs were adequate for police purposes and unwilling to live with plywood covered windows for months, took possession of the windows and returned them to their frames.
After three weeks of exhaustive work to find their glass the Grauers were not about to be content with a flimsy reinstallation of it. They have taken several steps which will make another theft more difficult and time-consuming. (These thieves are in a hurry, so anything that will slow them down helps the home owner.) The windows have been sealed shut with nails which were then countersunk. Then the depressions were filled with spackling.
We hope that the lessons of this story are obvious, but here are a few tips in summary for those of you who would hate to go through what the Grauers did.
1. If you cannot move into your house as soon as the previous owners leave and it must remain vacant for any period of time, you would be wise to have the stained glass windows boarded up FROM THE INSIDE. Of course, other security measures should also be taken, such as installing dead bolt locks on all doors and securing regular windows, especially those in the basement.
2. Photograph all your stained glass windows and have several sets of prints made. If the worst happens, you will have enought prints to share with police and helpful friends.
3. Etch your name or driver’s license number on the lead of the window in some inconspicuous place. It is a moot point whether it would be better to be conspicuous about this identification in order to discourage the theft in the first place, or to be inconspicuous so as to prevent thieves from removing the markings thereby thwarting legal identification.
4. Seal the windows as the Grauers did. It is probably not good for such old art work to be opened and closed constantly anyway.
5. If your windows should be stolen, follow through to the best of your ability. If you find them, MAKE NO SECRET OF WHERE YOU FOUND THEM, After you notify the police, inform The Paper and we will spread the word about these “fences”. Only if we make their efforts unrewarding can we hope to discourage them from receiving stolen merchandise.
6. Do not buy stained glass windows if there is the slightest doubt in your mind that they were obtained legitimately. To do so simply encourages the fence who encourages the thief.
Original photograph caption
Original stained-glass illustration. The Paper, March1975,page5. Artist not credited.
Originally published in The Paper, March 1975.
Read this article in the original newspaper issue.
Original source: SD_Times1975_03.pdf, printed page(s) 5; PDF page(s) 5.
