Captured

Tips, media exposure help
sheriff’s deputies nab fraud suspect

July 22, 2006

From staff reports

A Greenwood man wanted in connection with more than $90,000 in thefts and fraud in a three-county area was captured Friday after a 24-hour manhunt.
Harrison Whit Bourne, 34, of 716 Stanley Ave., was arrested by Greenwood County Sheriff’s Office deputies at a mobile home in Wildwood Estates.
Responding to dozens of tips from residents overnight and into the early morning hours, deputies set up surveillance and performed checks at several locations.
About 1 p.m. Friday, investigators located Bourne and arrested him without incident.
There were others in the home at the time, but no one was arrested because they “stated they didn’t know he was wanted,” Chief Deputy Mike Frederick said. “They cooperated with us.”
Investigators also found a stolen Ford F-150 pickup truck hidden in the woods behind the home.
Although most of the parts and body work from the truck had been stripped, investigators were able to locate and recover all of the parts at several area locations.
Sheriff Dan Wideman credited Bourne’s quick capture to a combination of “hard work by investigators, media exposure and cooperation from citizens. When the law-abiding community gets behind us, this is usually how it works out.”
Wideman added that the sheriff’s office will pay a $1,000 reward to a person who provided information that led directly to Bourne’s apprehension.
Bourne is awaiting a bond hearing at the Greenwood County Detention Center. He also faces charges in Greenville, Abbeville and Laurens counties.
On Thursday, the sheriff’s office pleaded for the public’s assistance in the case, and a story about Bourne and his picture were published in The Index-Journal.
Deputies said more than $90,000 in goods and services were stolen by a person misrepresenting himself as a high-level employee of C.E. Bourne Roofing, a legitimate and well-established Greenwood County business.
Investigators said the person ordered and received a wide variety of items, including a $60,000 Caterpillar skid-steer forklift, the Ford truck and 15 hours of limousine service.
Investigators said the person intentionally represented himself as the son of an owner at C.E. Bourne Roofing and parlayed that identity into access to the good will — and attendant credit lines — available to the legitimate firm.
Bourne neither works for the firm nor has he ever been affiliated with the company and is not the son of an owner or any other employee at C.E. Bourne.
In one incident, someone rented a limousine from a Greenwood company for a trip to Greenville, ostensibly to conduct “business meetings” there in regard to roofing contracts. Instead, investigators said he and two passengers visited several bars and restaurants before returning to a Greenwood nightclub, where he left without paying an $800 bar tab.

Vehicle escapes crushing
when tree falls onto road

July 22, 2006

By LESLIE DRAFFIN
Index-Journal intern

No one yelled into a “timber” when portions of a large tree fell from a yard Friday in Reynolds Colony, blocking traffic in both directions and nearly crashing passing vehicle, but several people heard the crunching sound as the tree slammed to the ground.
“We were outside and heard a pop, pop, pop, so we came running,” said Beth Gray, who was across the street from Reynolds Colony at the time. “The tree had nearly crushed a guy’s car. If the car had been coming through just a few seconds later, the guy might have been hurt.”
Beatrice Mazyck, who lives on the property where portions of the tree have fallen twice in two months, said the car did not get damaged.
“Branches were over the front a little, but the man said he and the car were OK,” she said.
Two months ago, a limb off the same tree fell during a storm, destroying mailboxes outside Mazyck’s yard and collapsing on Doris Brown’s home across the street.
Brown had just returned from her mailbox when the limb fell.
“It’s another part of the same tree that fell,” Mazyck said. “It was just completely hollow.”
Now two portions of this mammoth tree have fallen, both times damaging property and obstructing traffic.
“We tried to get them to cut down the tree after the first time, but they wouldn’t listen to us,” Ethel Robinson, who lives in Reynolds Colony, said.
Robinson was at home when the first tree limb fell two months ago and saw it hit Brown’s home.
“I heard something like a crash and ran outside,” Robinson said, barely believing that what she’d heard was another part of the tree that fell earlier this summer.
Earl Carroll, interim president of the homeowners association, said “we will have an emergency meeting of the homeowners association and determine what the assessment fee will be to have that tree removed and, hopefully, we will have the owner of the house that it sits next to bear half the burden.”
Some residents said they worry if the tree isn’t taken down soon, other problems might occur.
“I predict the last part of this tree will fall in, oh, two months and hit my house,” Mazyck said, looking up at the leaning tree, left unbalanced from the recent damage.
“You know, we still haven’t gotten new mailboxes from the last time the tree fell. We called the post office, and they said they ordered them but it was the city’s responsibility to put them up, and we have not been contacted by them lately,” Mazyck said.

Opinion

Observations ...
... and other reflections

July 22, 2006

There are so many religious, patriotic and downright emotional issues facing us these days that sometimes it seems none can be resolved satisfactorily. There are situations that are controversial, for instance, like the effort to make burning of the American flag unconstitutional.
Proponents would let the people vote on the flag-burning question. In fact, there are indeed many occasions when there are proposals to let the people vote to settle what often are constitutional questions.
Why do some people object so much to letting people vote on anything. If we can’t trust the people, who can we trust?
Give voters an opportunity, it seems, and more often than not it’s a time when stuck pigs squeal the loudest. Wonder why?

* * * * *

There are situations these days where religious considerations are ignored. At least it seems they are often forced into the background. It appears that’s been happening in government, entertainment and other normal everyday activities. There have been so much of this that it’s encouraging to see the pendulum swinging the other way for a change.
Special religious gatherings are being held more often. Activities in Greenwood, Abbeville, and other places prove it. What about in Columbia. Hundreds of people recently got together in USC’s Williams-Brice Stadium in an effort “to ask God’s help in solving South Carolina’s and the nation’s problems.”
Do these activities indicate we are getting back to basics? They speak for themselves.

* * * * *

Speaking of USC, every sports fan remembers when Bobby Cremins, a former Gamecock basketball player, accepted the job as head coach and then reneged. Now he’s the new coach at the College of Charleston and his team will play USC in Columbia.
Cremins says he expects to be booed at that game. That shouldn’t happen. Fans should remember that Cremins always speaks well of his alma mater and has represented it well wherever he’s been. The least USC fans can do is show the same kind of consideration ..... for USC and one of its own.

Obituaries

Frank Jacob Alsbrooks, Jr.

CALHOUN FALLS — Frank Jacob Alsbrooks Jr., died Wednesday, July 20 at his home. He was the son of Christine and Frank Jacob Alsbrooks Sr. He had 3 brothers and 5 sisters. He was preceeded in death by his father and 2 brothers. He had 1 son, Dustin Jacob Alsbrooks and 1 daughter Nicole Morris and 1 son-in-law, David Morris. He had 3 grandchildren.
PAID OBITUARY

Ella Julia Chambers

Services for Ella Julia Chambers, of 4 Gilliam Court, are 3 p.m. Sunday at Dunham Temple CME Church, conducted by Pastor James McKee, assisted by Elder Dottie Henderson and the Revs. Johnny Henderson, Linda Henderson and Louise Jackson. The body will be placed in the church at 2. Burial is in Ninety Six Community Cemetery.
Pallbearers are Tyrone Brooks, Aaron Brooks, Roy Lee Brooks, Ed Gilchrist, Travis Griffin and Kenny Carroll.
Flower bearers are Willie Ann Brown, Helen Carter, Mattie Mae Baker, Janie Lee Webb, Ann Sanders and Joann Callaham.
Honorary escorts are members of the church Missionary Society.
Visitation is at the home.
Robinson & Son Mortuary Inc. is in charge.
Online condolences may be sent to the family at robson@nctv.com

James Wood

WARE SHOALS — James N. Wood, 87, of 16210 Highway 25, widower of Frances Tumblin Wood, died Friday, July 21, 2006 at McCormick Health Care Center.
Born in Laurens County, he was a son of the late William Avery and Nora Redden Wood. He was a World War II Army veteran and retired from Riegel Textiles Water Plant, Ware Shoals. He was a member of Mount Bethel United Methodist Church.
Survivors include three sons, William Byron Wood of Pelzer, James Ron Wood of Brunswick, Ga., and Gerald A. Wood of Greenwood; a sister, Juanita W. Thompson of Princeton; six grandchildren; 12 great-grandchildren.
Services are 4 p.m. Sunday at Mount Bethel United Methodist Church, conducted by Pastor William Byron Wood and the Rev. Phillip Shuler. The body will be placed in the church at 3. Burial with military honors is in the church cemetery.
Pallbearers are David Camak, Pitts Camak Jr., Richard Wood, Joe Wood, Tommy Wood, Maxie Craigo, Terry Wood and Roger Wood.
Visitation is after the service.
Family members are at their respective homes.
Memorials may be made to Mount Bethel United Methodist Church Cemetery Fund, c/o Dot Sullivan, 1081 Dairy Road, Ware Shoals, SC 29692.
Blyth Funeral Home & Cremation Services is in charge.
Online condolences may be sent to the family at www.blythfuneralhome.com