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Walter E. Pirkle Sgt. Maj. (U.S. Army Retired) Walter Edward Pirkle, 54, of Colum- Inis, Georgia died Sunday, November 2 at St. Francis Hospital in Columbus. A funeral service was held at 2 |).m. Friday, November 7 at New Mount Olive Baptist Church, 2311 Dawson Street, Columbus with the Rev. Columbus Wilson, pastor, offi ciating. lie was buried Monday, No vember 10, in the Main Post Cem etery at Fort Benning, Georgia. Mr. Pirkle was born October 13, 1040 in I lokc County, the son of the late Lela Mac Pirkle and Eddie W. Roper Sr. 1 le attended public schools in Raelord and is a graduate of Upchurch High School. He served in the U.S. Army for 27 years. At an early age, he united with Christ and later joined Mt. Olive Baptist Church, where he served faithfully until he became ill. Mr. Pirkle was a Senior Sunday School teacher and a member of the Senior Usher Board at Mount Olive. He was ordained as a minister on October 12. Survivors include four daughters, Teresa Pirkle of Warner Robbins, (Jeorgia; Lashawn, Anora and Antria Pirkle, all of Salisbury, Maryland; three sisters, Mary and Wanda Roper, both of Raeford, and Versa Anderson of Massachusetts; seven brothers, Jtimes (w'ife Johnnie) of Wind.sor Locks, Connecticut, Freddie Foster and Eddie Jr. Roper of Raeford, Artis Roper of Pinehurst, Henry Pirkle of St. Petersburg, Florida, Little James McLetm (w ife Andena) of Wagram, and Charles Pirkle of Milton, Mary land; an aunt, Mary Joe Shaw of Raeford; two grandchildren, Brandon and Perrance of Warner Robins; and three devoted friends, Aundrahlia Miort, Holsey and Minister Sandra Buckner, all of Columbus; and a host of nieces, nephews, cousins and "iends. Eva Mae P. Miller Mrs. Eva Mae Plummer Miller, Ml, of 7079 Fayetteville Road, Raeford, died F'riday, November 7, 2003 in Autumn Care of Raeford. Mrs. Miller was born in Hoke County on August 3, 1922 to the late John I lenry PlummerSr. and VirginiaTho- mas Powell Plummer. She wasa mem- ber of Parker United Methodist Church and was employed with 1-cohomy Moving Company and the Civil Service before retiring. I ler hus- b.md, James C. Miller Sr., preceded her in death. Gra\ eside services were conducted at 11 a.m. Monday, November 10 in Raeford Cemetery held by the Rever end ('ov Brock. Obituaries November 12,2003 THE NEWS-JOURNAL Raeford, N.C. 5A Walter Pirkle Survivors include one son, James C. Miller II of Raeford; one daughter, Frances M. Sullivan of Mt. Olive; twi) brothers, Ralph C. Plummer of Raeford and William E. Plummer of Goldsboro; two sisters, Virginia Allison of Raeford and Dorothy Wil son of Garner; four grandchildren; and .seven great-grandchildren. Memorials may be made to Alzheimer's Association. 40t)Oberl in Suite 208, Raleigh, NC 27605-1351. Grumpier Funeral Home and Cre mation Services Inc. served the fam ily. Joseph Blue Joseph (Joe) Blue, 60, of538 North Lake Road, Red Springs, died Satur day, Novembers, 2003 in Southeast ern Regional Medical Center in Lumberton. Mr. Blue was a member of Mt. Elim Baptist Church in Red Springs. He was born in Robeson County on January 8, 1943. Mr. Blue was preceded in death by his parents, Angus Archie Blue and Flora Jane Locklear Blue; his wife, Clarcie Maynor Blue, his brothers, Angus (June) Blue and Peter Blue, and a fosterson, Raymond I lenderson. Funeral services were conducted at 3 p.m. Tuesday, November 11 in Mt. Elim Baptist Church in Red Springs heldby the Rev erendTony Brewington. Burial was in the church cemetery. Survivors include three sons. Perry E. Blue of Maxton, Patrick F. Blue of Conway and Dustin F. J. Blue of Red Springs; two sisters, Shirley Locklear of Red Springs and Otis Patterson of Maxton; four foster children, Diane Henderson, Bonnie Sue Hender.son, Mary Jane Henderson and Chester Henderson; and 10 grandchildren, Jonathon Collins, Fredrick D. Hunt, Victor Cole Andrew, Jessie Joseph Oriarte, Harley Ray Locklear, Chris tian Andrew Locklear, Patrick D. FREE TURKEY EACH WEEK In Recognition of Thanksgiving Triangle Cabinets of Raeford is Giving Away 1 Tlirkey Evei)^ Friday FREE! We Do More Than Cabinets and Floors! ^ Riieford’s Discount Appliance ^ and Home Improvement Center Home Repair • Room Additions Vinyl Windows and Siding • Gutters Washers • Divers • Dishwashers Of Raeford 126 N. MAIN ST. •RAEFORD 875-8966 Visa / Master / Discover Financing Available ^0' DISH NETWORK VALUE PAK \ \ OVER 130 CHANNELS Distouerv rg estTi USA’ y ' ■ - PLUS MANY MOREI HBG' 8 CHANNELS ' CHANNELS GET A FREE 2-ROOM SATELLITE TV SYSTEM AND STANDARD PROFESSIONAL INSTAUATK5N J&P Satellite TV. Raeford 848-3914 N E 1 W O R K ,' . ill r * . '■ -li' ^ , , 1.^ i b V , 'I ti' ' M ' • • I ' Blue, Dillon Thor Blue, Claire Emily Blue and Josie Leigh Blue. Annie P. Young Mrs. Annie Patterson Young, 98, of5699Turnpike Road, Raeford,died Sunday, November 9, 2003 in her home. Funeral services will be conducted at 2 p.m. Wednesday, November 12 in Freedom East Presbyterian Church heldby the Reverend Cora L. Watkins. Burial will be in Mount Grove Church Cemetery. Survivors include several nieces and nephews. Buie Funeral Home in Raeford served the family. Darryl Melvin Darryl Melvin of Raeford, died Thursday, November 5, 2003 in Pinehurst Health Care & Rehabilita tion Center. Funeral services were conducted at 2 p.m. Tuesday, November 11 in Laurel Hill Baptist church in Lumber Bridge held by the Reverend Mary Love. Burial was in the church cem etery. Survivors include five brothers, Samuel Melvin, Louis Melvin and Connell Melvin, all of Raeford, Rob ert Melvin of Fayetteville and l.eon Melvin of Burlington; and two sis ters, Joyce Thompson of Burlington and Linda Jones of West End. Jackson Funeral Home of Laurinburg served the family. Bill Phillips George William (Bill) Phillips, 65, 6987 Rockfish Road, Fayetteville, died Tuesday, November 11,2003 at DVA Medical Center in Augusta, Georgia. Mr. Phillips was a veteran of the U.S. Army. His funeral will be Friday, No vember 14 at 2 p.m. in Grumpier Funeral Home Chapel in Raeford. Burial w ill be in Cumberland Memo rial Gardens in Fayetteville. Visitation is at Grumpier Funeral Home Thursday, November 13 at 7-9 p.m. Mr. Phillips issurvivedby hiswife, Virginia B. Phillips; two sons, James R. Sinclair and Reuben H. Sinclair, both of Fayetteville; three daughters, Rachel M. Odum and Beverly R. Blalock, both of Fayetteville; and Amy M. Diaz of Madera, California; one brother, Forrest Phillips of Forsyth, Georgia; four sisters, Joyce Martin of Manchester, Tennessee, Paulette Hollis of Smyrna, Tennessee, Doris Ivey of Grovetown, Georgia, and Linda Murphy of Winterhaven, Florida;sevengrandchildren; and four great-grandchildren. Dr. D. Hiltun Seals Dr. D. Hilton Seals, 79, of Whittier passed away Sunday, November 2, 2003 at Mountain Trace Nursing Cen ter. Dr. Seals was a native of Hoke County. Memorials may be made to I larris Regional Hospital Chaplaincy Pro gram, c/o Harris Regional Hospital, 68 Hospital Road, Sylva, NC 28779; or to Ensley Adult Care, 505 Rocking Cove, Sylva, NC 28779. Former sheriff alleges misconduct Jim Davis files complaints against Sheriff Hubert Peterkin By Victoriana Summers Staff writer Ex-sheriffJim Davis has filed com plaints with District Attorney Kristy M. Newton and N.C. State Attorney General Roy Cooper, seeking assis tance in investigating alleged “mis conduct” he says was committed by Hoke Sheriff Hubert Peterkin. Davis’s accusation comes when Peterkin and District Attorney Kristy M. Newton have already announced a joint request for the State Bureau of Investigation to investigate a recent jailbreak of four inmates at the Hoke County Detention Center. After es caping from the jail annex on October 28, fugitives Hector Noel Mqjarro Frausto, Christopher Damien I landon, Steven Ray Locklear, and John Shan non Phillips were captured, “Mr. Peterkin’s behavior is will fully creating an unsafe environment within the Hoke County Jail, which has now resulted in the escape of four inmates being held on a variety of felony charges,” Davis said in a No vember 3 letter to Cooper. Peterkin declined to specifically comment on Davis’s allegations. “My focus is showing the county what a good job the Sheriff's Office is doing,” Peterkin said. “My concerns are for the welfare of our citizens.” Davis said he does not expect to receive a response from Cooper about Peterkin until after the SBl completes their investigation of the local jail. No longer an elected official, Davis filed his complaints as a private citizen without any official authority. Davis is not a certified law enforcement officer. Newton confirmed Davis filed a complaint with her office that will be reviewed. However, she said the SBl inquiry is “statutorily” required and is routine when a jailbreak occurs. She said the joint request from Peterkin and herself to the SBl did not result because of Davis’s complaint. "Mrs. Newton said she would go over and look at the jail,” Davis said. “The information given by Mr. Peterkin to news media was clearly inconsistent. “Those inmates would have had to have access to that (rear) door, and that would be a (alleged) dereliction of duty by someone.” Peterkin defeated Davis in the sheriff's race in December 2002. Davis said he left office on a disability retirement. Peterkin formerly served as Davis’s chief deputy-major, but resigned to return to the Fayetteville Police Department until his election as sheriff. Prior to Peterkin’s re-elec tion, Davis charged Peterkin with a controversial driving citation. The case was subsequently dismissed in court because of lack of evidence to support Davis's allegations. Davis said he requested the recent probe to investigate the alleged “fail ure” of Peterkin to discharge his du ties as Hoke’s sheriff. A diversion created by inmates to distract two jailers and jam a cell door, a back door that “malfunc tioned," and a lack of staffing at the annex were cited as preliminary rea sons for the jailbreak, according to HOLIDAY LOANS AVAILABLE NOW! $300 to $2,500 Heiiy Turner • Dehra Osborne Come and visit our friendly staff today! National Finance Company 714 Harris Avenue • P.O.Box 218 • Raeford, NC 28376-0218 Phone (910) 875-2136 ♦ Fax (910) 875-3810 The Shop k. ^fushiOH oj, ^auts Announces a ^ Pre-Christmas Sale 1 Receive a FREE Christmas Sweater valued 1 at $54 with a $150 or more purchase from . our regular priced Fall Fashions while supplies last. Fashions Arailable hi Misses, Petite and Plus Sizes The Back Room "2 for 1 ” Sale Continues Buy 1 Fall Item at regular price and receive a Second Item of equal or lesser price FREE. 221 W. Broad Street St. Pauls, NC 28384 Phone: 865-4147 Mon.-Sat. 9:30 am-5:30 pm Peterkin. “We have a surveillance video that clearly shows what transpired the night of the escape,” Peterkin said last week prior to Davis’s complaint. “The SBl will investigate and come up with findings on the escape. “Our jailers were patrolling on a regular basis, but because of over crowded conditions they did not real ize the four inmates were missing at that time.” Initially, it was reported by Peterkin that a window was thought to have been the escape method of the in mates. He also blamed county com missioners for not approving his pre vious request to hire more jailers. Dennis Baxley, Hoke’s building di rector, later repaired the broken win dow. However, Davis alleged that the jailbreak was due to “human error” and disciplinary action should have been taken. He said escapees would have also had to break through a sec ond door before reaching the back door — a door that should have been locked with a key but was (allegedly) not secured. According to several sources, the sister of Hoke Chief Deputy Troy McDuffie was one of the jailers alleg edly on duty during the jailbreak. Peterkin declined to comment on per sonnel issues. Davis said during his administra tion two jailbreaks occurred. One in cident happened after an inmate held a guard hostage, he added. "I looked to terminate an employee responsible,” Davis said. “1 got the SBl involved to make sure no crimi nal contact had occurred between the jailers and the inmates. “Mr. Peterkin’s conduct certainly gave the dynamics in place for those inmates to feel secure enough to even challenge the jailers. It is impossible for an inmate to escape out of a win dow at the Hoke jail.” Davis said county commissioners could not be blamed for the operation of Hoke’s jail. “They fund the budget,” Davis said, “but they are not responsible for the daily responsibilities at the jail. That is the obligation of the sheriff. “Regardless of how many people are on staff, the jailers are supposed to rotate and periodically check the cells. You are supposed to do a head count on each shift to know whom you have got in jail, and that door in the annex should have been locked.” Davis alleged Peterkin misled the public on the circumstances of how the jailbreak occurred. He said even though the Hoke jail is an aging facil ity it is soundly built. You have to work with what you have got, " Davis said. “1 constantly required more staff, but that did not absolve me. I had to get them to make sure all areas of that jail were cov ered." State contradicts Davis However, Bob Lewis, section chief for the N .C. department of Health and Human Services, who inspects jail and detention facilities, contradicted Davis’ assessment of Hoke’s deten tion center. “The current Hoke County Jail is old, ill-designed, outdated, periodi cally overcrowded, and in need of replacement,” Lewis wrote on No vember 5 in a letter to Peterkin. “The 35? • Accounting • Bookkeeping Amy Sheppard CerlilltHl Public Accountant 121 Main St. 875-8290 Hoke County Jail reflects ongoing and increasing overcrowding in the jail. “As I stated to you in our Septem ber meeting, you should request the board to commit to a comprehensive feasibility study and architect selec tion to design and build a new jail to meet Hoke County’s future confine ment needs.” Lewis credited Peterkin with en suring rounds are conducted by jail ers every thirty minutes in compli ance with state regulations. He did not lodge any criticism against Peterkin. “Mr. (Donnie) Byrd specifically designated the annex area must be staffed at all times,” Lewis said. "Tak ing into consideration the most seri ous recent escape of four dangerous felons from this specific confinement area, coupled with the increasing over crowding n the jail, 1 agree with Mr. Byrd’s and your assessment that ad ditional staff is needed in order to meet this standard.” Lewis urged county commission ers to approve Peterkin’s past request for additional jail staff, a request the sheriff made in February, June and October of 2003 to the board. Lewis never faulted Peterkin in the two-page letter he wrote concerning the jail. “1 want to work cooperatively with you and your staff in meeting any of your detention needs," Lewis said. County backs probe Commission Vice Chairman Charles V. Daniels said his board wants to minimize any problems in the Hoke jail. “1 just want the truth to come out —whatever it is—in this SBl probe,” Daniels said. “I want to know the true facts of the escape regardless if the SBl says we arc to blame or some one else is. “The truth needs to be told." Commission Chairman Bobby Wright said he hoped the jailbreak is one strictly related to “human error.” “1 think an SBl investigation will bring an end to this, " Wright said. “We want to solve any conditions at the jail that need to be improved. “1 think our board has bent over backwards to fund the Sheriff’s Of fice with over $200,000 of budget amendments that were not in the origi nal budget for this year. W e even gave the staff a 10 percent pay increase,” he said. “If we need more jail personnel, the jail feasibility study that we have contracted will inform us of that fact.” Commissioner Jean Po'.vell. retired Hoke district attorney, said she thinks the SBl investigation is a “good” thing and is merely a routine protocol. “It is not a criminal investigation' of the Sheriff’s Office, but is being conducted because a jailbreak of in mates is a criminal offense," Powell said. “In my 20 years of experience as a district attorney, there were several jailbreaks. I do not remember one jailbreak that was not investigated by the SBl.” Powell said an outside agency is more effective to find out the causes of an escape. “An SBl investigation adds cred ibility,” Powell said. “We want to bring harmony to this county, and the SBl commonly does this kind of in vestigation.” IT S ALL AT THE Raeford United Methodist Church FRIDAY. 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The News-Journal (Raeford, N.C.)
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Nov. 12, 2003, edition 1
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