‘What Hugo couldn’t do …’

Chris Moore / The Item

By JASON WERMERS
Item Staff Writer
jwermers@theitem.com

MANNING -- Work at Scott Jackson Farms resumed this morning.

But vandals who rammed tractors in buildings, the cab of an 18-wheeler truck into a shed, and left a combine still running after ramming it into an empty horse barn, greatly changed the course of that work.

All told, more than $500,000 worth of equipment and buildings was either damaged or destroyed.

Scott Jackson Sr., who owns the farm, said the horse barn, a small unoccupied house and the shed had been built in the early 1980s. All of them survived powerful 1989 Hurricane Hugo but proved to be no match for whoever ran roughshod over the property on Paxville Highway (S.C. 261), about halfway between Paxville and Manning, while it was still dark Saturday morning.

“What Hugo couldn't do,” said Jackson, “they could.”

Jackson, 76, added that in his 55 years of farming, “I have never seen anything like this.”

If he could confront whoever is responsible, he said, “The main thing I'd ask them would be, 'Why do you want to do this? Have I done anything to you to warrant you to do this tragedy?' I'd just like to know why.”

Anyone with information is asked to contact the Clarendon County Sheriff's Department at (803) 435-4414 or Crime Stoppers at 1-888-CRIME-SC. Callers can remain anonymous and may be eligible for a cash reward.

Look for more details in The Item and www.theitem.com on Tuesday.

More images of damage and multimedia will be added later this afternoon along with tomorrow's story online.

Contact Staff Writer Jason Wermers at jwermers@theitem.com or (803) 774-1295.