who I will not name because he is not worth mentioning. Mr Frank Eppes, if some of you recall, described Howard's Rock as "not worth more than dirt." I wrote to him saying, "Hearing you describe the iconic rock is worth nothing more than dirt makes you sound dumb as dirt." I left my full name and that I was a graduate of Clemson University. Here is his reply in full.
Mr. Thompson,
I do not know you, and I have no intention to responding to what was posted
On various blogs or what is being discussed on the radio. But since you had the courtesy to
Put your name and Class at Clemson, and because I think from your email address that we have some friends
In common, I am sending you this response:
If you had a transcript of the trial, you would see that I said about 12 times during my opening and
Closing (the closing argument that I did took 1:27) that Howard’s Rock was priceless – that Clemson believed it to
Be priceless and that it is beloved to the nth degree (not the words I used, but I don’t recall exactly what I said).
The law of South Carolina states that in valuing a stolen or damaged object the value is not to include “sentimental or emotional value.”
Classic example is from a case about a man’s pocket watch which was worth its replacement value even though it was his daddy’s and he
Wouldn’t have sold it for any price.
My entire jury argument regarding value came down to three points:
1. Clemson University told the appraiser that it would never sell either Howard’s Rock, the small pieces of Howard’s Rock
That were collected at the scene, or the missing piece(s) if it was returned.
2.Because of the fact that it would never be sold, the appraisal, which was based on the “Sports Memorabilia Market,” was speculative and based on a fair market value that would never exist;
3.That the Rock was beloved because of its legend and its role in the spectacle of Clemson football but that rocks of that type
(“Fractured cataclastic quartz rocks with thin quartz veining and crimson staining”, just FYI) are as common in Pickens County as dirt – I will add that the appraiser testified that without its provenance, as a rock the value was “miniscule”.
At some point, I may be willing to elaborate further on these points. I will point out to you also that my brief on the subject and the appraisal include the same arguments in a more formal form and are filed at the Pickens County Courthouse and you are free to go look at them and make copies.
Finally, I make no apology for anything I said, and I stand by anything I said, but a lot of context was lost.
I hope this explanation makes sense and I wish you the best.
Frank Eppes
Mr. Thompson,
I do not know you, and I have no intention to responding to what was posted
On various blogs or what is being discussed on the radio. But since you had the courtesy to
Put your name and Class at Clemson, and because I think from your email address that we have some friends
In common, I am sending you this response:
If you had a transcript of the trial, you would see that I said about 12 times during my opening and
Closing (the closing argument that I did took 1:27) that Howard’s Rock was priceless – that Clemson believed it to
Be priceless and that it is beloved to the nth degree (not the words I used, but I don’t recall exactly what I said).
The law of South Carolina states that in valuing a stolen or damaged object the value is not to include “sentimental or emotional value.”
Classic example is from a case about a man’s pocket watch which was worth its replacement value even though it was his daddy’s and he
Wouldn’t have sold it for any price.
My entire jury argument regarding value came down to three points:
1. Clemson University told the appraiser that it would never sell either Howard’s Rock, the small pieces of Howard’s Rock
That were collected at the scene, or the missing piece(s) if it was returned.
2.Because of the fact that it would never be sold, the appraisal, which was based on the “Sports Memorabilia Market,” was speculative and based on a fair market value that would never exist;
3.That the Rock was beloved because of its legend and its role in the spectacle of Clemson football but that rocks of that type
(“Fractured cataclastic quartz rocks with thin quartz veining and crimson staining”, just FYI) are as common in Pickens County as dirt – I will add that the appraiser testified that without its provenance, as a rock the value was “miniscule”.
At some point, I may be willing to elaborate further on these points. I will point out to you also that my brief on the subject and the appraisal include the same arguments in a more formal form and are filed at the Pickens County Courthouse and you are free to go look at them and make copies.
Finally, I make no apology for anything I said, and I stand by anything I said, but a lot of context was lost.
I hope this explanation makes sense and I wish you the best.
Frank Eppes
