Asheville Citizen-Times from Asheville, North Carolina • Page 4

ASHEVILLE CITIZEN-TIMES TUESDAY, AUG. II, 1998 They aire trying to save WW f. Sheriff I under stress i at time of death 7W -A Survivor never doubted that help would arrive I' Xs 1 4 By Candka Hughes ASSOCIATED PRESS WAITER NAIROBI, Kenya -Sammy Ng'ang'a took Btock. In the blackness, he could see nothing but knew his left leg was pinned broken, it later turned out Blood poured down his face from deep gashes on his forehead and tongue. Some teeth were missing.

He patted his pockets. Nothing but some matches. He fired one up and looked around. Only moments before, the 48-year-old scrap metal dealer had been visiting a friend next door to the American Embassy in downtown Nairobi Then everything exploded. Now he was trapped in a small clearing near a stairwell at the edge of a gaping hole.

A wire cable dangled nearby. The clearing was no more than 4 feet high and a few feet across. The match's flicker didn't reach to the bottom of the hole. Ng'ang'a freed his leg and grabbed the cable to haul himself away from the hole. Then he rolled his coat into a pillow and drifted off to sleep, never doubting help would come.

When it did, in the form of a crack Israeli rescue team calling out for anyone alive, he was startled to hear another voice nearby: a woman's. "Amesema nini?" she asked in Swahffi. "What did hesayT "They are trying to save us, he told her. Ng'ang'a spent 36 hours trapped in the rubble, but he never lost hope. And he did his best to see that the woman still known to the world only as Rose didn't either.

He was perfect for the job. A cheerful stoic, Ng'ang'a came across as the plucky kind of fellow who takes what life dishes out without whimpering. He accepts and survives. When he realized his plight, Ng'ang'a said, his thoughts turned to stories he'd read about people trapped for days in collapsed buildings. By his reckoning, he said, his rescuers were early "I was expecting to wait two or three days," he said from his hospital bed Monday as the search for the now-silent Rose grew more desperate.

Crews last heard Rose speak at 3 p.m. Sunday, but tapping was heard inside the wreckage early Monday, raising hopes that she and another woman identified by the Red Cross as Jane might still be found alive. Friday morning, Ng'ang'a had dropped by the Ufundi Cooperative House to see a business associate. The friend's office was on the ground floor, perhaps 60 feet from the embassy across a parking lot Around 10:30 a.m. they heard a boom.

People rushed to the windowed corridor facing the embassy to what had happened. They heard what sounded like a short burst of machine-gun fire. Seconds later the world around them blew up. At least a dozen people were in front of Ng'ang'a and took the force of the blast "I was lucky," he said. "I was not hit directly." But he was trapped, bleeding and alone.

By the time he heard the first voices, Ng'ang'a had lost all track of time an hour seemed like days. It was Saturday. "Is anybody alive?" someone called. Ng'ang'a first thought he was dreaming. Then he cried out "Yes! Yes! Yes!" "What's your name?" they shouted.

They heard me, he thought "Ng'ang'a!" Over and over they called his name and he replied to help them find him. That's when Rose first spoke. She wanted water, Ng'ang'a said, and she was frantic to get out She asked to be the first one rescued. But Rose and Jane were trapped in a much more difficult section of wreckage. The Israelis could reach Ng'ang'a; they couldn't reach the women.

Ng'ang'a tried to reassure Rose: "If I go, I said, they will 1 'U Kn. f-i i tilS-' 1 THE ASSOCIATED PRESS NAIROBI, Kenya Israeli special rescuer Gil Rainer shakes hands and gives flowers to Sammy Ng'ang'a Sunday in the hospital where Ng'ang'a was being treated. Ng'ang'a was found alive after being buried for 36 hours in the collapsed building next to the U.S. Embassy. 5 out Saturday night to a waiting ambulance, almost exactly 36 hours after the bombing.

Unlike many of his countrymen, Ng'ang'a isn't a religious man or a superstitious one. He said he had no premonitions of disaster and didn't pray during his ordeal He had simply waited in calm confidence for help to come. He hoped Rose could Figures as of Monday for the tion he recalled took place with the rescuers. Suddenly, they broke through to NgangYs burrow. Rescuer Gil Wiener stretched out his hand.

Not yet The Israelis kept at it Drilling, digging, gently nudging debris aside as the hours ticked by. Finally, twisting through the rubble, they hauled him coordinated attacks, pointed to experienced terrorists. Osama bin Laden, an exiled Saudi Arabian millionaire, has sponsored similar attacks and is a prime suspect experts said. Two previously unknown Islamic group are the only ones to claim responsibility so far. Feds: Gritz RixJolpk from page Al the 30-square-mile search area in the Nantahak National Forest though investigators occasionally place some areas off-limits.

In the past Gritz has held military-type training classes in the Andrews area. "We don't think Rudolph has attended the preparedness training, but we think he may know people who have attended it" aaid Vied Gritz, Bo Gritz's daughter-in-law and office manager of his organization, Center For Action. "We don't know this guy at alL We dont know where he is." Vicci Gritz said her father-in-law will figure out the best way to find Rudolph after getting to WNC. "He wants to get out there and get oriented," she said. Cherokee County Sheriff Jack Thompson said he doesn't think Gritz will fare any better than the more than 200 federal, state and local law enforcement officers now searching the Nantahala National Forest for Rudolph.

"I don't think he can hunt these mountains any better than we can," Thompson said. Sheriff rem page Al ing four misdemeanor criminal charges, which were slat- ed for court on Aug. 25. Howell was accused of; assaulting a female dispatch- er by grabbing her breast oh April 18. He faced a second assault charge on the same female for a similar attack the next day.

The sheriff was also charged with assault on female for allegedly grabbing' another department employ; ee's breast on Feb. 12. He faced yet another charge of communicating threats to a Sheriff's Department employee. According to. the warrant the sheriff threatened to kill the employ- Howell, a Republican, had complained that the charges, were politically motivated.

I Jerry Crisp, an Andrews! police officer who served as, Howell's chief deputy for, nearly eight years, said his former boss was the frequent, target of what he called hurt; ful lies and rumors," includ-. ing allegations that Howell, was a heavy drinker. "Never on duty did I ever smell the odor of alcohol on. him," Crisp said. "I think all.

the lies and the rumors, I' think that had to have some4 thing to do with (his suicide.) They dug in on him." Crisp said that Howell's pending trial did not seem to be troubling him when they spoke last Wednesday. "He seemed to be in good' spirits, good humor," Crisp said. "We talked about his' case a little bit and he didn't seem to be worried about it" Crisp wishes that District Attorney Charles Hipps had' called in the SBI to investi-' gate the allegations against Howell, which is frequently' done when there are charges' against elected officials, "I'm angry at the DA's office for having double stan- dards," he said. But Hipps defended his decision not to call for a state I investigation, saying that such a probe would be time-; consuming and unnecessary. "I saw no need to bring 1 the SBI in to investigate," Hipps said.

"All the facta were there for the magis-: trate. He could either believe or not believe. An autopsy conducted Monday morning at Harris Regional Hospital in Sylva 1 showed that Howell died from a single gunshot wound to the head. "It was either instanta- neous or nearly instanta- neous," said Dr. William Mima, who handled the autopsy.

Blood samples have been sent to Chapel Hill to deter- mine if there was any indication of drug or alcohol use. Mima also said his examination revealed no evidence that Howell was suffering from any chronic or potentially fatal illnesses. Howell colleagues in adjoining counties say he was cooperative and easy to work with. "We had a good working relationship," said Swain County Sheriff Bob Ogle. "I don't know what led up to this or anything about the charges that had been alleged against him recently." Cherokee County Sheriff Jack Thompson said: "I never had a problem with Mclvin.

He was fine fellow as far as I know." "To me, he was the best fellow I ever worked for," Crisp said. "He was always good to me. I never saw him do anything crooked or out-ofline." Jerry Townson, a Murphy lawyer, had represented Howell until recently, when he was subpoenaed by prosecutors to testify In Howell's trial "I was disappointed that I couldn't represent the sher iff," he said, "He was a good man. It's (his suicide's) a very, very bad tiling to have happen." Clinton: Bombings must not deter U.S. in fight against OAMCTT NEWS SERVICE President Clinton said Monday that the bombings of UJ3.

embassies in Kenya and Tanzania show the long reach of terrorism but America must not be deterred. The more open the world becomes, the more vulnerable people become to those who are organized and have bombings of the U.S. Embassies hi Kenya and Tanzania, according to Kenya's Department of Relief and Rehabilitation and the U.S. Embassy in Tanzania. KENYA Total Dead: 192.

American 12. Hortd: 4,877. KospRaSnd: 542. Treated tad discharged: 4,257. TANZANIA Total dud: 10.

Americans: 0. Injured: 74. KotpttaBzed: 6. Radio dispute to be settled by bids come next for you." Hours went by as the Israelis tunneled through the wrecked four-story building. The work was painstaking.

One wrong move and the rubble could collapse further, crushing the survivors. Ng'ang'a couldn't tell how far away Rose was from him. They didn't talk about their Injuries. What little conversa for the 21st century," he said. VS.

officials have promised to punish those responsible for the two terrorist attacks Friday in Nairobi, Kenya, and Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. But first investigators must figure out who that would be. Early signs, including the sheer professionalism of the bureaucrats," he said. He declined further comment and Brian Lee, Zeb Lee's son and WZLS program manager, could not be reached Monday Brady and Yelverton, who also represents one of Orion's competitors for the license, said an auction could be held in a year or less. They said they have mixed feelings about the auction procedure.

Yelverton said his clients, a partnership based in Greenwood, S.C "are not happy that we would have to bid and pay a substantial price for this (but) it does bring the proceeding to close. We think it's the most objective and fairway to go." The auction method amounts to the government "just deciding that the public interest is just getting however much money (it) can get" Brady said. Yelverton aaid whoever gets control of the frequency will have to either put together a chain of stations or sell out to an existing major broadcaster due to competitive pressures. "The days of mom and pop operators in markets tike Asheville are ovty he said. do the same.

As he called out his farewell, he realized he knew nothing about her not even her last name. Dozens of Kenyans were still missing Monday, and no one had come forward to claim Rose, or to say who she is. "I told hen I'm gone," he said "And they are coming for you next" terrorism 1 dead and injured in the at manhunt "It seems like he's being persecuted without any substantia! evidence," Vied Gritz said. Gritz, a highly decorated Vietnam veteran, helped negotiate an end to the FBI siege at Ruby Ridge, Idaho, in 1992. He briefly became a mediator in the Freemen standoff In Montana in 1996, but gave up when they told him they would not submit to the federal court system.

"Eric's mom recently expressed fears that her son will be shot on sight I share her concern," Gritz said in an Internet statement "Bounty hunters abound, seeking the $1 million reward for Eric's arrest I can Imagine why Eric has remained at large It's time to thwart those with blood money in their eye and save Eric RudolphT In his offer to Rudolph, Gritz promises to give the $1 million reward to Rudolph's mother. Federal investigators have combed a 30-square-mile search area in northwestern Macon County for Rudolph since last month, when a Nantahala resident said the fugitive contacted him, weapons, information technology and the ability to move," Clinton said in Louisville, Ky. "We must be strong In dealing with this. We must not be deterred by the threat of other action." "There is no way out if we start running away from this kind of conduct We have to build a civilized, open world restored WZLS to the airwaves untO the FCC came up with a way to settle the matter permanently. Congress last summer passed legislation directing that the FCC auction off broadcast licenses, but it also gave the FCC the option of coming up with another means of deciding cases in which a winning applicant had already been chosen, as in the WZLS case.

The FCC chose not to exercise that option. Its statement aays that "auctions would be fairer and more efficient than comparative hearings." The commission statement says that while applicants in cases like the WZLS one have already spent much time and money seeking licenses, "these equitable concerns were outweighed by the additional delays, cost and uncertainty that would result from deciding these cases by comparative hearings." An attorney for Orion, Steve Leckar of Washington, said he is disappointed the FCC chose not to take the time to devise a way to chose among applicants on their merits. "What a lazy bunch of not wanted "It's a lot different from Idaho." Gritz will leave his Idaho home for WNC by Wednesday at the latest aaid Vied Gritz. "He's only going to bring a few people with him, maybe a dozen people we know and trust but he's asked for quite a few volunteers," Vied Gritz said. Gritz's organizational meeting for volunteers will be held at the Andrews Recreation Park starting at 8 a.m.

A press conference is scheduled for noon. Gritz and his helpers will "screen people as they come in to weed out the crazies" at the meeting. Vied Gritz said. "We don't want anybody that fa bloodthirsty." Rudolph, 31, is charged with bombing an Alabama abortion clinic on Jan, 29. A security guard died and a nurse was seriously injured.

Rudolph could be put to death if convicted, The Army veteran is also wanted for questioning in connection with three bombings in Atlanta in 1906 and 1997, including the Centennial hu-k attack during the 1990 Olympics that killed a woman and injured 100. 4 49Mfrom page ki country. A family company that was headed by longtime local broadcaster Zeb Lee, who died Aug. 1 at age 87, currently holds temporary authority from the FCC to use the frequency. WZLS signal covers Buncombe County and parts of Henderson and Haywood counties.

The issue of who should hold the license for the frequency has been disputed in the courts since shortly after an FCC administrative law Judge ruled in August 1990 that Lee's company, Orion Communications, was the most qualified applicant The FCC used to choose among applicants based on specific types of qualifications, but an appellate court ruling in 1993 struck down the criteria employed as being arbitrary. WZLS began broadcasting under temporary authority in July 1994, then was forced off the air by the FCC in June 1997 in favor of a station jointly owned by the four other companies competing with Orion. A ruling by the VS. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia in December 1.