This is an interesting and disturbing article. Burton Fletcher Burton@USAMonuments.com http://www.jacksonville.com/tu-online/stories/061706/nec_22116816.shtml Last modified Sat., June 17, 2006 - 01:40 AM Originally created Saturday, June 17, 2006 Historian says cemetery being desecrated She doesn't think deputies covering Middleburg know about the property. By DEBORAH CEARNAL, Clay County Line Deputies covering Middleburg need a history lesson, an area resident has charged. Historian Cynthia Waddell relayed to county commissioners at their regular meeting Tuesday that the property known as the Fort Heileman cemetery was being disturbed by treasure hunters and that the responding deputy was unaware of the historical significance of a half-acre plot at Main Street Park. "These two looters weren't arrested," she complained. This was the second incident of desecration reported by Waddell, a member of the Historic Commission of Clay County. On Memorial Day, she found bulldozers had moved earth that the committee says is part of the cemetery. Florida law says it's a crime to knowingly destroy a tomb, monument, gravestone, burial mound, earthen or shell monument containing human skeletal remains. A violation of the law is a third-degree felony, punishable by a $5,000 fine and/or five years in prison. "We're asking that the county enforce the law," Waddell said. She requested the county arrest those at the property for trespassing to "put pressure on the State Attorney's Office to take action" in finding who was responsible for the bulldozing. She especially would like the county "to take possession of the land." "Mr. [Keith] Webb is not taking care of human remains," she complained. "Please take this seriously. Take an interest in what's going on here." The historic commission offered to buy the 6.2 acres from owner Peter Masalin. Masalin instead offered to donate the 1-acre cemetery property to the group, according to Katherine Gill, an area grant writer. But the sides never could get together to formalize the donation, required to design a project to present for acquiring a grant. Instead, Masalin sold the entire parcel to Keith Webb, giving to him a quit-claim deed requiring that the historical site -- which in the paperwork now was 1/2 acre -- be undisturbed. "This was startling because the cemetery is described [in archeological records] as 1 acre," Gill said Wednesday. "As we were talking [for donation], he was cultivating another deal [for sale]." Webb says he was aware of the historical site when he purchased the land, and he said his bulldozer work has not interfered with that. "For 3 1/2 weeks [before Memorial Day], I've been clearing the lot so I could build a house. Ask any neighbor," he said Wednesday. He was unaware of any Memorial Day services planned for the property, he said, adding that he believed the affected property was only 1/2 acre. "I knew there was a historical area which I agreed not to build on," he said. "I own all the property. I wanted to build a home, and I was willing to fence off the cemetery and have a park entrance," he said. But the Memorial Day incident and the trespassers have him rethinking his home plans. "I had no clue anybody was on the land [on June 10]," he said. He did not know the men found on the site last weekend. He also questions why Waddell was on the property. "I have 'no trespassing' signs posted every 8 feet," he said. "She goes on my property all the time. I have never met or spoken to her [Waddell]." The responding deputy took the items the two men had unearthed. The State Attorney's Office has been asked to investigate whether a gravesite has been desecrated. And Webb will wait for the outcome before doing anything else on the land. "I'm confident in Myles Bland and Associates [archeological firm]. The state will see I haven't disrupted anything," Webb said. "I'm just going to let the authorities figure this out. If [they find] I've done something wrong, I'll admit it." For its part, the County Commission decided the incident was a law enforcement matter and asked County Manager Fritz Behring to update the Sheriff's Office on the Middleburg site. deborah.cearnaljacksonville.com, (904) 278-9487 ext. 6371