GREEN COVE SPRINGS – On Oct. 31, 1925, Chesser Rufus, a 17-year-old farmer living near Middleburg, was convicted of a double homicide and sentenced to death by the electric chair.

His first victim, Rufus’ brother-in-law Laurence Dilaberry, was driving three miles out from Green Cove Springs with Sallie Broile, the girl whose affections Chesser is said to have sought to win.

According to the Palm Beach Post published in 1925, Dilaberry stopped his car on the return trip to repair a flat tire blowout. Little did he know Rufus was pursuing from behind, a deadly glint in his eye. Gripping the wheel of his car, Rufus drove up behind Dilaberry and stopped, got out of the car, and approached his in-law.

Perhaps Rufus found the gun in his father’s closet. Maybe he ventured to the local general store just before committing the deed. Holding a shotgun in hand, he directed the barrel toward Dilaberry and fired, striking his in-law in the back of the neck. Sallie jumped out of the car and fled towards the side of a roadside ditch hidden by a palmetto thicket. Three steps away from a chance to live, Rufus shot her, too, this time in the back.

"If you're going to shoot again, kiss me first," in an attempt to save her life, the girl is said to have begged Rufus’ whose love she had not returned.

But it was too late. Rufus fired a second shot, then a third.

Like his victims, Rufus’ story ends in tragedy. After two years of lockup in the Old Clay County Jail, Rufus was sentenced to execution by the electric chair. He died in March 1927. He was 19.

You must wonder what was running through Rufus’ mind the moment electricity was coursing through his body. In his final moments, did he feel remorse for what he did? Did he beg for forgiveness?

Sometimes, the scariest stories are closer to home than you think, and Clay County’s Historical Jail has plenty to share.

“This place has so many stories,” said Archives Specialist Vishi Garig, who has extensively researched and documented the jail’s history, which was erected in 1894.

Just imagine the deplorable conditions and the overcrowded cells. Imagine the closet-sized cell block and barred windows, confined by old brick walls so close that one could touch both walls simultaneously by standing in the center of the room. No air conditioning or heating. The cell usually smelled of urine and sweat. The inmate's beds, made of rusted iron, take up half of the cell’s floor space.

The prison scene is dreary with little color or light, but the noises, usually human voices or the clink of chains, were constant and loud.

And they still are. Although the Old Jail has not been operational for more than 50 years, they say the cries of the insane and desperate can still be heard throughout the rusted iron corridors and graffiti-covered walls.

What excites us about the mystery and violent history within its walls? What keeps us coming back year after year? Is it the possibility of life after death? Is it the thrill of the unknown?

For one night only, you can let your imagination take over, your fears manifest and your curiosity excite you. If you are looking for creepy real stories like Chesser Rufus’ to give you goosebumps this Halloween, then dare to venture down to the Historic Triangle on Oct. 20. For one night only, the Historic Triangle will be transformed into a haunted highway featuring a candlelight tour of the haunted jail, as well as the stories of the inmates who lived and died there – and those who still remain.

“We’ve got a whole bunch of really cool cases. It’s going to be fun,” Garig said.

She collaborated with the Ridgeview High drama students to bring Clay County’s true crime stories back to life.

“The Ridgeview drama kids are the ones doing all the re-enacting. Based on testimonies, court documents and things like that, they are writing their own lines and monologues, their own script,” she said. “It’s both fun and educational. We're getting kids excited to learn about Clay County history.”

Re-enactments will take place in the 16-cell, supposedly haunted jail. For more spooky fun, check out the archive’s model of the gallows, a display of old crime guns, as well as a dummy in prison stripes hanging from the second-story barred window. Although this particular inmate has been trying to escape for seven years, Garig said there have been at least two prison escapes from the Old County Jail. Keep your eyes out; you may see one of them fleeing the scene!

“We have a smattering of criminals,” Garig said. “The high school students will be re-enacting true people who were in this jail, talking about their crimes and what they did to land themselves in jail. We have an ax murderer, Ruben Reed. We have Abe Middleton. He shot the wrong man in Orange Park and got the death penalty. We’re going to have Chief Deputy Will Knight and his wife, Pearl, as well as a more modern criminal, Billy Joe Krbeb, who was a safecracker and thief.”

In 1964, Krebs fashioned a key out of a metal spoon, letting himself and his fellow prisoners out of their cells.

“But he failed to realize it’s a different key to get out of the building, so the escape didn’t work so well,” Garig said. Kreb’s spoon key is displayed in the old archives.

While many of the re-enactments are told by prisoners, many of the most fascinating tales took place outside the jail.

“We’re going to be re-enacting the county coroner, James Rushton. Then we’re going to re-enact the murder of Sheriff Joseph Peeler, which happened on the other side of the railroad tracks from the jail,” she said. The empty bullet cases are also displayed.

In addition to “Tales from The Clink,” visitors will also be able to explore the Iconic Train Depot with a fully equipped wooden caboose, the Old Courthouse and the Clay County History Museum.

Today, the museum houses many historical documents and artifacts in the county store, kitchen, doll room, vault and music room featuring a Slim Whitman exhibit.

Alongside “Tales from the Clink,” The Fall Family Festival will also take place on the same evening and includes a free game zone for children, food and drink vendors, arts and crafts, music and outdoor seating, fall decor photo opportunities and a flea market.

Tour prices are $2 for adults and $1 for children, cash only.

“Just fun for the whole family,” said Garig.