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CLAY COUNTY, FL NEWS ITEMS Married in Jacksonville Miss Adah Elam of Atlanta Weds Senator Law of Florida. Jacksonville, Fla., November 4. (Special). In the parlor of the Duval hotel Saturday night Miss Adah Elam of Atlanta and State Senator C. Fabian Law, of Green Cove Springs were married, Rev. Dr. Van Winder Shields performed the ceremony. The wedding was a quiet one. Miss Elam came to the city yesterday morning from Atlanta and met Mr. Law here by appointment. The wedding was to have been in Atlanta several weeks ago but Senator Law was taken ill with malarial fever at Green Cove Springs and the event had to be postponed. - Transcribed by Nancy Piper [The Atlanta Constitution (Atlanta, Georgia), November 11, 1903] Dr. J. B. Read, Green Cove Springs Savannah, Ga., November 10 (Special) News was received in Savannah this afternoon of the death at Green Cove Springs Fla. Of Dr. James Bond Read, formerly of Savannah. He died of pneumonia after a week's illness. Dr. Read was one of the most widely known physicians in Georgia. He was 76 years old and was next to the oldest practitioner in Savannah. Six years ago he retired and went to Florida to reside. Dr. Read leaves a widow but no children. - Transcribed by Nancy Piper [The Atlanta Constitution (Atlanta, Georgia), December 1, 1903] Cracksmen Dynamite Saloon Safe at Green Cove Springs Green Cove Springs, Fla., November 30. - Last night cracksmen dynamited the safe of J. L. Kirkpatrick' s saloon and rifled it of its contents, amounting to about $400. The explosion awakened many of the residents, who report that it occurred about 2 o'clcok in the morning. The robbers cut out the glass on one of the windows and effected an entrance. The saloon was wrecked from the effects of the explosion and the loss will amount to several hundred dollars in addition to the amount taken. There is no clue to indicate who the robbers were. - Transcribed by Nancy Piper [The Atlanta Constitution (Atlanta, Georgia), July 11, 1906] Desperado Slays Sheriff Wilson of Clay County Florida Gainesville, Fla, July 10 (Special) A dispatch form Palatka states that in an attempt to arrest a desperate negro this afternoon Sheriff Wilson of Clay county, was shot and instantly killed by the negro. Wilson's deputy killed the negro. Great excitement prevails in Clay county where the tragedy occurred. Wilson was a prominent man. - Transcribed by Nancy Piper [New Smyrna Daily News, New Smyrna Beach, Florida, Jul 18,1913] To fill the vacancy in the office of sheriff in Clay county, caused by the murder of Sheriff T. S. Cherry, Judge Gibbs has appointed W. F. Peeler to the position pending a permanent appointment by Governor Trammell. - Transcribed by Nancy Piper [New Smyrna Daily News, New Smyrna Beach, Florida, August 13, 1915] Little Miss Mary Parsons, a summer visitor from Green Cove Springs, had a birthday party Monday afternoon in Miss Kelley's beach cottage. Time passed pleasantly with games and then the cutting of the birthday cake, beautifully decorated with candles. - Transcribed by Nancy Piper [New Smyrna Daily News, New Smyrna Beach, Florida, September 17, 1915] Mrs. Pierce of Green Cove Springs who has been visiting Mrs. H. T. Parsons and family, has returned to her home. - Transcribed by Nancy Piper [New Smyrna Daily News, New Smyrna Beach, Florida, July 28, 1916] A fence 125 miles long will soon be completed on the range in Clay county for the Southern Cattle Feeding company, this being the largest enclosed range in Florida. There is said to be 4,000 head of cattle on the range now. - Transcribed by Nancy Piper [New Smyrna Daily News, New Smyrna Beach, Florida, August 4, 1916] Green Cove Springs claims the distinction of organizing the first Catts club, but other towns are taking up the movement. - Transcribed by Nancy Piper [New Smyrna Daily News, New Smyrna Beach, Florida, September 8, 1916] R. L. Delings of Ohio has purchased a 12000 acre tract of land near Green Cove Springs and will develop it into a magnificent ranch. - Transcribed by Nancy Piper [New Smyrna Daily News, New Smyrna Beach, Florida, September 15, 1916 ] A movement has been started to move the county seat in Clay county from Green Cove Springs to Middleburg. - Transcribed by Nancy Piper [New Smyrna Daily News, New Smyrna Beach, Florida, September 29, 1916] D. R. Akin of Green Cove Springs made a short stop here enroute from Titusville to his home. - Transcribed by Nancy Piper [New Smyrna Daily News, New Smyrna Beach, Florida, October 5, 1917] Mrs. D. L. Butler is entertaining her mother, Mrs. James Weeks of Green Cove Springs, who arrived last Tuesday. - Transcribed by Nancy Piper [New Smyrna Daily News, New Smyrna Beach, Florida, December 21, 1917] Owing to the scarcity of sugar several farmers in Clay county are making their sugar cane into sugar rather than syrup. They are making it in the old fashioned way but are getting a good quality. - Transcribed by Nancy Piper [New Smyrna Daily News, New Smyrna Beach, Florida, September 5, 1919] The accidental killing of the postmaster at Green Cove Springs by his neighbor is a sad incident. J. P. Coogler, hearing a racket in or about his chicken house, fired a shot in that direction and the missile reached the breast of Horace M. Bradley his next door neighbor. - Transcribed by Nancy Piper [New Smyrna Daily News, New Smyrna Beach, Florida, October 31, 1924] Mr. and Mrs. William Chalker, Mrs. Chalker Sr., and Miss Leah Chalker went to Middleburg Sunday to attend the funeral of Mr. Chalker's brother-in-law Dr. Griffin. Dr. Griffin was a resident of Dunnellon and died there Saturday. - Transcribed by Nancy Piper [New Smyrna Daily News, New Smyrna Beach, Florida, October 31, 1925] Green Cove Springs Man to Be Arraigned Monday On Charge of Murder of Man and Woman Green Cove Springs Fla, Oct 31 (Associated Press) - Rufus Chesser, seventeen year old farmer living near Middleburg in this county will be arraigned Monday morning before the Clay county court on charges of murder in connection with the deaths September 5th of this brother-in-law Laurence Dilaberry and Sallie Broile the girl whose affections Chesser is said to have sought to win. Chessers alleged crime was one of the most shocking in the annals of this section of the state according to the testimony of witnesses given before the coroner's jury September 8th which declared him responsible for the deaths of his former sweetheart and brother in law. - Transcribed by Nancy Piper [New Smyrna Daily News, New Smyrna Beach, Florida, November 7, 1925] Young Farmer Guilty Says Jury Green Cove Springs, Fla Nov 7 (By A P) Rufus Chesser the 17 year old Middleburg farmer was found guilty today of murder in the first degree and without recommendation of mercy by the jury trying him for the alleged murder of his sweetheart Sally Boyles aged 24 on the highway between Green Cove Springs and Middleburg on the night of September 8. A motion for a new trial was denied. - Transcribed by Nancy Piper [New Smyrna Daily News, New Smyrna Beach, Florida, November 9, 1925] Gets Delay of Death Sentence Jacksonville, Fla Nov 9 - (By A P) - The execution of the death sentence pronounced over Rufus Chesser the 17 year old farmer of Green Cove Springs convicted as the slayer of his sweetheart, Sally Broiles by Judge DeWitt T. Gray at Green Cove Springs Saturday has been stayed until February next by the filing by the defense counsel of a praecipe for a writ of error returnable that date before the state supreme court according to information received here today. Chesser was removed late Saturday afternoon from the Green Cove Spring jail to the Putnam county jail at Palatka as a safeguard and the counsel said he would now ask that the convicted man be removed from the Palatka jail to the Duval county jail here. - Transcribed by Nancy Piper [Coshocton Tribune (Coshocton, Ohio) February 14, 1933] Mrs. Lynnly B. Wilson has received word of the death of her cousin, Mrs. Virginia M. Merion of this city, which occurred Saturday at Green Cove Springs, Florida. - Transcribed by Nancy Piper [Panama City News (Panama City, Florida) July 23, 1953] School Gym Roof Collapses Green Cove Springs, Fla. July 22 AP - The roof of the new $100,000 high school gymnasium here collapsed early today and an immediate investigation was ordered. The building which was opened early this year and has been used for basketball games was unoccupied at the time. Sheriff J. P. Hall said if the roof had fallen while school was in session he fears there would have been casualties. H. C. Long Clay County schools superintendent, said the cause of the cave-in was unknown and that a damage estimate was not immediately available. Members of the county school board headed by Jack Wilkinson, met with Long to plan a formal investigation which will be conducted by the board. Long said J. Brooks Haas of Jacksonville was architect of the building and Beeler and Higgs, also of Jacksonville were the contractors. The building was a one-story structure 106 by 106 feet and linked to the school cafeteria by an archway. Long described it as being brick with wooden trusses and said it was the last unit of the $450,000 school plant here to be completed. Hall said the collapse cracked the outside walls and columns. - Transcribed by Nancy Piper |