STAFF REPORTS
Elvis might be on the stage, but the real star of the show at “Jailhouse Rock” on Saturday will be the old Hays County Jail at 168 Fredericksburg St. Those who attend the fundraiser, sponsored by the Hays County Historical Commission, will be able to see the jail up close and learn more about its 127-year history.
Constructed in 1884 the two-story building served as the county jail from 1885 until 1937.
Hays County’s only legal hanging took place outside the jail in 1915. To keep potential crowds at bay, a large fence was built around the scaffold. The man who was sentenced to die, Benjamin Guerrero, puffed on a cigar and called out, “Fine show, no?” as he waited for his sentence to be carried out.
Saturday’s fundraiser, which will generate money for the ongoing restoration of the old jail, will include food, drinks and music by an Elvis Presley impersonator. The festivities begin at 7 p.m.
