Mission Statement:
To endeavor to bring to all residents of the Five States the most current and important news from across the entire Five States region. Never yellow, the Five States Herald vows to serve only the people of the Five States, from New Austin to Lemoyne, free of charge now and forever.
Letter from the editor,
Dear readers,
It is with immense pride that I send this, the 100th issue of the Five States Herald to print. What started nearly two years ago as an effort to tell the stories of you, the residents of the Five States, has become a staple for many a cowpoke’s Sunday morning experience. No other source provides the breadth and depth of coverage as found here in the Five States Herald. While the landscape has certainly changed from the moment the first issue hit the presses, much has also stayed the same. When the first issue landed in towns across the Five States, the most worthwhile way to earn money was hunting and fishing. Gold nuggets were given out by some folks as a thanks for help. And now bounty hunters, collectors, naturalists, and as rumors have it, moonshiners, are all over the Five States offering a diverse set of opportunities to earn money. The BHTNC, then as the BHTC, once championed its own gold program. The private organization offered challenges and rewarded cowpokes with gold, with more gold being earned the longer a cowpoke maintained a daily streak.
Controversy followed the BHTNC’s decision to end the program and replace it with a much less robust gold earning program. Though, one can certainly understand why the BHTNC had to make the change (they do not have infinite amounts of gold!) it upset many cowpokes. In the last year, things have been especial tough, with many leaving and not enough coming. And yet, despite these changes to the Five States, the best moments are still riding your horse with friends through beautiful land. Though not the greatest way to make money these days, casting a line into the Dakota River is still a peaceful way to pass the time. For everything that has changed, the soul of the Five States has remained the same. Have we lost sight of that which makes the Five States special? Have we been distracted by flash and sizzle? Or has the land truly betrayed us? Has it failed to live up to the promise we all initially saw?
Perhaps we will have those answers by the 200th issue, assuming the Five States remains. Until then, enjoy a packed issue of the Five States Herald. An issue filled with your stories and your experiences. Without all of you, none of this would be possible.
William Warrington III, Editor in Chief
Warrant issued for the arrest of bounty hunter Nathaniel Cross
Following the chaos that erupted during the trial of Mark Gull, at the time accused of being the vigilante the Grey Cowboy, many wondered if Nathaniel Cross would be arrested. During the trial, Cross, a well known bounty hunter, was accused by witnesses for the defense of being the Grey Cowboy. As the accusations came mostly from prisoners and little evidence existed to verify the accusations, no arrest warrant was issued. Cross had recently been spotted back in New Austin, where he has made his home for the last several months. However, federal authorities immediately began an investigation into the matter. Late this week, the investigators issued a warrant for Cross’ arrest, signalling that they have sufficient evidence to charge him. “Vigilantism is dangerous and gets innocent folks harmed,” said a representative for the BHTNC, who issued an official bounty to go along with the arrest warrant. The bounty means that both lawmen and bounty hunters will be on the search for Cross.
The issuing of a bounty is justified as necessary in this case because local lawmen have expressed reverence for Cross, both as a bounty hunter and as the alleged Grey Cowboy. “Local law enforcement has on many occasions praised the Grey Cowboy and Nathaniel Cross,” a spokesman said, “at times indicating quite explicitly that they would not arrest him.” The hope is that bounty hunters will have no such reverence for one of their fellows. “Money is a great motivator and there are always new bounty hunters looking to make a name for themselves,” the spokesman went on to say. Only time will tell if Cross will be brought in. As an experienced bounty hunter, Cross may be more than capable of escaping pursuit. Or, he may just flee the Five States altogether. To stop him from fleeing the region federal lawmen are patrolling the borders of the Five States.
Unidentified flying objects spotted over New Austin
By Jose Chavez
Objects were spotted in the bright day sky in New Austin this week. The objects floated for periods of time between erratic movements. There are no known crafts that can remain in the sky for more than a few moments, yet these seemed to have no issue staying afloat in the air. Local law enforcement were at a complete loss as to what to do. “I fired my rifle at it, but it didn’t seem to have any effect,” noted a lawman from Armadillo. The unidentified flying objects did not retaliate. “I suspect they see us as mere ants,” said a witness, “don’t even care that we attacked it.”
Dispute nearly leads to murder, until misunderstanding is resolved
By Wylie Frey
A trader accused their buyer of attempting to cheat them out of the agreed upon sum of money for the delivery and nearly came to blows. The buyer was offended, saying such an accusation was unbecoming, given that they had been working together for a little over a year. The agreed upon sum for the goods delivered was $500, however, the trader said he was handed much less money than usual. “He said I gave him only $100, when I clearly gave him $500!” the buyer said. The trader pulled out a rifle, promising to end the buyer’s life if the rest of the money was not given up immediately. However, at the buyer’s urging, the trader recounted the money and realized he was paid in full. “He used larger bills, so looked like less money,” the trader embarrassingly admitted. No charges were filed by the buyer, who said misunderstandings sometimes happen. “The man nearly killed me,” the buyer said, “but I ain’t gonna let that get in the way of a profitable relationship!”
Cowpoke nearly killed in New Austin when he is set ablaze
By Jose Chavez
A man named Bob said he was trying to take a perfect picture when he felt something hit him on the shoulder. Before he realized it, he was on fire. “I knew it was a damn fire bomb but kept my cool under the heat,” Bob said. Witnesses who saw the even saw Bob quickly pull out his pistol and and shot the arsonist. Tragically, Bob shot his own horse in the chaos. “All I could see was smoke and fire,” Bob said of the incident. Once the arsonist was dead, Bob tended to his horse. “It’s a good thing I got the good stuff,” he said. Not long after he was seen riding away on the very horse many saw killed.
Remote homestead robbed, residents killed leaving just one survivor
By Caylen V. Hornby
The sole survivor of a robbery gone wrong says two people were responsible for the theft. The witness reported that their family heard gunshots and went to investigate. They found two cowpokes fighting off a pack of wolves. However, the witness said that as soon as his family appeared, the cowpokes turned their attention to them. “Suddenly it was chaos, we trying to kill each other while wolves tried to kill all of us,” the survivor said. The survivor charged the attackers but was shot in the shoulder, which knocked him to the ground. He said wolves then attacked, forcing him to retreat and hide in the house. He remained hidden when the attackers entered the house and stole two bags. The survivor did not specify what was in the bags, only that it was valuable.
WANTED!
Investigators: Travel the Five States and report on what is going on.
Writers: Write the stories investigators find!
Photographers:
To take photographs to be used in the Herald.
Can also do all three!
Man crashes into tree, lands directly into a strangers urine stream
By Daisy Fairman
A Strawberry resident said they were out in Big Valley when he stopped to, “take a leak.” Just as he was nearly finished, he said he was assaulted by a speeding horseman. “The fella was just riding with reckless abandon,” the man said. According to the man, the horse rider crashed into the very same tree he was relieving himself on, which tossed the rider right into the man’s stream. The “victim” filed charges, but West Elizabeth authorities declined to pursue them. “I suspect pissing on someone is certainly assault,” a Strawberry lawman said, “but in this case, it was unintentional and out of the man’s control.” When the man was asked he he didn’t stop, he shrugged as if the thought had never occurred to him and said, “well, I was there first!”
Man attacked by badgers; more perplexed than injured
By Odell Clifton
A man identified as Mr. Weal was busy searching for something he said he lost when he heard the sound of movement behind him. The sound was subtle and soft, but sounded near to him. He turned around bracing for an attack when he was shocked to see a clan of badgers coming straight for him. “Badgers are very aggressive defenders of their territory,” said Harriet Davenport, noted naturalists, “if they attacked someone, then that someone was intruding on THEIR territory!” The Mr. Weal wouldn’t say what he was looking for and said the attack was shocking but not frightening. “Nothing I couldn’t just stomp away,” Mr. Weal said. He did express concern, however, that animals may be planning to overthrow the rule of man in the natural world.
Giant Fish Nearly Kills Fishermen
By Sofia Kathleen Fairfax (Lead Correspondent)
Fishing is hard work that’s rarely rewarded. You can ask anyone who lives or dies by fishing, and they will tell you that without a second thought. The death rate of fishermen has sometimes been estimated to be worse than coal mining. Indeed a nearly unbelievable statistic until you hear stories like what happened this week.
Three unnamed fishermen were hauling in a day’s catch with a net when a large fish jumped out of the water and slammed into one of the men. He fell into the water, and at first, this all seemed wildly amusing to his friends. It got a lot less funny when the fish started to drag the poor man underwater.
The fish was large, abnormally so. Estimates put it at over 20 feet, like a giant canoe oar. It was aggressive as well, biting and trying to strangle the fishermen. The poor fellow almost certainly would have died if one of his friends hadn’t pulled out a Navy revolver and fired several shots into the beast. It quickly swam away, and the fisher was soon pulled back into the boat. He was bleeding in several locations and sustained a few cracked ribs but is expected to survive.
Nature is immensely cruel and uncaring. Even something as simple as a fish can take a life with ease. Nature itself would be unmoved if it destroyed the human race. It’s always worth remembering how little animals care about us and how easy they can kill.
Shootout in Van Horn leaves several dead and the town in near ruin
By Van R. Seldon
A prisoner breakout turned violent this week when a group of cowpokes rode into Van Horn and shot the town up. Van Horn is notorious for lacking official law enforcement, with residents filling the role of lawmen using frontier justice. Surviving witnesses stated that a group rode into town and immediately drew notice for having a man in prison clothes amongst them. One of the riders took a dead body off their horse and dumped it onto the road going through Van Horn. As if the corpse was not enough, the riders then began shooting up the town and shooting at lanterns, which set parts of the town ablaze. Residents quickly responded with gunfire of their own, turning the shoot up into a shoot out. As the fire spread across the town, many of the townsfolk had to turn their focus toward fire control instead of shooting back at the attackers.
The attackers rode off after causing a significant amount of damage. Investigators arrived at the scene and searched the surrounding area. They found a prison wagon with the bounty hunter escort dead. While the identities of the bounty hunters was not revealed, it was confirmed to be the escort team behind the transportation of Jeb Phelps. Phelps had been found guilty of a variety of crimes, “most of which are far too sophisticated for folks to understand,” said one of the investigators. A trail leading out of Van Horn was followed to a deserted cabin, however neither Phelps nor those that freed him were found there.
Sickness in Valentine?
By Donna Deshner
A Valentine resident was spotted acting strange this week. He walked with a strange posture, bending over several times as if to throw up. Every time it seemed like the man was about to double over and fall, he managed to right himself and keep moving. The entire time he was coughing and gagging. After walking down the road, passing by several people and the town butcher, the sick man steadied himself by leaning against the Valentine Hotel. The town doctor, Ben Calloway, tended to the man and expressed some concern regarding his potential contagiousness. “The man was coughing and spewing all over the place,” Dr. Calloway said, “several people may have been infected, let’s just hope this ain’t some Armadillo like epidemic.” Residents of Valentine are urged to report any symptoms to Dr. Calloway immediately and travelers are advised to keep distance from others as much as they can.
Rich Saint-Denis Woman’s House Robbed!
By Sofia Kathleen Fairfax (Lead Correspondent)
Miss Miranda Fairfax, no relations, is a wealthy widow living not far from the train station in Saint-Denis. Late last night, her life was turned upside down. While walking her dogs, she recalled walking by a woman wearing a somewhat expensive dress. They talked for a little bit about the news of the world, what it’s like to be a woman, and the value of loyalty. She noticed a sharp southern accent, but she wasn’t alarmed. When she reached her front door, she saw it ajar.
Inside, everything was a mess. Tables turned over; sofas cut open; bottles broken. It was like a hurricane had swept through. Several valuable items were reported missing to Saint-Denis police including, an antique rifle supposedly from the Revolution, a necklace featuring a small sapphire gem, and a lockbox. The lockbox contents mainly were money, but there was also a strange bond of sorts noted in the missing report. Miss Fairfax found the bond resting on a table the previous week not far from the art gallery.
When discussing the crime, Miss Fairfax, at one point glanced up to see a wanted poster for Myra Rose Hart, she instantly recognized the random woman’s face. It seems the Black Rose hasn’t left town since her daring escape, preferring to slink through the shadows like an unwanted ghost. How fitting.
Bar room brawl ends in two story fall
By Emeline Vickroy
A scuffle between two cowpokes sent patrons at the Rhodes saloon fleeing. The origin of the fight is unknown. Witnesses reported that the two were having a drink together and talking like old friends. At some point an argument started and the two began brawling. The fight moved up to the second floor, interrupting a game of blackjack. The fight continued as both cowpokes struggled to get the upper-hand. However, some of the last witnesses to remain in the saloon reported that the cowpokes seemed to be having a lot of fun. Whether the fight was one of disagreement or a fun row between friends quickly became irrelevant. The two men engaged in a grappling contest, before one broke free and grabbed the other man by the scruff of his shirt and tossed him out of the second story window. The victor ran out of the saloon in shock, yelling that they did not mean to do it. However, the man tossed through the window was dead on impact. Rhodes deputies arrived at the scene, however the man and the dead body were both gone. Witnesses said the winner of the fight put the body on his horse. “He looked real distraught, like he killed a friend,” said a witness. He rode north with his friends horse in tow. The identities of the killer and the victim are unknown.
The Smoking Gun: The Final Report
By Frederick Vannesse
For over a year, a serial killer known only as the Smoking Gun had Five Staters in a state of fear. Though the killer only targeted those with outstanding debts to shady characters, the way in which he killed with impunity was enough to make him a bogeyman to even innocent folks. Whether in the Ambarino wilderness or in the fast paced city of Saint Denis, the Smoking Gun struck when least expected and vanished just as fast. And while he was nearly caught a few times, he always managed to squirm through the law’s grasp and escape justice. Our own reporter, Miss Ella Q. Asken, opened up the largest investigation of all time. What little she could find had her hot on his heels, once even staying the night in the same motel! She got so close to the Smoking Gun that according to her, she had identified him. As a result of her professionalism, however, she would not name him until she had absolute confirmation. That confirmation would be her undoing, as she became the Smoking Gun’s only known victim who was not in massive debt to bad people. She had simply gotten in his way and paid with her life.
Since then, the Smoking Gun had gone quiet. The owner of this paper put his own money into the hunt, ensuring several lawmen were searching for the Smoking Gun. Contacts in the criminal underworld confirmed that the Smoking Gun was no longer hire-able as nobody knew how to contact him. He had disappeared, though we picked up his trail. After murdering Miss Asken, the Smoking Gun traveled south. He was spotted in Saint Denis, though by the time local lawmen investigated the sighting he was long gone. From there, the next sighting was West Elizabeth, just west of Blackwater. Though that sighting was unable to be confirmed, as the witness was unsure but did describe a “dapper man, moving with a purpose and looking over his shoulder.” That unconfirmed report was the last one semi-reliable sighting. No matter how much money this paper’s owner poured into the investigation, the trail had gone cold. We kept at it, investigating any lead, no matter how small. All we got were rumors.
Some said after several months that the Smoking Gun had gone back to work. According to one man, he heard the Smoking Gun was still in the Five States but now went through great lengths to dispose of his victims. We went through hundreds of local reports of missing people and those confirmed dead. No pattern could be discerned that would confirm this rumor. A strong rumor suggested the Smoking Gun retired, likely a hired ranch hand. Most people who spoke of this rumor suggested New Austin as the place to go, given its lawless nature. Over several months we sent investigators to several ranches, searching for an out of place ranch hand, under the assumption that the dapper Smoking Gun would not do well doing hard work. We investigated all the way out to Tumbleweed and found no sign of the Smoking Gun.
After nearly a year long search, we have concluded that the Smoking Gun likely fled to Mexico and is therefore, beyond our reach. It is with great reluctance that we end the search for the Smoking Gun once and for all. Unless he one day shows up and reveals himself again, then any search for him at this point is futile. To Miss Asken’s family, we apologize for failing in our duty to avenger her death.
Notorious conman Soapy Smith dies in shootout
By Adam Parvey
Soapy Smith’s conman ways caught up to him after a game of Three-card Monte led to a violent altercation. Smith as part of a group who swindled or beat, depending on who you ask, a miner returning to the town of Skagway. The miner, a man named John Douglas Stewart, is said to have had over $2,000 in earnings on him. Upon losing his game of Three-card Monte he immediately protested that he had been swindled and refused to pay the money. Soapy Smith then took the money and ran. The next day, unable to get federal support, a committee was formed to resolve the incident, however now peaceful resolution was reached. Witnesses say Soapy got into one of the guards at the committee, a man named Frank H. Reid. Some say Jesse Murphy got involved too, however, only shots fired by Reid and Soapy would confirmed. Both Reid and Soapy died in the shootout. It is said that Soapy’s last words were “don’t shoot!” Though as he also shot, one wonders if peace was truly on his mind or just deception.
Russian Revolutionary gets married!
By Ivy Seager
Vladimir Ilyich Lenin got married this week. He married fellow revolutionary Nadezhda “Nadya” Krupskaya. Lenin has been quite busy this year, as he also took part in the organization of the Russian Social Democratic Labour Party while in exile. Nadya herself has also been in exile since earlier this year as a result of organizing a labor strike. The exiled revolutaries were married in Shushenskoye, in a small church ceremony. The couple announced plans to begin translating English socialist literature into Russian.
The Five States Herald 