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.
Sailors Demand Rights!
By Sofia Kathleen Fairfax (lead correspondent)
The humble sailor, the bedrock of any harbor-based city, whether on the ocean or a river. Nothing gets done without their hard work, always heaving and hauling heavy boxes of material goods, to and from a ship; it’s backbreaking work. Not to mention the always-present dangers of sailing on a ship. Unfortunately, while it’s an important job, it’s not one particularly well-loved by the men who work it.
Pay is terrible, compensation for injuries is next to nothing, and it’s far too easy to be removed without warning. Perhaps a higher-up doesn’t believe they learned the ropes fast enough, or maybe they mouthed off one too many times. It’s these conditions that explain why many sailors across the nation, including in the Five States, are already demanding change.
There are talks of organized striking, letting cargo pile up in ships and on docks, and for Congress to pass legislation to make this job more livable. Remarkably, some politicians have begun drafting possible solutions, but how long that’ll take and if it’ll pass is unclear.
It’s such an important job; could you imagine Saint-Denis without any ships loading and unloading? Neither could I; my heart goes out to these young men, and it is almost always young. May the sea rise to meet them.
Barbarella Alcazar at large once again!
By Jose Chavez
Many New Austin residents had long believed that Barbarella Alcazar was locked behind bars. But she has in fact been free and at large for over a year. Several months ago she was sprung from prison though it was not reported by authorities. However, Alcazar has made her presence known now in a violent way. Alcazar rode through Blackwater with a few of her underlings, dragging a man behind her. When Blackwater police responded to the commotion, Alcazar cut the man free and shouted, “You can’t keep Barbarella Alcazar caged!” and rode off while shooting wildly. Lawmen pursued by were unable to get close enough and lost the trail.
The man being drug behind her was a bounty hunter, specifically one of the four bounty hunters that arrested Alcazar. The bounty hunter, Fleet Pinson, was barely breathing when he was cut free. Lawmen got him to the a doctor as quick as he could, but it was too late to do anything behind provide a bit of comfort. The other three bounty hunters have been contacted and warned of the danger they may be in.
Ambarino state legislator found dead
By Jane Duran
State Senator Orville Broadwell was found murdered this week. Senator Broadwell’s staff is struggling to explain the senator’s whereabouts, as he was found dead in the house of a woman who was not his wife. To add to that, he was found dead in her bed. That woman is the sole witness but her story fragmented and unclear. Senator Broadwell’s extramarital dalliances have been something of an open secret, but are not being exposed. State lawmen are keeping details under wraps, but I have learned that the witness said a woman entered her home and forced the woman into the bathroom. She said she never saw the woman but knew it was a woman’s voice that told her to be quiet and she would not be harmed.
It was from the bathroom that she heard the gunshot but the killer was gone before the woman worked up the courage to exit the bathroom. She notified authorities soon after. The woman is being held for her own safety and is at the moment a person of interest but not a suspect. An additional tidbit I learned that the state police do not want out is that the senator was found with a note in his pocket. A source allowed me to look at the note and it generally accused investigators of having the wrong woman and taking responsibility for all of the Executioner’s deaths. The killing is somewhat consistent with the Executioner’s killings, however, the Executioner has never left a body at behind like that, opting instead to dump it. Authorities are sticking to their claim that this is copycat killer.
Mysterious stranger gives away pristine animals carcasses
By Odell Clifton
Several people have spoken about a mysterious stranger visiting camps and giving away unblemished animal carcasses. “I was at camp, cooking, when I heard him,” one woman said, “I stook up as he tipped his hat and dropped a dead deer and rode away.” The carcass was described as perfect, the very model of what a deer ought to look like. Another camper said the mysterious stranger visited them and dropped off cougar carcass. “I turned that carcass into food and supplies!” they exclaimed. Nobody I spoke to could identify the person, but they were all thankful. “I was a bit worried, having not hunted enough to meet my purchaser’s demands,” one cowpoke said, “so when they dropped off a few carcasses to me, well, it saved my hide!” Stories about this mysterious stranger were told from the Great Plains to Big Valley. There was an immediate spike in supplies of pristine hides and animal parts that may be the result of the mysterious stranger.
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Women pulled out of the Kamasa River after nearly drowning
By Donna Deshner
Two travelers were shocked when they saw a woman ride her horse into the Kamasa River. The woman and her horse jumped off the rode and into the river, then just forged right up the river. The river is calm and relatively safe to travel through, though it does draw several animals that could make it unsafe in a hurry. Animals such as bears, boars, and a variety of snakes. The travelers continued to watch the woman’s journey, their curiosity overcoming their sense of urgency. The horse and the woman continued northward, eventually reaching land before charging onward harder back into the river. That is where disaster struck. The two onlookers watched as the horse reared in the water, thrusting the woman out of the saddle. The horse then swam off as the woman disappeared behind splashes of water. The two onlookers had a choice to make, continue the passive observation or become part of the story. Fortunately for the drowning woman, they chose the latter.
One of the onlookers went after the horse while the other went after the woman. The woman was still flailing and trying to tread water when her rescuer arrived. “I pulled her out and I don’t think she quite knew I was there to help her,” the rescuer stated, “but by the time we got back to land she realized she was safe.” The rescuer’s friend soon joined them with the runaway horse in hand. The horse had a bite that was consistent with that of a beaver, suggesting the attack is what led the horse to fling its rider. The woman said she was on her way to an abandoned fort to search for treasure and decided roads were too out of the way and opted for a direct path. She likely will not try that again.
Train Massacre in the bayou
By Aloysius Levron
What started as a train theft at Emerald Station ended with a massacre being investigated by Lemoyne State police and federal lawmen. There are few survivors and so the story is a bit fragmented. The theft at Emerald Station had the most witnesses and therefore, is the most known about part of the event. A couple of cowpokes stole the train, kicking the engineer out and leaving the station at high speed as people were still boarding. “I was half way on the train when it took off!” one man stated, “I fell back and nearly fell down to the tracks!” Several others were hurt and Lemoyne State police were contacted via telegram. As state lawmen headed to cut off the train, things went array. It is unclear but west of Saint Denis the train appeared to hit a wagon, which was later identified as a moonshine smuggler. The train was found abandoned in the middle of the track bridge near Caliga Hall. When the wagon was identified as transporting moonshine, federal authorities got involved.
There were several people killed, though most not from the accident but from gunshots. Investigators say that a witnessed described the chaos as, “confusing and then frightening.” The impact would have sent highly flammable moonshine into the air, where it was ignited. Scorch marks could be seen on the train and a witness said they saw fire up ahead. Then came the gunshots. Authorities believe one or more of the bootleggers survived the impact, either jumping off the wagon before the train hit or just getting lucky. They believe the fire on the train caused the driver to pull the break or simply flee. “We think the bootleggers saw fit to attack the train in their frustrations,” said a federal lawman, “and we found two among the dead identified as known bootleggers.” It is unknown as to why the train was stolen in the first place, but another train was reported stolen just an hour after this massacre. That theft was committed in northern Lemoyne and the train was found abandoned just past Annesburg. It us unknown if the thefts were related.
Art of Comedy over Drama?
By Sofia Kathleen Fairfax (lead correspondent)
What is the nature of art? Not an easy question, much art is made of the serious kind, the drama, the Shakespeare, the dramatic story with the tragic end and perhaps an overall point. Much of this dominates the world, and it likely will remain so, there’s nothing wrong with it. But perhaps there is a style of story, of theater, of art itself, that goes under looked. Comedy.
The bawdy musical, the sarcastic painting, the unserious stage play. This is not what gets artists acclaim, immortality, or perhaps even money. But it is as equally valid as the drama; even the Bard himself made plays that were not serious with greater points of life. The average audience member lives a difficult life, with many trials and tribulations, need they always see it reflected before them? Do they not sometimes just desire the chance to forget about worries and concerns and have fun?
The comedy has always been around; for every Greek Tragedy, there was a Greek Comedy. If the Greeks of old understood that art often demands a point, and equally as often demands just a chance to look away, then why shouldn’t we do the same?
The Five States Herald 