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.
Train stolen from Valentine station by drunkard
By Emery Cosberry
Trains pulling in and out of Valentine are a regular occurrence. Though often thought of as just a sheep farming backwater of a town, Valentine is a hub of trade activity. Trains frequently bring in new arrivals, supplies and take shipments of goods. This week, a regular train stop turned into a train theft. An unidentified boarded the train’s engine car and ousted the driver. “I saw her walking, or, stumbling is more like it,” a witness said, “just kind of stumbling her way toward the engine but didn’t think much of it, figured she was walking off a long night.” The train’s engineer did not see the woman until he felt her push him. “I felt a tap and thought it was a station worker and turned around,” the engineer said, “next thing I knew I was being punched and then I was falling.” The woman managed to throw the engineer from the engine and then took control of the train. Shipments were still being loaded when the train started moving without warning.
“It picked up speed quickly and lots of goods were spilled over the track,” a witness said, “people were yelling and confused.” The train picked up speed and fled away from Valentine. Several Valentine deputies, along with some other residents, rode after the train. The posse only caught up to the train at the Heartlands Overflow, abandoned. Guards at Cornwall Kerosene and Tar reported the train speeding through the oil fields at an alarming speed, but otherwise causing no trouble. A few people still on the train said the woman stumbled away shouting, “I’m done okay… just needed a few more feet…” The engineer was not seriously injured but thousands of dollars in goods were destroyed.
New resident draws attention of lawmen
By Jose Chavez
A cowpoke in Tumbleweed asked a curious question among Saloon goers. “How can I get gold quickly?” they asked. Several long time residents offered several ideas. “Get an official verified Five States card of identification,” one resident said, “they give you gold bars just for doing it.” Another offered sensible advice. “Work,” they said, “lots of folks pay for work in gold, work hard and you’ll have gold in no time.” The new resident explained that they want to become a bounty hunter, but lack the gold to buy an official license. “I have cash, but ain’t looking to buy gold, you see,” the cowpoke explained. A deputy in the saloon was listening to the conversation when some interesting advice was given.
“Why work hard, go rob a bank,” they said, “you’ll get all the gold you could want.” The cowpoke seemed intrigued. “Rob a bank? I want to hunt bounties but, what is more I supposed robbing a bank is quite the experience!” they replied. The advice offeror, however, noticed the lawman and backed off. “Of course, you can’t rob no banks in the Five States,” the offeror of bank robbing advice said, “lawmen here are so good it just ain’t allowed!” The cowpoke nodded, seeming a bit disappointed but left the saloon full of ideas to make some gold.
Ginseng demand leads to another illegal harvest at Clawson’s Rest
By Jane Duran
The small cabin in an area called Clawson’s Rest have grown used to the regular visit by strangers to harvest the ginseng they grow. “We ain’t got much but we grow ginseng well,” said one of the cabin’s residents, “but we ain’t much for fighting and so it ain’t easy defending our crop from outlaws.” A spike in ginseng demand this week saw a rise in visitors to the obscure cabin. “Most folks stay away given how remote we are,” one of the residents said, “but it seems sometimes we get lots of visitors.” In the past the residents tried to threaten visitors but it was never enough. This time, they just ignored them.
“Ain’t no reason to get bothered by something we cannot change,” they said, “so we let ’em have what they wanted, though it would be nice if they left something in trade.” When asked what goods they would like, they said they could use more food. “Food is scarce these days, and ginseng ain’t filling as you my a know,” they said.
Death on a quiet day causes stir in Blackwater
By Odell Clifton
A man was killed in Blackwater this week, leading to the arrest of a Blackwater resident. Pablo Patnum was returning home from a business trip in Valentine. While driving his wagon past the butcher, he ran over and killed a traveler. A policeman standing outside of the police department saw the incident and arrested Mr. Patnum. Mr. Patnum did no resist the arrest but claimed to be innocent. “I never saw no man in front of me,” Mr. Patnum said at the time of his arrest, “I was riding along slowly when I felt a bump.” Two other witnesses came to Mr. Patnum’s defense, explaining that while Mr. Patnum’s wagon did run over and kill a man, it was not his fault.
“That feller, well you ain’t supposed to speak poorly of the dead, you see, but that feller wasn’t terribly observant,” one witness said, “he got off his own wagon as ole Pablo rode by and slipped, fell right under the wagon wheel.” The policeman who saw the incident did admit to only looking up after the man was run over. Given Mr. Patnum’s reputation as a fair and honest man and two witness statements that he could not have avoided running the man over, he was released.
Would be killer pays for their lack of accuracy with their life
By Donna Deshner
A woman left Smithfield’s Saloon after a night of drinking when she was pursued by a stranger. Given how late this occurred there are few witnesses. Though a gambler playing poker at Smithfield’s said he said the stranger follow her. “I figured they may have known her,” the gambler said, “or maybe even that they were just going the same direction.” Just a few minutes later, however, the stranger’s intent would be known. Several gunshots woke up sleeping residents, though a witness still drinking at Keane’s Saloon did see much of the shooting. “I heard the first shot and looked out to see a woman riding away from a man,” the drunk said, “I wasn’t sober, but I saw them shooting at her and missing.” Other witnesses did see the end of the incident. “I saw her pulled a shotgun out of her saddle and turn around,” one witness said, “she wasted no time in raising it and shooting that man dead.
By that put deputies arrived. The woman explained that she did not know the man nor why he followed and shot at her. The case was determined to be justified as self defense.
New kind of attack or a forced good time?
By Emeline Vickroy
A cowpoke hunting in the bayou was in for a big surprise. While scouting for a good alligator to hunt, the cowpoke was accosted by several strangers. “A fella came up to me, dancing if you can believe it,” the cowpoke said, “and he was followed by three men in fancy suits and bowties, in the swamp!” Before they could react, however, an uncontrollable sensation to dance overcame them. “Before I knew it, I was dancing too!” the cowpoke exclaimed, “and I didn’t even know the steps, can you believe that?” Eventually the dancing troupe left and the cowpoke’s bodily autonomy returned to them. They said after telling their story in Saint Denis, several others commented and admitted to having similar experiences. Another Saint Denis resident said they danced all they way to the stage and put on a performance, which they were not paid for. The so called “Dancing Bandits” have not caused any actual harm based on stories and reports that have been made so far. “I suppose they ain’t so bad,” said another resident of the Five States, “guess dancing is better than being shot in the head.”
I’ve Seen Life from Both Sides Now
By Sofia Kathleen Fairfax – Lead Correspondent
It’s almost too easy to write about the violence we see on a near-daily basis in the Five States. Senseless cruelty, by so many bandits, outlaws, and cowpokes. You almost grow numb to the loss of life, until it happens to you.
Recently, my dear mother, Rebecca, quietly passed on. She was not murdered or hurt; it was merely her time, in some ways, that has made it worse. Death from a bullet or a knife, at least makes you think; maybe you could have done something different. Death from your own body shutting down, that was always out of your hands.
She was a kind woman, empathetic to a fault, and believed in the best of humanity. I owe much to her wisdom, although I question the goodness in the average human’s heart after all these years.
It is difficult to write these words, it almost sneaks up on you how much one life can matter to you, here one moment, gone the next. I think we never truly appreciate what we have, until it’s gone. I would rather face another gun battle, than experience the pain I feel now. I know she would want me to go on, writing, working, learning. I don’t intend to let her down, but my heart already bleeds for what is lost. I thought I knew life so well, I did not at all. Somethings lost, but somethings gained, in living every day.
The Five States Herald 