Two cowpokes saved by train engineer
By Jose Chavez
Two cowpokes live to this day because of the actions of a train engineer. Gus Miller spotted the men from a long way out and knew he had to do the right thing. “I saw the vultures circling around and figured there was some desert massacre coming up,” Mr. Miller said, “but I heard random gunshots, not a fight, just sporadic and figured someone was in trouble.” After getting the train to stop he exited and called on passengers for help. They found two men barely alive.

“One was bleeding, shot, barely awake,” said one of the passengers, “the other was awake, but trapped under a horse with a broken leg.” It was the survivor with a broken leg shooting the gun to keep the vultures at bay. They explained that they had been attacked and they dismounted to help their friend who had been shot. “I got off the horse, went to help, then I felt it,” they said, “the horse falling and crushing me face first into the hot ground.” The gunshot victim was rushed to a doctor, and as of press time, is still alive.

Train hijacking ends in unexpected outcome
By Jane Duran
Passengers on a train say that two woman boarded the train in East Grizzlies, leaving behind horses. They were armed and according to witnesses, obviously dangerous. “They told us to keep quiet, so we did,” said one witness. The women made their way toward the front of the train and eventually to the engine. The engineer was held at gunpoint and forced to relinquis the train to the women.

One kept a gun on the engineer while the other drove the train, but brought it to a stop over the Dakota River near Donner Falls. “One of them winked at me, and then the climbed onto the roof of one of the cars,” said the engineer. They could be heard jumping from car to car until, according to witnesses, they jumped off the train into the Dakota below. “No way they survived,” said the engineer. He drove the train onward, making a report via telegraph at the next train station.

Woman nearly killed by police determined to have killed in self defense
By Odell Clifton
A quiet morning in Blackwater was broken by a gunfight this week. Blackwater Police responded violently to a shooting after a masked woman gunned down a man in broad daylight. Many townsfolk ran off and a few patrolling policemen opened fire on the woman. However, Chief Oswald Dunbar intervened, having witnessed the entire thing. The man thought to be the victim instigated the entire altercation. “He tried to lasso that woman, and when he failed, he shot her,” Chief Dunbar explained, “had she not acted in self defense she may very well have died right then and there.” The woman had two gunshot injuries that the Blackwater Police say were inflicted by the attacker’s shots. However, witnesses say Blackwater Police did fire at the woman and so it is possible they are responsible for at least one wound. The woman will live and is expected to make a full recovery.

Impossible shooting exhibition wows audiences
By Donna Deshner
A master bowman showed off what he says are skills developed through years of hunting. Before firing his bow, he explained to audiences that he maintains a healthy diet and keeps in shape. “It is important to keep your core full, which requires a good diet and plenty of rest,” they explained, “and you need a clear mind to be as focused as possible.” They also said certain foods can fortify one, “down to you core’s core and ensure you focused for the task at hand.” Once these are completed, the bowman said you must focus on your target and only your target. “Do not concerned about where your target is going or where it has been,” they said, “focus on where you want your arrow to hit, the head or the heart for a clean kill.” The final step is to release.

The bowman put it into practice. A wild deer that had been held captive this entire time was released. It ran with great speed toward the freedom of the Heartlands. The bowman watched, furrowed his brow, squinted his eyes, raised his bow into the air, and then released the arrow into the sky. “They fired it almost straight up, barely in the direction of the deer,” one witness said, “but the damn thing seemed to turn and speed toward the running deer!” Several witnesses confirmed the ‘curving’ of the arrow’s path. Onlookers were in shock when the arrow hit its spot, piercing the deer’s skull and killing it instantly. Fans cheered and clapped as the bowman bowed. When asked if the bowman would train anyone, they declined. “I have explained the ways, it is for you to figure out how to put it into practice.”

Etta Doyle captured only to escape, again
By Emeline Vickroy
A bounty hunter has been blamed in the escape of Etta Doyle, an outlaw wanted for theft and murder. The bounty hunter responsible for her escape was also responsible for her capture. The bounty hunter in question tracked her to the Cornwall Company freight yard in Saint Denis. The bounty hunter managed to identify and capture Doyle without raising an alarm, escaping with the unconscious woman. No gunshots had been reported. The bounty hunter rode to a prison wagon, where they deposited Doyle. They explained that, “Doyle is a wily one and locking her up is the surest way to keep her captured.” They then rode to the Saint Denis Police Station and parked their wagon, but remained sitting at the reins.

Doyle does have a long history of escaping the law. Several arrests were shown to be false, having mistakenly arrested one of her gang members instead. The few confirmed times that Doyle was in custody did not stick, as Doyle has always managed to escape. The bounty hunter seemed well aware of this but still chose not to secure Doyle in a cell. Instead, they leaned back and, according to witnesses, fell asleep. “It was the darndest thing, they just sat up top cross armed and snoring,” said a policeman nearby, “me and the boys had a good laugh, but I guess that’s how we didn’t notice…” What had they not noticed? At some point after the bounty hunter fell asleep, someone opened the prison wagon’s door.

“It was dark, you understand,” said a policeman, “and soon as they woke up, hadn’t been asleep but 15 minutes, they panicked and checked the wagon.” They realized the door was wide open and Doyle was long gone, having escaped again. The bounty hunter offered a short explanation for their rest, “bigger pay day, if you stay awake…” Etta Doyle remains at large. Another bounty hunter remarked, “should have read their mail order catalogue, would have kept them awake!”

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