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.
Cornwall to Resurrect Great Eastern!
By Sofia Kathleen Fairfax – Lead Correspondent
The wealth of the industrialist stretches further than the horizon, as deep as the ocean, and as tall as the highest mountain. What entertains them is perhaps as alien to us, as a creature from beyond the stars. I say this, as one such industrialist attempts to resurrect the dead, in a sense.
Leviticus Cornwall, when he’s not feuding with other industrialists, has a passion for the sea. Perhaps he dreams of taking over sea trade in the way he controls oil; whose to say? Well, his next great project, is rebuilding the Great Eastern.
The Great Eastern, built by Britain’s Isambard Kingdom Brunel in 1858, was a five-masted jungle of smoke and iron, the largest ship constructed in the world; it still holds that record as of now. But the ship is long gone; its size was too great to enter most harbors, it was by all accounts a financial failure. It was taken apart about a decade ago, piece by piece, rivet by rivet. To naval architects, it was a sad fate, but to Cornwall, it was an opening. He intends to rebuild it, piece by piece, under our flag.
Will it serve a purpose? Probably not; it’s likely just a vanity piece, something to prove how mighty he is. It will not be the Great Eastern, no matter how much he wishes it was. You cannot resurrect the dead, whether it’s a human, or a ship; one’s done is done, and the real ship, died many years ago. All that will stand, is a pale imitation of what once was.
Woman found barely alive in the desert
By Jose Chavez
A traveler came upon a woman unconscious near Pike’s Basin. Her horse was standing over her. “I approached carefully, didn’t want to spook the horse,” the traveler said, “and I found that the woman was alive, thankfully!” The stranger offered the horse food and was able to see to the woman, offering her a bit of water. As she started to wake up she spoke softly, “…goin.. I need to keep… going…please…” Then she stood up, leaned on her horse and slowly started walking. “I heard her, softly but clearly saying, ‘5278…5279…5280!’ and then she fell again!” the traveler explained. He then set her on his own horse and rode to MacFarlane’s Ranch, leading her horse as well. The woman was able to rest and be cooled down, eventually waking up. She explained to farmhands that she was doing a challenge to walk 5280 steps, a challenge greater than she realized.
“I’m fairly active but truth is, most distance is covered on horseback,” she said, “walking that distance in the heat was more trying than I imagined.” Though she did complete her personal challenge, she needed more than a day to recover.
Exonerated woman offers resources to catch real killer
By Jane Duran
Emmaline Haven, who was arrested and accused of being the Executioner before being found not guilty by a jury, has offered resources in the aid of finding the actual serial killer. A body was found consistent with The Executioner’s pattern while Mrs. Haven is known to be a long way from the Five States. Mrs. Haven has recovered the estate and resources of her late husband, one of the Executioner’s victims and announced this week she would be happy to assist in the real killer’s capture. “I am relieved to be free and eager to move on from this chapter of my life, having lost part of my life in addition to my husband,” Mrs. Haven said in a statement, “as long as the real killer is still out there this chapter in my life remains open so I offer money for a reward and money to private investigators who can do what the government has so far failed to do.” Several bounty hunters are in the Five States and seeking out the Executioner. Investigators caution against vigilantism and remind would be bounty hunters that The Executioner is indeed dangerous. Anonymously, however, several agents have expressed relief to the idea of more people searching for The Executioner.
Horse wranglers cause trouble near Manzanita Post
By Odell Clifton
Ranchers in the Great Plains have raised alarms over a group of horse wranglers seen operating near Manzanita Post, rounding up mustangs and even eyeing branded livestock. Several ranchers claim to have lost horses in recent weeks, with fresh tracks leading toward the dense forests of Tall Trees, where the thieves are believed to be hiding out. Searches for the wrangler’s hideout have not turned up any leads.
Blackwater Chief of Police, Oswald Dunbar, has promised to investigate but admits that tracking down the wranglers in such rough country is no easy task. “They move fast, they know the land, and they ain’t afraid to shoot,” he warned, “but we may need enlist state help.” Some locals, unwilling to wait on the law, have started forming their own posses to recover stolen horses, setting the stage for a tense confrontation in the wilds of West Elizabeth. Several standoffs have been reported as posses have threatened anyone they see in Tall Trees, but thankfully nobody has died as a result. Until these outlaws are caught, ranchers remain on edge, keeping their stock close and their rifles closer.
Sheriff Curtis Malloy flees Valentine
By Emery Cosberry
The danger and un-predictableness of Valentine has long been documented by this paper. Many readers have learned about bank robberies, murders, and even bad poker players by reading those stories right here in the Herald. While violence should not be shocking, this story is a first of its kind. Several cowpokes who authorities believe were not working together, nearly took over Valentine. “Half a dozen or so outlaws attacked the town,” said a deputy, “they were excellent shots and had taken advantageous positions.” Deputies were trapped in buildings and those that did attempt to challenge the outlaws were killed instantly. Several townsfolk were also killed in the early moments of the shootout.
Deputies eventually made a coordinated charge against the attackers, but with their defensive positions, the outlaws killed several. A clerk at the train station was able to send a telegraph and state lawmen rode to the rescue. They too were gunned down. Residents say bodies just piled up around the town. Sheriff Curtis Malloy was forced to retreat by a couple of deputies, who managed to escape through a back down and escape north, where he took up a defensive position with the deputies at Chadwick Farm. The lawmen were planning to flee further to join forces with other state lawmen. However, one of the outlaws turned on one of the others.
“It was a miracle, one of them outlaws just shot another dead and yelled something about claiming a bounty,” a deputy said, “they walked out hands up thinking they were suddenly on our side, but they were shot dead instantly.” With two of their number dead, the rest fled. Investigators are sure that there was no connection between the outlaws based on their very uncoordinated attack and what discussion was heard between them. It is unclear what inspired them all to attack townsfolk, but authorities believe one may have started it and the others simply joined in once the opportunity presented itself. None of the attackers, save the dead, were identified.
Good Samaritan attacked!
By Emeline Vickroy
Witnesses say a well off gentleman visited the parts of Saint Denis most try to avoid. Among the beggars and outlaws, a well dressed cowpoke walked around offering money to the less fortunate. Then someone attacked them. “I couldn’t believe it,” one witness said, “fella gave me some money and chatted me up a bit and some guy attacked him.” The witness claimed that they were hungry and weak and as a result, could not assist the many. It did not matter, however.
“That mean fella attacking a nice gentleman bit off more than he could chew!” the witness explained, “figured a fancy man wasn’t hardened, you know!” The attacker wielded a knife and swung it fast, but the Good Samaritan dodged it and according to the witness, followed up with a series of punches. “He was fast and hitting him hard,” the witness said, “the attacker didn’t know what happened!” The attacker managed to block a punch and connect with his knife, however, it was a glancing blow and the injury was not serious. The Good Samaritan regained control of the fight and then, according to the witness, slammed the attacker’s head into the fence so hard he cracked.
Police investigated and took the lone witness statement. “This witness normally would not be considered reliable, if I am being honest,” a policeman said, “however, the attacker is a known deviant who harasses people regularly and looks like he paid for it this time.” The Good Samaritan was not arrested as the kill was determined to be an act of self defense.
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Can also do all three!
Years later and one saddle still reigns supreme
By Ivy Seager
Riders across the Five States, both those who have been here for years and those just arriving, are still finding out that one saddle is simply superior to all others. The Nacogdoches saddle has been considered the highest performing saddle in the region. Its design allows the horse to be comfortable while running at high speeds. The rider can also sit comfortably, guiding the horse through sharp turns and over obstacles both natural and manmade. “I have found no greater saddle for speed, comfort, or agility,” one rider said, “it’s just a shame it’s so damn ugly!” The saddle is said to be an eyesore for the cowpoke who favors simplicity. Many even contend that being the best is not enough to overcome just how ugly it is. “You might go just a bit faster, but it doesn’t make up for a rider’s skill,” one critic said, “the marginal speed improvement isn’t worth looking so foolish.”
Many have even pointed out that riders using the Nacogdoches saddle frequently lose races. “A skillful rider guides a horse to victory in a race, not the saddle,” one rider said, “anyone looking for an easy edge probably hasn’t the put in the time for the edge to matter.” For these reasons, the Nacogdoches is not the mostly widely used saddle, even if it is the best performing. In the Five States, it appears that function and style reign over raw performance.
The Five States Herald 