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.
Gang Across the Sea Threatens Five States?
By Sofia Kathleen Fairfax (Lead Correspondent)
The eye of the hurricane is a term for the center of a storm; it’s calm, peaceful, even happy. But you are surrounded by wind, and sooner or later, you must step through the winds, to reach true safety. That is my situation as of this writing.
I am not writing this in my home; it’s not safe. I will not reveal where I am until the storm has passed. I have spent a lot of time looking into who has tried to kill me, who has sabotaged my company’s printing presses, and the men who have threatened my associates.
I believe they are not a local group. The criminal element of Saint-Denis was as blindsided as the Five State Herald. They heard a group of men with sharp accents who had recently got off a boat and seemed well-armed and organized. They do not know the names of these individuals, or where they originated from, only that they were not originally stationed in the Five States.
The best information I’ve gotten is a name. Andrew Hindley. I do not know if this is one of the trigger men, the leader of the group, or unrelated entirely. The name sounds British, which matches the accents of the possible men off the boat, almost cockney.
This storm will pass, but it will not pass without pain and misery. I must step through it, sooner or later, I am afraid. Until next time.
Cowpoke takes the long route on a short delivery
By Jose Chavez
A furs trader set out on a delivery that should have only taken an hour at most. So the buyer was more than a little worried when night fell hours later and the trader did not arrive with the goods. “I sat there wondering if everything was okay,” the buy said, “I negotiated a fair price and well, didn’t want to just leave.” So the buy stayed with a few guards far longer than a reasonable man ought to have. As the New Austin air cooled he decided he waited long enough and as he was preparing to go the trader finally arrived. “While I was angry and frustrated, he seemed calm, happy even,” the buyer said, “damn fool said he took the scenic route because someone paid him gold nuggets for the extra miles.” The buyer paid for the goods and left, not wanting to waste any more time.
Special Agent Rice Philips abducted!
By Jane Duran
Agent Rice Philips was taken from his temporary home this week in the middle of the night. Agent Philips took up residence in a building seized by the federal government in relation to moonshine investigation. Two agents accompanied Agent Philips to the cabin but did not stay. When Agent Philips did not show up to work the next day the agents went to the cabin to find him missing. “The door locked was broken, but looked like it was done quietly,” one of the agents said, “and there was no sign of a struggle but also no sign of an attack at all, such as blood.”
The agents do not believe Agent Philips was killed, but taken. “We did find a rag soaked in a vaporous sedative,” one of the agents confirmed. While The Executioner, the subject of Agent Philips’ investigation, is an obvious subject, it is unclear how a woman could have carried the large Agent Philips out of the cabin if he were unconscious. Authorities now believe The Executioner has an accomplice or may not be a woman at all. Several resources are being made available to the agency to search for Agent Philips and bring him home safely.
Etta Doyle captured and brought to Blackwater
By Odell Clifton
Blackwater police were stunned when a bounty hunter showed up with Etta Doyle on the back of their horse. Doyle is a criminal wanted in Lemoyne and last seen operating in Saint Denis. Doyle frequently forces female underlings to dress like her and act like her, leading to several false arrests. This was no false arrest however. The woman brought in was confirmed to be Etta Doyle based on her skar and other body markings. The bounty hunter said that Saint Denis police could not be trusted and so she was brought to Blackwater. While Blackwater Police took custody of Doyle, they did express frustration. “Doyle has a large criminal enterprise,” said one Blackwater Policeman, “and transferring such a prisoner cannot be taken lightly.”
Doyle will be transferred to Sisika prison this week. Her prison wagon will have a large escort as she is known to frequently escape custody.
First fight erupts around cowpoke getting a shave
By Emery Cosberry
Several Valentine residents were arrested this week following a saloon brawl. It started when two men waiting for a haircut began to grow impatient. The barber was busy preparing to give another customer a shave when the two men in line began pushing each other when one attempted to cut in front of the other. The shoving match turned into a brawl when one of the cowpokes was pushed into a drunk, who slammed beer bottle over another patrons head. The barber had enough presence to dodge both wild swings and flying bottles as he continued shaving his customer. The local sheriffs responded but by then, nearly everyone but the pianist, bartender, barber, and the barber customer was involved.
The sudden sound of gunshots brought the brawl to an end, however. The cowpoke in the barber chair had stood up and fired his pistol off, startling the brawlers. The pause gave the deputies the moment they needed to get control of the situation. As several men and women were being arrested, the man sat back in the barber chair and said, “barber, proceed.” The deputies asked the man a few questions but let him continued with his shave. Nearly a dozen people were crammed into the Valentine jail cells for the night and released the next morning, sober and full of regret.
Wealthy Saint Denis resident found dead on the road
By Mathilde Orry
Lester Wolters, a former resident of Saint Denis, was found dead in his coach this week. Mr. Wolters was traveling from Saint Denis to the Braithwaite Estate, having business with the Braithwaite family. The coach was found not moving on a road near the Caliga Hall, a plantation owned by the Gray family, a rival to the Braithwaites. The Grays said they had nothing to do with the murder. They admit that they did hear both shouting and shooting but did not investigate the manner after deciding it was none of their business. Mr. Wolters was not known to drive his own coach and was indeed found sitting inside. The driver was nowhere to be found nor was there evidence that the driver was harmed.
Mr. Wolters’ valuables were found on his person and several valuables were found untouched in a compartment in the coach. “We’ve ruled out robbery and believe this was personal,” said Sheriff Gray, who is leading the investigation, “they are also quite stupid for not making it look like a robbery.” Sheriff Gray would not confirm if the driver was a suspect. The Wolters Estate is offering a reward for any information that results in the arrest of the murderer. If you have information, contact the Rhodes Sheriff Department.
Authorities enact solution for troubling “blackout disease” following early success in Blackwater
By Adam Parvey
The discovery of a small bug causing cowpokes across the Five States to blackout randomly resulted in authorities working hard to give medical professionals the resources they needed to remedy the situation. After tracking infected individuals, healthcare officials were able to identify where the bugs originated. This allowed for a direct treatment of pesticides to kill off the tiny insects that have been causing such a major healthcare problem. Additionally, one researcher created a direct application for infected individuals. By combining oils and pesticide, an ear drop was created that will kill any bugs that have already taken root inside ones ears. The treatments were put to test last week in Blackwater and showed immediate positive results.
“We cannot be completely certain of long term effects, but the speed of the treatment led us to make the treatment available across the region,” said one researcher, “however, we do believe those with deeper infections will take longer to treat but they .” Further, researchers are still concerned about infections that have settled beyond the ear canal and therefore, beyond the reach of the ear drops. “We believe sustained treatment should be sufficient for all cases,” said one doctor on the team, “however, it may be best to treat deeper infections as chronic illnesses for the time being.” Another avenue of remedy is to use so called electro shock therapy. This method uses electrical currents and runs them through ones body, in this case through the head. The currents should kill or weaken the bugs. However, if the currents are too high there could be significant damage to the treated individual, making this a risky treatment option.
The Five States Herald 