Man survives deadly fall!
By Jose Chavez
A startling account reached the Herald from New Austin after a witness claimed to have seen a cowpoke survive what ought to have been fatal. According to the report, the man was riding along the edge of a rocky rise when his horse stumbled and tumbled, throwing the rider forward and over the cliff. The witness estimated the drop at no less than twenty feet, stating the man struck the ground head first after a long and sickening fall that left no doubt in the onlooker’s mind that death had come swift.

Fearing the worst, the witness hurried down to render what aid he could, only to be met with a sight difficult to square with reason. The fallen man reportedly stood up under his own power, brushed himself off, and showed no sign of injury or disorientation. The horse, which had not followed him over the edge, was found unharmed above and soon reunited with its rider. Moments later, the cowpoke mounted up and rode off without a word, leaving behind little more than shaken nerves and a story that has already begun to travel faster than a good horse across the desert.

Hunter saves a stranger from outlaws
By Jane Duran
An unusual act of courage was reported this week out of Colter, where a hunter is said to have intervened in the unlawful detention of a man by a small band of outlaws. The hunter had entered the long-deserted mining settlement seeking brief shelter from the cold he heard voices and found the outlaws and their captive. Though more accustomed to sighting animals through his rifle, the man reportedly took cover among the ruined structures and fired with deliberate aim, killing one outlaw outright and a second moments later.

The sudden resistance proved sufficient to break the group’s resolve. The remaining outlaws abandoned the captive, mounted their horses, and rode out of Colter at speed, leaving the hunter to free the shaken man. The freed hostage later claimed the entire affair stemmed from a case of mistaken identity and stated that he was subsequently returned to his home without further incident. In a land where the line between hunter and protector is often thin, the episode stands as a reminder that necessity can draw unexpected resolve from even the most solitary figures.

Skinner Brothers camp massacre in Tall Trees
By Odell Clifton
Two riders passing through the Tall Trees region came upon a sight near the Bear Claw clearing that stopped them cold in their saddles: a Skinner Brothers camp reduced to ruin, its occupants scattered across the ground in pieces and ash. The bodies bore signs of terrible violence, some torn open, others blackened and broken, the earth itself scarred by blasts and fire. The state of the remains led those who saw them to believe the destruction had occurred hours earlier, likely under cover of the morning, with the scene only revealing itself when daylight had fully settled.

Subsequent inspection suggested the work of a single assailant, later rumored to be Sergio “Silver,” armed with little more than a knife, fire bottles, and dynamite. The outlaws appeared to have been overwhelmed in swift and merciless fashion, described by one observer as “eviscerated, blitzed, and set ablaze,” with wounds ranging from deep cuts to explosive trauma. No signs of an organized defense were found, lending weight to the belief that the camp was taken by surprise.

One body stood apart from the rest, that of the gang’s leader, who was not burned nor blasted, but stabbed repeatedly and with clear intent. His death appeared personal, even purposeful, in contrast to the wholesale destruction around him. The devastation was later also noted by residents of nearby Manzanita Post, some of whom claimed they had narrowly missed a lone figure moving swiftly away through the trees.

Gunshot cuts violence short
By Donna Deshner
What began as loud talk and louder laughter inside Smithfield’s Saloon took a sharp turn when one cowpoke, already deep in his cups, struck another square in the throat. Several patrons braced themselves for the usual outcome: chairs flying, fists swinging, and the whole saloon emptied into chaos. But the moment broke differently than expected. The man who had been punched staggered only briefly before drawing a revolver, his hand steadier than the room had any right to expect.

Witnesses say a single shot rang out, dropping the attacker where he stood and cutting the tension as cleanly as a blade. No further violence followed. Glasses were refilled, conversations resumed, and before long the saloon returned to its usual hum, as if the gunshot had served not as an invitation to mayhem but as a firm reminder of its limits.

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New Austin man hanged in Rhodes
By Aloysius Levron
David Matthews was put to death by hanging just outside the town of Rhodes, after being found guilty of the killing of his older brother and his infant sister. The execution was carried out with little ceremony and fewer witnesses, numbering no more than half a dozen folks, who stood at a cautious distance as the sentence was fulfilled. Authorities stated that Matthews had been a transient presence in the region, drifting through Scarlett Meadows before his apprehension, and that the crimes for which he paid with his life were judged beyond dispute.

Though the matter appeared settled with the tightening of the rope, a Rhodes resident reports an unusual development in the hours following the execution. According to this account, the bounty hunter Tom Lockburn arrived in town shortly before dusk and held a private discussion with Sheriff Leigh Gray. The witness, who observed the exchange from across the street, claimed the talk centered on Matthews himself, despite the man already lying cold beneath the gallows.

“That one-eye fellow said something about looking for that man they hanged,” the resident recounted. “Needed info from him, but dead men got no tales to tell.” Shortly after this exchange, Lockburn was seen departing Rhodes at speed, riding north without stopping, his purpose and destination left to speculation.

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