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.
The wandering lasso artist leaves awe and alarm in equal measure
By Frederick Vannesse
A mysterious traveler has become the subject of campfire talk and saloon gossip across the Five States, earning a reputation not with a revolver, but with a length of braided rope. Unlike the celebrated Trick Shooter of Blackwater, whose exhibitions rely upon remarkable marksmanship, this wandering performer is said to astonish onlookers through impossible feats with a lasso. One ranch hand declared the stranger could “swing a lasso cleaner than anyone this side of the Lannahechee River,” while others insist the rope obeys his hand with uncanny precision, looping fence posts, bottles, and distant targets in displays that have drawn crowds wherever he appears.
Yet those exhibitions seldom end as harmless entertainment. Witnesses from several settlements claim the man possesses startling strength, saying he can catch full grown men in his lasso and whirl them through the air with such ease that “it looks as though the rope were still empty.” Accounts further allege that these performances frequently dissolve into gunfire, with unfortunate souls being roped, shot in bewildering succession, and left dangling from trees, signposts, or swung in wide circles before the stranger disappears down the nearest trail. No law office has publicly identified the roving showman, though several sheriffs are said to be comparing reports in hopes of determining whether the tales describe a single extraordinary man or a growing frontier legend embellished with each retelling.
Ranger deputies arrest man after deadly “voices” claim
By Jose Chavez
New Austin Rangers this week took Ephraim Cutter into custody following a violent spree that left two people dead and three others injured, after the suspect allegedly began hurling knives and hatchets at nearly every living thing he encountered. During questioning, Cutter reportedly insisted he had only been following the urging of mysterious voices, though he admitted he could neither describe them nor explain what they had said beyond an overwhelming desire to kill animals with thrown weapons. “I can’t say why, just wanted to start flinging knives and axes at any animal I saw,” he reportedly told authorities before adding, in apparent explanation for striking at passersby, “we might be fancy, but dammit, we are still animals!” Rangers have declined to speculate on Cutter’s state of mind, confirming only that he now faces multiple charges connected to the killings and injuries while the investigation continues.
Hunter swept away after ram charge at Calumet Ravine
By Jane Duran
A routine hunt in the rugged country of Ambarino turned tragic this week after Clara Wescott was reported missing while pursuing the elusive Chalk Horn Ram alongside her hunting partner, Elias Brogan. Brogan told searchers the pair had tracked the prized animal to Calumet Ravine, where Wescott finally caught sight of it, only for the ram to lower its head and charge before she could react. The impact reportedly knocked her over the edge and into the swift current below, where Brogan watched helplessly as the rushing water carried her downstream toward Donner Falls. Fearing the worst, he immediately summoned help, and a search party was assembled before day’s end, combing the riverbanks and the base of the falls. Despite their efforts, Wescott has not been found, and experienced frontiersmen admit that survival in such waters would be nothing short of miraculous.
Goose feather glut sends prices tumbling across West Elizabeth
By Daisy Fairman
Merchants throughout West Elizabeth report being buried beneath an extraordinary surplus of goose feathers, driving prices to their lowest point in recent memory as hunters continue delivering sacks faster than traders can sell them. Once a dependable commodity prized by fletchers for feathering arrows and by seamstresses for stuffing bed quilts, winter pillows, and the finer cushions found in respectable parlors, goose feathers have become so plentiful that several outfitters have begun refusing new shipments altogether. One Blackwater shopkeeper remarked that a wagonload of feathers now fetches less than a decent chicken, while others joked that if the flood of feathers continues, folks may soon be sweeping goose feathers from their porches as carelessly as dust.
Quiet inquiry deepens mystery at Butcher’s Creek
By Van R. Seldon
Investigators have remained notably tight-lipped as they continue their work at Butcher’s Creek, refusing to answer questions regarding possible suspects or motives behind the slaughter first reported in these pages. Their silence has done little to calm speculation, though officials insist they are following several promising leads. One witness I spoke with recalled seeing “a fellow with an eye patch, long hair, seemed serious, ride into the area,” describing a lone horseman who arrived without company shortly before the settlement descended into chaos. The account bears a striking resemblance to the well known bounty hunter Tom Lockburn, though authorities have neither confirmed nor denied whether he is connected to their inquiry.
The same witness claimed the one-eyed rider did not depart alone. Instead, they reported seeing him leave Butcher’s Creek beside another man wearing a grey or light blue coat. According to the witness, the pair opened fire as they rode out, cutting down nearly everyone still standing before disappearing into the wilderness. Whether the account proves entirely accurate remains to be seen, and investigators have offered no public comment on the testimony. .
One armed bowman stirs confusion through Saint Denis
By Emeline Vickroy
Residents of Saint Denis found themselves in a peculiar state of alarm after reports spread of a one armed man carrying a bow dashing through the city’s narrow alleys, sending pedestrians scattering in every direction despite no clear sign that he pursued any particular victim. Witnesses described the fellow as moving with great urgency but without any obvious purpose, weaving through crowded streets while startled citizens leapt aside or sought shelter behind wagons and storefronts. One observer admitted uncertainty over whether anyone had truly been chased at all, remarking with no small measure of skepticism, “A one armed man with a bow can’t be that dangerous.” City police acknowledged receiving several complaints but reported no injuries or arrests, leaving many to wonder whether the afternoon’s excitement stemmed from genuine menace or simple panic overtaking a busy street.
Authentic Pirate Weapon for Auction!
By Sofia Kathleen Fairfax – Lead Correspondent
Now that the… nastiness of the last major auction is well and truly behind us, those that live in Saint-Denis are lucky to experience another item of history to be sold to the highest bidder!
With assistance from a few historians in the Massachusetts area, an 18th-century blunderbuss has been recovered from the attic of a mansion. How it got there is anyone’s guess, but the weapon itself has a truly magnificent history.
The weapon was used by the pirate Samuel Bellamy during his short-lived career along the Cape Cod coast. The ship he captained, the Whydah Galley, famously sank in a storm alongside Bellamy and much of his crew. Numerous items were looted from the wreck that night, including this blunderbuss.
It was passed around among mayors, judges, magistrates, and even a colonial governor before ending up in the home of a rich individual who prefers to remain anonymous. Now it is being sold in the Five States, mostly because nobody wanted it in Massachusetts, and because Lemoyne has a long history with piracy. The starting bid is expected to be $ 500 or a few ounces of gold. How much will it sell for? Who knows! In a world without gold, probably a lot less.
The Five States Herald 