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.
Gold Bug Fever Hits Five States!
By Sofia Kathleen Fairfax – Lead Correspondent
It’s hard to explain how this craze began. It began with just a simple old weapon from over a century ago, a pirate’s weapon fished out of a pirate ship. Now, everyone suddenly thinks they can find buried treasure, from the mountains to the bayous. It’s all very surreal.
Dubbed Gold Bug Fever, it seems every person who owns a shovel, and even those who don’t, is obsessively combing the Five States for some form of treasure. Farmers are telling tall tales about legendary pirates burying gold, or what have you, old Confederate generals who stashed stolen loot before surrendering or dying, the list goes on!
Whether the claims are true or not is irrelevant; people keep digging, digging, digging! A few people have claimed to find chests with some items of value, mostly a lot of Earth has been churned and spit out. A few people have already been felled by wildlife, quite unimpressed with these shenanigans.
How long this shall continue is truly anyone’s guess. Personally, I think the only ones getting rich are the people selling shovels to these would-be prospectors, but I suppose that was true back in the 49er days as well.
Ambush in the desert turns against band of outlaws
By Wylie Frey
A gang of outlaws learned a costly lesson on the dusty trails of eastern New Austin this week after attempting to rob a trader hauling valuable goods across the desert. Believing they had found an easy mark, the band rushed what appeared to be a lone wagon, only to discover the trader had anticipated just such an attack. “They thought I was alone, but my partners ride in the distance, just for such an occasion,” the trader told The Five States Herald. Within moments, armed riders swept in from afar and caught the would-be robbers between converging volleys of gunfire, ending the ambush almost as quickly as it had begun. With the outlaws lying dead where they fell beneath the unforgiving desert sun, the trader gathered his escort, set his wagon back on the trail, and completed the delivery without further interference.
Mountain family’s wagon returned after week long search
By Delphia Atwood
A family living deep in the remote mountains of Ambarino has been reunited with their stolen wagon after a determined cowpoke tracked it down early this week, bringing an end to an anxious search that began when the vehicle vanished from the family’s homestead last week. Though thieves made off with a portion of the supplies packed within, the wagon itself and most of the family’s belongings were recovered in serviceable condition, sparing them what would have been a devastating loss before the next journey into settled country. The grateful family offered their thanks to the unnamed rider, saying the return of their wagon meant far more than the value of the missing goods, as it restored both their livelihood and their means of enduring the harsh mountain wilderness.
Photographer believed killed by bear in Big Valley
By Daisy Fairman
A grim discovery was made this week in Big Valley, where the body of a woman was found bearing wounds consistent with a violent attack by a large animal. Nearby lay a shattered camera, its wooden frame splintered beyond repair, while the photographic film inside was so badly damaged that experts say no images are likely to be recovered. Naturalists and local trackers examining the scene believe a bear was almost certainly responsible, with some pointing to the elusive Ridgeback Spirit Bear, a massive and seldom-seen beast long rumored to roam the forests and meadows of the region. Though officials caution that no conclusion can be declared with absolute certainty, they are urging travelers, hunters, and photographers alike to exercise extreme care when venturing into the wilds of Big Valley, where nature has once again reminded mankind whose domain it truly is.
Unkillable man brought down
By Donna Deshner
Valentine awoke to terror when an outlaw carved a bloody trail through its muddy streets, leaving citizens diving behind wagons and storefronts as gunfire echoed from one end of town to the other. Witnesses insist the man seemed impossible to stop. Deputies emptied their revolvers, townsfolk joined the desperate volley, and yet the outlaw staggered onward as though lead meant nothing at all. “Deputies shot at him, so did other folks, but nothing stopped him!” one shaken stable hand declared, still clutching his hat long after the smoke had cleared. By the time the violence reached its end, the street bore the grim evidence of the stranger’s relentless march, with the injured and dead scattered where they had fallen.
The slaughter ceased only when a bounty hunter arrived from the northern road and, rather than meeting the outlaw with another barrage of bullets, sent a finely thrown bolas spinning through the air. The weighted cords wrapped the fugitive’s body, pitching him hard into the dirt before he could rise again. Witnesses watched as the hunter calmly squatted over the tangled outlaw, pinning him in place by sheer resolve until Valentine authorities rushed forward to clap irons on the prisoner and carry him away. Whether the man’s uncanny endurance owed to luck, grit, or something darker is already the subject of whispered debate in every saloon, though for now the people of Valentine seem content simply knowing that, immortal or not, he could still be brought low.
Bounty bonuses draw hunters, but Raiders remain defiant
By Aloysius Levron
Authorities across Lemoyne have begun offering increased bonuses for the capture of wanted outlaws, prompting bounty hunters from every corner of the Five States to descend upon the region in hopes of claiming the richer rewards. Despite the influx of seasoned trackers and gunfighters, officials concede the campaign has yielded fewer arrests than anticipated. “Several outlaws in this state are members of the Lemoyne Raiders,” one policeman remarked. “They have a problem with authority and protect each other well.” Investigators say many posses have found abandoned camps, false trails, and armed resistance instead of easy captures, with the Raiders proving as elusive as they are organized.
The challenge, according to Saint Denis Chief of Police Benjamin Lambert, extends beyond the swamps and forests where the gang is known to roam. The chief stated that several Lemoyne residents are believed to provide safe harbor, supplies, and advance warning to Raider fugitives, allowing them to slip away before officers or bounty hunters can close in. While officials have vowed to continue offering the enhanced rewards in hopes of breaking the gang’s network of support, many now acknowledge that defeating the Lemoyne Raiders will require more than larger bounty posters, it will demand cooperation from the very communities the outlaws have long called home.
Federal agents widen inquiry into Butcher’s Creek massacre
By Adam Parvey
Federal authorities have quietly expanded their presence across the eastern Five States following last week’s reports from Butcher’s Creek, with agents observed arriving not only at the isolated settlement but also in Annesburg, Saint Denis, and several smaller communities throughout the region. The officials refused all requests for comment from The Five States Herald, though conversations with local lawmen confirmed they informed sheriffs and police departments that they were investigating the massacre at Butcher’s Creek. Several officers declined to elaborate on the purpose of the inquiry, and none would disclose the names of individuals they had been asked about. One officer, however, responded to my suggestion that the investigation might concern the well-known bounty hunter Tom Lockburn with nothing more than a long stare and a slight shrug, neither confirming nor denying the implication.
The quiet federal response has only deepened the mystery surrounding the bloodshed, particularly after earlier witness accounts alleged that two armed men fled the scene following the killings. Whether those men are suspects, witnesses, informants, or participants in a broader federal investigation remains unknown, and authorities appear determined to reveal as little as possible while their work continues. With federal agents now ranging from the coal country of Annesburg to the busy streets of Saint Denis, many observers believe the events at Butcher’s Creek may be connected to matters extending well beyond a single isolated massacre, though officials have given no indication of when, or if, they intend to speak publicly.
The Five States Herald 