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.
Rescue turns to ambush
By Lucien Privitt
A harrowing and curious encounter unfolded near the cold waters of O’Creagh’s Run this week, where a traveling woman, described by witnesses as a capable frontier gunslinger, survived both beast and bullet in a scene of astonishing violence. While traversing the northern trail, she spied an unusual sight upon the snow: a bear circling a hogtied man, bound at the wrists and ankles, thrashing weakly against the rope. The animal, evidently roused by the man’s struggling, paced around him in fevered anticipation. The woman, rifle in hand, crept within distance and felled the creature with a single clean shot when it turned and charged her.
Approaching to render aid, she discovered that her supposed rescue was undesired. As she cut the bonds, the man sprang for his revolver and turned it upon her in thanks. Accounts say she wasted no time in hesitation—the crack of her pistol echoed across the valley before he could fire. No sooner had he fallen than the true ambush was sprung: his waiting companions, hidden among the pines, opened fire upon her. Outnumbered though she was, the gunslinger returned their greeting in kind, dispatching each one with ease.
Local lawmen remain uncertain as to the motives behind the failed ambush, or why the deceased’s own party allowed a wild beast to menace him so long before acting. Some speculate the group was testing their victim’s resolve, or else engaged in some bitter quarrel gone awry. Sheriff Jones of Annesburg has expressed admiration for the woman’s nerve but warned travelers that “not all dangers wear fur in the Grizzlies.” For now, the frozen lake holds its silence, broken only by the wind where bear, bandits, and bullets met their end.
Revenge is served, three tomahawks later
By Jose Chavez
An attempted assault along a dusty trail in eastern New Austin ended with a would-be attacker dead and a would-be victim standing over him, weapon still smoking. The incident occurred late yesterday, when a lone rider was set upon by a man who threw a lasso and yanked her clean from her saddle. Striking the ground hard but quick to her senses, she drew a knife and severed the rope before he could circle back. What followed was a reversal of fortune fit for any dime novel: as the man rode in again, she tossed her own lariat, threw it true, and pulled him from his horse in one sharp motion.
The pair grappled in the dust, but the woman’s resolve proved fiercer. She managed to hogtie the man. A passing traveler, observing through field glasses from a nearby ridge, later recounted the scene: the woman threw three tomahawks into the ground before the bound man, each thudding close enough to stir dust across his face. “No way to miss that close,” the witness told The Herald, “so it weren’t about killing—she was just letting him sweat.” Moments later, the sound of two gunshots echoed across the desert.
Lawmen from Tumbleweed have since recovered the body and are investigating the identity of the deceased, who bore no known bounty but fit the description of several petty highwaymen reported in the region. The woman has not come forward, and given the circumstances, Sheriff Freeman is said to view the matter as “self-preservation, not murder.” For now, the canyons of New Austin hold one less predator, and one more story whispered around the campfires about a woman who refused to be prey.
Bounty hunt goes horribly wrong
By Delphia Atwood
A perilous descent from a mountain in the Grizzlies turned to tragedy late last week when a bounty wagon carrying six captured fugitives lost control on a snow-slicked pass. The lone bounty hunter, whose name remains withheld by local law at his request, had successfully captured the entire gang after several days’ pursuit through rugged timber and frozen creekbeds. Witnesses at a nearby trapper’s post reported seeing the wagon heavily laden and descending the high road, the captives shackled within and the hunter seated firm, reins tight against a weary draft horse.
What followed was a calamity of both nature and chance. Partway down the mountain, the wagon struck a hidden sheet of ice and began to slide uncontrollably. The hunter leapt clear, but the horse was not so fortunate — the wagon overturned, crushing the beast beneath its own iron frame. The reinforced door burst open during the crash, scattering men and splintered boards into the snow. Two of the prisoners were found dead, one having been flung nearly half a mile from the crash, his body discovered the next morning by a passing fur trader.
Authorities have recovered the two deceased outlaws for identification, though their companions remain unaccounted for in the frozen expanse. Sheriff Hanley of Strawberry has warned travelers to exercise caution, as four desperate men are believed to be at large in the Grizzlies and may have moved into West Elizabeth, possibly armed and frostbitten. As the bounty hunter recovers from his injuries, plans are already underway for a renewed search once the storm clears, a grim reminder that in the high country, even justice must bow to the mountain.
Unsettling spectacle in Blackwater
By Odell Clifton
A most peculiar and deeply unsettling scene unfolded in Blackwater yesterday afternoon, leaving townsfolk in disbelief and more than a few children in tears. A draft horse pulling a delivery wagon came to an abrupt halt near the town’s east road, where another horse had recently collapsed and died. The deceased animal’s owner had gone to fetch help for its removal, but in the brief interval, the living horse began behaving in a manner wholly unfit for polite description. Witnesses reported gasps, shrieks, and hurried efforts to turn away as the driver, red-faced and mortified, abandoned his wagon rather than endure the commotion.
The animal’s frenzy was eventually calmed when a stablehand offered a handful of sugar lumps and led it from the street, though the memory of its strange conduct is unlikely to fade soon. The dead horse was carted off by evening, restoring a measure of dignity to the thoroughfare, but conversation about the incident continues to ripple through Blackwater’s saloons and stables alike. “I’ve seen many a thing on the frontier,” one onlooker remarked, “but nothing like that.”
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Close call at the Valentine train station
By Donna Deshner
A potential disaster was narrowly avoided outside Valentine this week when two locomotives found themselves barreling along the same stretch of track in opposite directions toward each other. The alarming situation unfolded in the late afternoon, when a band of riders on the nearby ridge noticed the strange convergence. “I was ridin’ past Valentine and saw a train coming in,” one cowpoke told The Herald, “and then I noticed another train comin’ in from the other direction.” Realizing the peril, the riders split, galloping toward both trains while waving hats and shouting to catch the engineers’ attention.
Fortune favored quick eyes and cooler heads, for both trains were already reducing speed for scheduled stops and managed to halt well short of collision. No injuries were reported, though a few passengers are said to have fainted at the sight of the oncoming engine. How the two trains came to share the same line remains uncertain, and a spokesman for the Southern and Eastern Railway declined to comment. For now, the citizens of Valentine may count themselves lucky that the only smoke over the valley that evening came from the engines—and not from wreckage.
Bug Population Decimated in Saint-Denis!
By Sofia Kathleen Fairfax
Throughout the long week, bug hunters, rat catchers, amateur citizens, and professional exterminators worked to cleanse Saint-Denis of the recent pest outbreak. Not everyone was successful; some of the high-profile hunters turned out to be little more than charlatans, and a few house fires were reported due to improper use of chemicals. A few people were even injured by gunfire, with one person losing their leg. But the results broadly now speak for themselves.
The population of rats has supposedly been reduced by as much as 36 percent, and complaints to the police about rodents have drastically fallen. Reports of large mosquitoes, beetles, and similar insects have plummeted an impressive 52 percent for households. It’s expected that the impact of malaria this year will be heavily reduced. Untold lives have likely been saved by this cleanup operation.
Some of the men who braved this so-called great expedition have already left, content with just a paycheck. Some are locals who have simply returned home. Only a few are demanding a sizable reward, and local politicians are considering it. It is not everyday you wake up and remark it is a good day to live in Lemoyne, but this, dear friends, is one such day.
Loyalty rewarded, dog finds a new home
By Ivy Seager
A lone rider crossing the Heartlands this week found more than he bargained for when he followed a stray dog through the tall grass, hoping the creature might lead him to some lost cache or outlaw stash. The animal barked and darted ahead, glancing back often as if beckoning the man onward. After a half-mile’s ride, the cowpoke came upon a grim scene — a dead man lying still, his pistol still holstered and his hat half-buried in the dirt. The dog, upon reaching the spot, gave a mournful cry and lay beside the body, refusing to leave its fallen master’s side.
Struck by the loyalty of the beast, the cowpoke took it upon himself to bury the poor soul and offer the grieving animal a place at his campfire. The hound has since been seen trailing behind his new master through the plains, his tail raised but his eyes still searching the horizon for the man he lost. Travelers say the pair make a fine sight, one man and one faithful creature, bound not by chance or reward, but by the quiet kinship born of loss upon the open land.
The Five States Herald 