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.
Another tale of a giant in the Five States
Following our report of a giant found in the Five States, we received a tip that another giant was spotted. This time it was not a man, nor a horse. “I was hunting in the Great Plains when I spotted it, strange both for the region and the size of the thing!” said the cowpoke who found the creature, a Mr. Miller. His first thought after being shocked was to flee, gators are shockingly quick and therefore deadly creatures. However, Mr. Miller got control of his emotions and leveled his gun at the creature. “My elephant rifle was the only thing I figured could hurt the creature,” Mr. Miller said. The first shot got the monsters attention and it charged, but Miller managed a second shot in one of its eyes and killed it.
This story appears as unbelievable as the last story we ran about giants in the Five States. However, this time we have a photograph as evidence. After killing the beats, Mr. Miller took a photograph with it. Afterwards, he rode to Blackwater to gather a posse to come see the giant alligator. Unfortunately, the creature disappeared “into the sky” before he could bring anybody by. The photograph the sole evidence of the monstrous beast. Real or fake? You decide.
Several criminals turn themselves in to Tumbleweed Sheriff
By Alois Burditt
Sheriff Sam Freeman and his deputies were caught off guard this morning. Half a dozen armed men walked into the town, right up to the town jail that Sheriff Freeman uses as his office and turned themselves in. “It was the damndest thing,” Sheriff Freeman said, “they just dropped their gunbelts and rifles and confessed their misdeeds.” Once they were behind bars, they admitted that they had not suddenly become overwhelmed with with regret, but that fear motivated their decision. They had formerly served as henchmen for a wanted man, a man who had been captured by a bounty hunter. They were part of a group of outlaws chasing the bounty hunter to free their employer.
However, they gave up the chase when the bounty hunter calmly leveled his rifle and fired a single shot that killed two of pursuers. The rest of the gang saw the expert marksmanship and quickly fled. “We are a bit afeared that, well that he may come back,” one of the outlaws said, “so we figured if we turn ourselves in and serve our time, then maybe at least we won’t die.” The bounty hunter in question was not identified, nor did the outlaws identify who they had previously worked for.
WANTED!
Investigators: Travel the Five States and report on what is going on.
Writers: Write the stories investigators find!
Photographers:
To take photographs to be used in the Herald.
Can also do all three!
Fight over a piece of paper ends with one man dead
By Jane Duran
A witness reported a crime occurring near Moonstone Pond. According to lawmen, the witness claimed to have witnessed a murder. They had been riding past the pond when he heard voices arguing. “He said he instantly hid,” a lawman told me, “admitting he was not a brave man.” The witness then described a man and a woman arguing. Allegedly the man said, “I found it first.” However, according to the witness the woman laughed and said, “well I saw it last,” before pulling a knife out a tree and retrieving a piece of paper that was stuck there. Before the man could protest, the woman used the knife to stab him near the chest, possibly the throat. The witness remained hidden until the woman left, then he rode quickly to Emerald Station where he sent a message to authorities regarding what he saw. Authorities had investigated the area but found no body. “We had to give up the search on account of the witness not getting a clear look at the woman,” a lawman said, before warning others, “be careful when you see things stuck to trees, could be a trap or another may want it more than you.”
Farmer Badly Injured from Cartridge Wrap
By Sofia Kathleen Fairfax (Lead Correspondent)
Reloading a firearm is almost always the most stressful part of hunting. Hoping you can chamber the next round before the animal gets away or attacks you. In recent months, cartridge wraps on the gun’s stock have become a popular solution to this problem. They do have some drawbacks, as a local farmer discovered.
Uriah Sinclair is a farmer living near Strawberry. He is neither related to the farmer of the same name who witnessed one of Myra Rose Hart’s murders in Lemoyne nor is he a descendant of the Blackwater pioneer also of the same name. This Sinclair is most likely destined to be remembered, not for witnessing a crime or founding a city, but for nearly losing an eye.
He bought a cartridge wrap for an old Rolling Block rifle and went out hunting last weekend. He saw a giant buck, took aim, and fired. He can’t remember if he hit the buck, but he can remember the pain of several bullets slamming into his cheek. He forgot to put the cartridge wrap on the other side of the rifle stock. As a result of his foolishness, his right cheek is badly scarred. Many at first thought a wolf had clawed him. The scratches missed his eye by inches. When asked if a lesson was learned, he politely said, “no.”
Gunfight at Blackwater Saloon ends as quickly as it starts
By Odell Clifton
A man enjoying a drink at the Blackwater Saloon got a little more than he bargained for when another patron opened fire on him. “I just wanted a drink and some peace, that’s all,” the man said, “and some fella decided he’d prefer to die than let me enjoy that peace.” The shooter walked into the saloon without ordering anything and instantly turned and fired. The first shot hit the drinking man in the shoulder and was followed be several others, which all missed. The drinker responded by dropping his bottle of whiskey and drawing his own and putting an end to the gunfight. Another cowpoke walked in just after, but did not seem interested in a fight. “Hell if that guy would have fired, he’d be dead too,” the peaceful drinker said, “look what happened to the guy who shot me while I was sitting, imagine trying that while I was at the ready?” The saloon operator gave the man a free bottle of whiskey. “It’s the least I could do,” the bartender said, “seeing as he kept the damage to a minimum with those fine shooting skills.”
Train Violently Explodes Near Valentine!
By Sofia Kathleen Fairfax (Lead Correspondent)
The citizens of Valentine were rudely awakened Tuesday evening when a train suddenly, without warning, exploded. The train called Engine 143 was heading to Valentine to load up some sheep. It was a usual affair; nothing about this trip was unusual. As it was approaching the town, the sky was lit up by a fiery explosion.
Everybody aboard was instantly killed. It derailed immediately, flinging parts in all directions. The debris tragically crushed a few sheep. The explosion seems to have come from the engine, and this has already led to intense speculation. Was this an accident or an act of sabotage?
Coal dust explosions are a sad part of train life; even if you know what you’re doing, they still occur from time to time. On the other hand, a lit stick of dynamite or well-placed TNT can very much replicate the power of combusting coal dust. There isn’t enough information at this time to tell what happened.
The 13 workers are expected to be buried tomorrow morning. The coffins will thankfully be closed; the damage from the heat was quite severe. Whether they liked each other or not, they will now be forever joined in death, from now until the end of time.
Demonic possession in Valentine?
By Donna Deshner
A cowpoke reported a very odd occurrence in Valentine, this week. While attempting to do some business with the Valentine butcher, he noticed the butcher acting a bit odd. “His head kept twitching, nearly turned completely around,” the cowpoke said. It was also reported that the butcher was muttering things in an unknown language. Then, as if nothing had been amiss, the butcher greeted him and offered some meat. The report comes as October draws near, the month of Halloween and allegedly, the time the barrier between the living and the dead is the most thin. This has led some to say the butcher was, or may still be, possessed by a demon. Others caution reaching such conclusions without further evidence, saying even if October were a time for spooks and specters, it is still September. Though those who believe the supernatural explanation say that just means the barrier is getting thinner, sooner, which could spell doom for the entire Five States region. Be careful at the cowpokes, the Five States appears to be getting wilder.
Bounty hunter left defenseless after horse sends him flying
By Emeline Vickroy
After a successful bounty hunt, an unnamed bounty hunter was thrown from his horse and seriously injured. Witnesses say the horse began acting erratically, jumping and becoming agitated. The bounty hunter tried to get his horse under control, but the horse jumped over a fence and then attempted another jump and crashed. The rider was sent flying from the horse and landed on a fence. “The landing was bad, his back right across the fence,” said a witness. Remarkably, the man survived. However, as he recovered, an outlaw took advantage of the situation and gunned the bounty hunter down. The killer is still at large, having evaded the Rhodes lawmen.
Will the real Etta Doyle please stand up?
By Adam Parvey
Nearly a year ago this very paper covered the controversy regarding one Etta Doyle. Ms. Doyle holds the distinction of being the most wanted outlaw in the entirety of the Five States. There is not a bounty hunter alive who has not attempted to capture her and even those who have “succeeded” have failed. “Ms. Doyle remains at large to this day,” said Saint Denis Police Chief Benjamin Lambert, “every time “she” has been turned in here it has turned out to be one of her accomplices.” Ms. Doyle inspires such devotions that her followers not only dress like her, but attempt to wear their hear like her and some have gone so far as to harm themselves to have a scar that matches hers. This has resulted in frustrated lawmen and has vexed the BHTNC, which provides most of the funding to pay for the bounty system.
“Their frustration is that we keep paying bounties to folks for Ms. Doyle when they are just bringing in the help,” said Chief Lambert. Officials have been trying to figure out how to stop this problem, but so far, all attempts have failed. “What more can we do but provide the local law enforcement with posters of Doyle?” said a BHTNC representative, “they can compare the captured person to the pictures, it ain’t exactly difficult, is it?” The BHTNC’s insistence that the problem lies with local law enforcement and not the program at large has only caused more tension between the private group and local governments. It is unlikely that any local government will take any action however, as they could not afford to keep many programs running with the BHTNC.
Action packed play coming to Washington, D.C.
By Frederick Vannesse
A new play starring James O’Neill called “When Greek Meets Greek” promises an action packed experience that will please play goers and play naysayers alike. Mr. O’Neill was well known for his action performances, commanding audiences attention not only with his words but with his body movements. Edmund L. Breese will start opposite Mr. O’Neill. Those who have seen the play already have teased that the third act really ramps up the action and the risk to the characters. Without giving up the plot, Mr. O’Neill’s character participates in a duel. The duel scene is said to be so good that audiences cannot resist calling out Mr. O’Neill to cheer for him. This play, like much of Mr. O’Neill’s work, is likely to be a large draw for the Academy of Music, where it will be shown.
Shocking news coming out of investigation in the Battle of Omdurman
By Ivy Seager
The Battle of Omdurman has been quite controversial recently. At the time of the battle, Lord Kitchener of England was heralded as a master tactician and praised for bringing the Sudan under British control decisively. Later, however, it was revealed that Lord Kitchener’s tactics. The destruction of Muhammad Ahmad’s tomb was called unnecessary and callous. Now more controversy has erupted that alludes to the battle being chaotic, far from the orderly victory Lord Kitchener claimed. A journalist named Hubert Howard was found dead, initially believed to have been killed by the Sudanese forces. However, a recent investigation reveals that Mr. Howard was killed as a result of friendly fire. The details regarding how Mr. Howard died is still unclear, as witness accounts are lacking. The evidence that does exist makes clear it was British forces who killed Mr. Howard. What will happen, if anything, as a result of these findings is unclear.
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