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 Smoking Gun strikes again!
A triple murder in Saint Denis has residents afraid to leave their homes. For weeks the serial murderer known as the Smoking Gun has terrorized Lemoyne, mostly Saint Denis. Those kills have been out in the bayou or targeted at dock workers. However, this triple murder took place in the heart of Saint Denis and once again, in broad daylight. A series of shots sent residents scurrying for cover and policemen hunting for the source. When the police came across the victims they were already dead and he killer was nowhere to be found.
One of the victims was known to frequent illegal gambling operations, however the other two were not known to be gamblers at all. Were the other two merely innocent bystanders? Perhaps the Smoking Gun merely go sloppy? Or perhaps it was not the Smoking Gun at all? To kill the latter question right now, I searched the area more thoroughly than the police. I imagined where I might go if I had just fired off my six shooter and had to make a quick escape. I saw a wall and climbed it. There I saw what most would have overlooked; a cigarette filter from a hand rolled cigarette.
So, what of the other two questions? Could the other two men have been innocent bystanders? No. All three men, whose names are being withheld for the time being, did have ties to organized crime. The specifics of those ties are unknown at this time, however, those they are tied too are known to run illegal gambling operations as well as provide loans to those who could not get loans through banks. Why in daylight then? Is our serial killer getting sloppy as I get close? Unlikely.
Only one was a gambler, but I could not unearth anything that revealed a debt as a result of his gambling. All three did have ties to the same gang. Therefore, I conclude this was a message. The Smoking Gun has moved from merely killing those who find themselves in debt to dangerous people, to perhaps also murdering rival gang members. Doing so in broad daylight in a crowded city sends a clear message, “I can get you anytime I want.” If my theory is true, that means the Smoking Gun works for a single gang. And I now know which gang he does not work for. Another step closer to clearing the smoke exposing a serial killer.
Outlaw learns bounty hunters know no borders
By Alois Burditt
Lester Stuart attempted to escape his bounty by fleeing to Mexico. Wanted for sexual assault in the Five States, Stuart believed fleeing to Mexico would keep him safe. A reasonable conclusion given the tensions between the U.S. and Mexico that have resulted in the closing of the border. It is unknown how Stuart made it into Mexico and some have suggested he had help.
However, his escape was short lived. An American bounty hunter known as ‘The Dog’ managed to follow Stuart and capture him. Unfortunately for ‘The Dog,’ Mexican authorities do not presently recognize bounty hunter licenses issued in the U.S.. On his way to the border, ‘The Dog’ was arrested for kidnapping. Stuart was also arrested for questioning in regards to a sexual assault he is accused of committing in Mexico. As of press time, ‘The Dog’ is being held for kidnapping and using his personal attorney to deal with the situation. The U.S. government is not involved.
Armadillo reborn?
By Wylie Frey
Armadillo has hit a rough patch this year. After the building of a brand new railroad station, many thought Armadillo was going to become the jewel of New Austin. Unfortunately, that turned out to not be the case. The population was struck with town wide cholera. Everyone’s business slowed down but the undertaker’s and those not infected quickly fled the town never to return. But Armadillo’s fate may have just turned around.
The Summer Bill passed earlier this year expanded access to bounty hunting licenses across the Five States. New Austin has its fair share of criminals given the lack of law enforcement in the state. This has drawn many bounty hunters to Armadillo. As odd as it seems, this activity centered around the local sheriff station may generated economic interest in developing Armadillo again. “Lots of folks coming here, good for business,” says general store owner Herbert Moon. “So I expect other money hungry types to arrive soon.”
Cotorra Springs reopened
By Jane Duran
Weeks ago a poor soul was murdered at Cotorra Springs. Since that point authorities “closed” the area as a safety precaution, as they still believed the murder to have been an accident. Of course, in the most lawless state in the Five States, closing off an open region such as the Cotorra Springs proved to be a fool’s errand. Cowpokes still visited the hot springs despite the official closure. On occasion a U.S. Marshal would patrol the area, but had no interest in trying to remove hardened men and women from the springs.
“You want to risk melting or being murdered, that’s on you,” said a Marshal I spoke to. The official reopening of the area likely means nothing for the cowpokes who ignored the closure in the first place. It does, however, mean the Marshals are not going to regularly patrol the area anymore.
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‘Yukon’ Nic captured
By Nick McCrary
Noted Chickasaw tracker Akanowa captured ‘Yukon’ Nic while also managing to save an imprisoned U.S. Marshal. Known mostly as a tracker and finder of both things and people, Akanowa only recently joined the skin for cash trade. “It’s just tracking, with a different goal,” Akanowa said of her new profession. She started working in Lemoyne and along the coast of the Lannahechee River but expanded into West Elizabeth to hunt for ‘Yukon’ Nic.
“I was caught off guard, a bear roared and I was startled. Next thing I knew I was surrounded,” said the freed U.S. Marshal. He was locked up for several days before Akanowa arrived. “She was like a damn whirlwind. Moving through the camp with purpose and terrifying fervor,” the Marshal described what he saw from inside a cabin as ‘Yukon’ began to panic. The first few people fell dead to arrows in a silent assault. Afterwards, Akanowa moved in and began cutting ‘Yukon’ Nic’s gang down with tomahawks and a double barrel shotgun.
“I heard a gun firing in the distance, but never saw the shooter. But he was definitely assisting the Indian,” the Marshal stated. According to the Marshal, ‘Yukon’ exited the the cabin using the Marshal as a human shield and bargaining chip. “She barely let the man speak,” the Marshal said of Akanowa’s actions. While ‘Yukon’ bargained for his life, the Chickasaw tracker threw a tomahawk with lightning reflexes. The blade was embedded deep in ‘Yukon’ Nic’s shoulder and was enough for the Marshal to break free. Akanowa then tackled and hogtied Nic before bringing him to the Blackwater Police station. “Better to take him away from the forest. Better punishment,” Akanowa explained.
The war against the Misfit Bunch continues
By Jose Chavez
With the dead of the Pinkerton Detective Tom Watson and the subsequent defunding of the Pinkerton investigation on the Misfit Bunch, due the several industrialists removing their support in order to protect their assets from this gang, the fight against this gang is hanging by a thread.
The sole remaining major contributor to the continuation of the Pinkerton’s involvement in the war against this gang, coal and mining tycoon Archibald Jameson, who has suffered great losses on the hands of this Bunch on his interests out west, reportedly had harsh words for his fellow capitans of industry who chose to turn their backs to the joint effort to combat these criminals, so our sources say. He accused his colleagues and competitors not only of being intimidated by threats of violence against them and their assets, but also of having agreed to a deal for removing their funding in exchange for no longer being targeted for robberies; but they of course deny the allegations that they have given into the outlaw threats and claim that the cessation of attacks on their assets is purely coincidental.
One of the industrialists, who wanted to remain anonymous attributes his decision to withdraw funding to the scandals surrounding the dealings between Pinkertons and ruthless gangs (most notably Del Lobos) and even paid killers and assassins in their efforts to stop these Misfits, plus the unethical and immoral behavior some agents had during the investigation. He also claimed that his continuing support of the controversial Pinkerton war against a sympathetic gang was generating unrest amongst his workforce. He concluded by saying he has nothing to gain from Jameson’s posturing, whom he accuses of unsuccessfully trying to gain a reputation of ruthlessness like Leviticus Cornwall in the east, and that law enforcement should be sufficient in the fight against local gangs.
But amongst these setbacks, the new team of Pinkerton agents have made some progress that they were willing to make public. They recovered several pieces of evidence that the previous team leader had been hiding, apparently due to his deal to assassinate the Misfit leader. Amongst the evidence recovered was as a book which was partially damaged by the fire with several journal entries and some disturbing artwork and symbols, predominantly one of a skull wearing a cutter hat and a blue bandana with crossed revolvers underneath, reminiscent of the old Jolly Roger pirate sigil; a foreign newspaper article written in Spanish describing the killing of a prominent politician’s son during an illegal pistol duel by a man called Giorgio Tieri, whose pictured in the article bares a striking resemblance to the outlaw known as “Mister T.” (albeit younger), leading the detectives to believe that he is indeed the leader of the Misfits, which could mean that the “Mister T.” alias may be bastardization derived from his last name; and most importantly, what appears to be damaged pages of a ledger that names all currently identified Misfit members plus another prominent member, a notorious outlaw only known as Inferno.
According to the Pinkerton’s “Rogues Gallery”, their compilation of descriptions of known criminals, Inferno is the alias of a Mexican born outlaw who was believed dead after a shootout last year that decimated his gang in Saint Denis, Lemoyne, where several witnesses saw him get shot and critically wounded, but his body was never recovered. The Pinkertons now believe that he could have joined the Misfit Bunch right then and there, since the some Misfits were spotted in that town during that time, amongst them, a Wapiti trained medicine man who might have treated Inferno’s wounds, saving his life.
This is a very tense and dangerous moment in the investigations, where Pinkertons are getting murdered and the main roster of the Misfit Bunch has been revealed to the public, with the exception of some newer members, or so the detectives claim. All of this while the main Pinkerton patron in this case is doubling down on his private war against the Misfits, paradoxically making himself the main target of their criminal activities. What will come to pass when Jameson visits Tumbleweed next week? A visit he has adamantly stated that he won’t cancel or postpone, where he is interested to invest nothing short of a fortune in buying the assay office in town and building a new station in Gaptooth’s Ridge with a new road connecting it to the town, an investment that would greatly revitalize an area that has been slowly dying since the railroad favored the town of Armadillo and went past Tumbleweed. Will the Misfits of the West, with members like Inferno who have an axe to grind against ruthless magnates, try to get their hands on their main scourge even though he will be surrounded by an army of Pinkertons and hired guns? Will they even try to get payback if it means putting the last nail in the coffin of a town that was welcoming to them, or will they seek to prevent progress and modernity to be forced into the wild west, bringing law and order with it and destroying a way of life that people still try to cling to along with the hope and freedom this region represents? We will know the answer to all this next week.
Trade delivery gone wrong at Flatneck Station
By Emery Cosberry
A cowpoke living out in the wilds of the Five States has come to see the civilized world as far more “wild.” “I hunt every day. My business partner and I then sell animal parts in bulk. Good business for someone who doesn’t like going to town,” said the cowpoke. On this occasion his business partner set up a deal at Flatneck Station. “Shoulda been easy enough. 100 goods for a stack of cash,” the cowpoke told me.
However, upon arrival he discovered this sale was not going to happen. His buyers were already a dead. Other dead bodies littered the area as well, evidence that the buyers did not go down without a fight. Some of the attackers must have gotten away because the cash the buyers intended to use to buy the cowpokes supplies was gone. “Likely the buyers were flashing their cash and paid for it,” said a Valentine deputy who responded to the bloody scene.
“I might need me another partner, one to ride ahead and protect buyers in the future,” admitted the cowpoke. Another reminder of the every day risks of adventuring the Five States. Lucrative opportunities often come with the ultimate risks.
Bank robbery in Saint Denis
By Aloysius Levron
Four outlaws pulled off a daring heist at the Lemoyne National Bank. They rode an armored wagon and wore bank uniforms. As a result, nobody knew the bank was being robbed until the robbery was well under way. A Saint Denis police officer got a little too close during his patrol and one of the outlaws got nervous and shot the police officer. The officer died before back up arrived, but the gunshot alerted other officers that something was going on.
The outlaws had to make their escape under fire, leaving many police officers wounded and three others dead. Escaping through the cemetery, the outlaws continued to fight it out with the police. The outlaws were last seen running through the Saint Denis slums toward the train. Witnesses report a fifth man joining them during the gun fight before they disappeared. “We’ve conducted a thorough inventory and we are proud to say that despite their clever ruse, quick action by the Saint Denis police limited losses to $154,” announced the manager of the Saint Denis National Bank, “I can’t imagine that is a great five way split.”
Increase in turkey hunting may put turkeys at risk
By Van R. Seldon
This past week saw an increase in turkey hunting across the Five States that has one conservationist worried. “The buffalo and the bald eagle are already nearing extinction. Will the turkey be next? You know it was nearly our national bird!” said conservationist Dolly Klepper. The increase in turkey hunting was in the lead up to Thanksgiving. While butchers across the Five States sold whole turkeys, it is thought that real cowpokes hunt their own food. So hunt they did.
However, now that Thanksgiving has come and gone, turkey hunting has decreased. “We expect that it will pick up again heading into end of the year holiday celebrations,” Miss Klepper warned. Riding across the Five States may ease Miss Klepper’s concern. On my morning ride from Valentine to Emerald Ranch to meet with the conservationist I spotted no less than six turkeys. After speaking with Miss Klepper I rode to Rhodes and spotted another four turkeys on the way.
Pennsylvania town destroyed when dam breaks
By Adam Parvey
The town of Williams, Pennsylvania was obliterated when the Williams Dam broke. Having been completed only a few months ago, the dam did not last long. The rushing water brought down the town paper mill and most of the town. Damaged is estimated to be nearly $6,000,000 with at least 78 people dead. Town planners have promised to rebuild, both the town and the dam.
In the weeks leading to the tragedy, many residents pointed out cracks in the damn. However, engineers and planners said this was normal and expected as part of the cement drying. Some experts obviously recognized the issue and attempted to alleviate some of the pressure by creating a whole for the water to flow through using dynamite. Many survivors have nowhere to go and must rely on the town planners, who are promising assistance in rebuilding if they remain in the town.
U.S. threatens war if demands are not met
By Ivy Seager
Tensions continue to rise between the United States and Spain, with no end in sight. The U.S. accused Spain of blowing up the USS Lewiston, claiming their investigation backs the accusation. However, Spain has denied the accusations and asked to see the evidence. The U.S. military has claimed, “revealing any evidence would expose secret techniques and inhibit our ability to gather intelligence in the future.” The U.S. has demanded that Spain leave Cuba and stated that if Spain should do so, war can be averted. Which some have taken as another way of saying there will be war if Spain does not comply.
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