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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Silver Moon" data-source="post: 1061588" data-attributes="member: 8530">Chapter 18, “News of the James Gang Arriving Soon!” July 29th, 1881:It is the middle of the morning, and Arcade, Louie, Morgana and Sam meet on the first floor of the El Parador Cantina for breakfast.    The meal is interrupted by the arrival of Angelica Young, the teenage wife of the typesetter at the Promise City Harald.    Her one-year old son Mark is situated in a pack on her back, and she is carrying a stack of the latest edition of the Newspaper, selling them at the various taverns and saloons in town.   The main stories in the prior week’s paper had been rather exciting, concerning the shootout between Billy the Kid and Sheriff Pat Garrett in the nearby New Mexico Territory.   Since she is holding a larger than usual stack of papers, indicating a large print run, everyone present assumes this edition will be equally exciting, and every patron in the tavern pulls out a nickel to purchase copy.    Everyone at Arcade’s table does the same, despite the fact that the half-orc Louie is only beginning to learn to read.    All four get caught up in the story on page one, which has the headline “James Gang Arriving Soon!” in huge type across the top.  The story reads as follows:Outlaws Frank and Jessie James have been identified as being the leaders of the Gang responsible for the robbery of the First Bank of Albuquerque, New Mexico Territory, on the morning of July 19th. Two guards were killed during the attack and three citizens were wounded including the Bank’s President, Josiah Holbert.  The James Brothers had become famous while members of the James/Younger Gang, which disbanded following a failed robbery in Northbridge, Minnesota on September 7, 1876.   Under the leadership of Jesse James the gang became active again in October 8, 1879 with a train robbery in Glendale, Missouri.  They next struck on September 3, 1880, robbing a Wells Fargo Stage in Mammoth Caves, Kentucky.  The Gang's subsequent robbery was of a payroll officer in Muscle Shoals, Alabama on March 11th of this year.      On June 10th they held up a bank in Riverton, Iowa.  Three current members of the James Gang, Jim Cummins, Bill Ryan and Clarence Hite were spotted in late June watching a bank in Wichita, Kansas, but departed prior to United States soldiers arriving on the scene.   Iowa is fourteen hundred miles to the northeast, Wichita is a thousand miles to the northeast, and Albuquerque is only three hundred miles in that very same direction.  It would appear that the James Gang is now moving is a straight line towards southeastern Arizona Territory.  This reporter finds these movements of the James Gang to be either a frightening coincidence, or clear evidence that Cletus James has made good on his threats to bring his notorious cousins to our fair city.    Readers of the Promise City Herald will recall that Cletus James was the leader and sole survivor of a group of four citizens that were ruthlessly gunned down in our city during two separate incidents on April 17th and 21st of this year.  The individuals responsible for the attacks on Cletus and his friends remain within Promise City, and are presently staying at the El Parador Cantina.  When asked about the impending situation Marshal Bret Hollister was quoted to say “If both of those gangs want to kill each other, that’s fine with me.  We don’t need any of their type around here.  I just hope the good citizens of Promise City are able to stay out of the line of fire.Morgana is the first to finish reading, and comments “This James Gang does not impress me, being recognized at all these different places.   Why would they rob all of those places and also let people know that they did it?   Wouldn’t robbers that were any good keep from being identified?”  Sam comments “Maybe they don’t care.”   Louie adds, “More likely, they want people to know who they are, to enhance their reputations.”  Arcade comments “Damn, why did the paper have to print where we are staying.”   “Hey, at least they didn’t mention any of us by name” Louie comments.  It then appears that other patrons of the establishment have the same concern, as several short-term guests get up and inform the Cantina owner Pedro that they will be checking out, and then hurry up to their rooms to pack.    After getting Morgana to translate a few of the bigger words, Louie comments “Doesn’t look like the Marshal plans to do anything to stop them.”  “Except maybe hide behind his desk,” Morgana mutters.  They all then turn the page, reading page two, which begins with the headline“Billy the Kid still at Large, May have joined up with the James Gang!”   The story reads as follows:As reported in last week's edition of The Promise City Herald, the notorious outlaw and convicted criminal William H. Bonney, also known as Billy the Kid, remains at large.   He was last sighted on July 13th in Fort Sumner, New Mexico Territory, where he shot and killed Sheriff Pat Garrett. Earlier this year Bonney had been captured, and on April 13th Judge Warren Bristol sentenced him in Lincoln County, New Mexico Territory, to hang a month later.  On April 28th Bonney escaped from the Lincoln County Jail, killing both of his guards.   Following the escape Sheriff Pat Garrett and two of his deputies began searching for Bonney.  The trail led to Fort Sumner, where Bonney and Garrett had a mutual friend.  A shootout followed at the friend's home, leaving Garrett dead. This reporter finds it to be an interesting coincidence that both Billy the Kid and the James Gang were committing crimes in central New Mexico Territory during the same week, and speculates that there might be a connection.   Bonney could have certainly traveled the one-hundred-sixty mile trip to Albuquerque during the intervening six days between the murder of Garrett and the bank robbery.  Bonney could be of great assistance to the James brothers, knowing the New Mexico Territory well.  The bottom third of the page is filled with the following ad:  Come and Dine at O’Reilly’s Café –Often called “The best breakfast in Promise City”!  A nickel will buy you fried eggs, beef stew, coffee and toast. O’Reilly’s also serves up a mighty fine lunch. Located on Front Street right off of Main Street, just behind the First National Bank of Promise City.After reading the page, Sam comments “Pretty shocking news.”   Arcade casually replies, “I would certainly agree with that statement.  Since when has O’Reilly’s started to serve beef stew with their breakfasts?  We’ll have to go back there again soon to try it.”</blockquote>

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