Jane Doe found in field, unanswered questions remain

23 August 1911

      The headlines read Jane Doe. She was found in the wheat field, abandoned? Perhaps. Lured there? Maybe. Forgotten? Not yet.
      Though, the memory of the unidentified can't really be called a memory, can it?

       We will remember a young girl was found, where she had no reason to be. We will remember a tragic story with a tragic end. We will remember the search for answers, the questions that burned in our throats and in our hearts. We will remember all this, but.... we will not remember.

       This reporter cannot but be stilled by the fact that no one remembers this young woman. No one from town recalls her presence. No one remembers seeing her walk through the streets. No one remembers her departure from the train depot. No one remembers where she came from, where she went and with whom. No one remembers speaking to her, hearing her name, hearing a stranger's accent.

        No one remembers, but, they will not forget.

Mystery across the sea....

4 August 1911  (early evening edition)

The word, beach, usually conjures images of faraway islands, tropical jungles, remote getaways. The sound of native music drifts in rhythm with the lapping waves--the sips of sweet coconut milk, a refreshing oasis.

What the word, beach, doesn't usually conjure is murder. Even paradise, it seems, is not immune to tragedy.

The circumstances surrounding the death of millionaire playboy, Dominic Lansky, 26, are as complicated as they are mysterious.

Arriving at the picturesque beaches of Zanzibar, Lansky and his party intended on spending a couple of days soaking in the sea air before making their way into the jungle for their biannual safari.

The story of what actually happened isn't completely clear. Legends and tales of black magic have plagued this case since the start. When Lansky and his team first arrived at Zanzibar, he was warned by an unknown, enthusiastic native, that he should return home-- a warning Lansky took as a joke meant to scare off the novice safari-goer.

But, the members of Lansky's own safari group are convinced that the foul end that Lansky met was caused by more than just human hands. His twisted form--muscles constricted horrifically--was found behind the thick trunk of a coconut tree. No obvious mark of violence was present on the body.

Outside the frozen features of Mr. Lansky, what verified his unnatural death in the hearts and minds of the locals was a small parcel clenched tight in his iron grasp--wrapped in the soft, green leaf of a banana plant...a freshly severed monkey paw.

Entry 7

26 July 1911

What was to be one of the most tragic trials, in the history of our small town, is over. Unfortunately for our readers, all press was barred from the courtroom proceedings, so we can only give the briefest of details.

From reliable sources, we are told, the prosecution rested after only one day. Of course, there really is no burden of proof necessary when guilt has been so displayed and admitted to. Not once did Walter Wilmington deny having caused the death of the soldiers. Not once did Walter Wilmington try and fight the declaration of guilt.

The defense, we are also told, attempted to establish a credible reason for Wilmington's actions, as they had no hope of establishing his innocence. The wild assumptions of Wilmington's sanity were nullified as a panel of psychologists from out-of-state issued him separate evaluations, proving him competent to stand trial.

A desperate plea from Wilmington's family tried to point out that Wilmington had been coerced into joining a certain sect-- with questionable moral standing. They assert that Wilmington's behavior became noticeably erratic, especially following any contact with other members of the sect. His family believes, beyond doubt, that he was brain-washed--as that is the only explanation that will satisfy them as to Wilmington's uncharacteristic behavior.

Only days into what was expected to be a long, drawn-out litigation, everything is over. All proceedings ended when Wilmington and his attorney accepted a plea bargain of life in prison without a chance of parole.

This reporter would like it to be known that the selection process to sort jury members took longer than the trial-- a trial that would have ended badly for the accused had he continued and not bargained for a prison sentence-- as every man not strong-stomached enough to support the death penalty was immediately dismissed from all court proceedings. Not having access to the courtroom, this reporter does wonder what it must have been like for Wilmington to stare into the eyes of twelve executors ready to flip the switch.

Entry 6

20 July 1911

The trial of the year, or perhaps the decade, is set to start later today. In all rights, the trial should have begun yesterday morning, but it has taken two full days to set the jury.

A hundred townsmen gathered to be narrowed down to a precious dozen. The twelve that will judge the guilt or the innocence of the accused.

The day's questioning narrowed the field of possible jurors one by one, until the final twelve were set, a minimum of alternates also named and standing in the wings.

No one in this town has not heard the grisly tale-- the unprovoked and cold-blooded murder of several uniformed soldiers-- the brave who took gladly, the responsibility of protecting everything they love by placing their own lives at risk.

None of these soldiers, who were on temporary leave from training, expected to lose their life at the hands of one they were fighting for.

Walter Wilmington, 22, brutally shot and killed four returning soldiers as they lounged against the station house of the train on which they had just arrived.

The families of the deceased have asked that the names not be repeated here, as they didn't wish their beloved's names to appear in the same article as their killer. But, we all know who they are and we all know how they died and we now pray that the arm of justice will be swift and accurate in the blow that it deals.

More news on the case as details unfold.

Entry 5.....

1 July 1911

It was the tragic scene of man's inhumanity to man. It was a crime of passion. It was a lover's tryst. It was a lover's game gone awry. Or, was it?

Two young visiting tourists have been charged and now convicted with a murder that some say the "evidence" of which has been conveniently tailored to ensure suspicions remain fixed on the couple.

Patricia Carver, 26, and her boyfriend, Anthony Kent, 28, were arrested late one Tuesday evening in March after the body of Amelia Franklin, 24, was discovered in her home, some hours after being visited by Carver and Kent.

At the request of the police, Carver and Kent went willingly to offer statements of their evening spent with Franklin. They believed they were providing a time frame to narrow when the tragic event occurred. They went into great detail about the events of the evening, including a detailed description of an unknown gentleman's arrival at the house just as they were leaving.

What Carver and Kent did not expect, after two hours of questioning, was for the interview to suddenly take a more disturbing turn. Before they were aware of what was happening, the couple were asked to "suppose" what happened to Franklin. They were asked to "describe what might have occurred" or "what the gentleman might have done to Franklin."

Carver and Kent were then asked to sign the statements they had provided and were then informed of their rights and detained. They insist they were never informed about suspicions pointing to them and that at no time were they advised to seek legal representation.

Authorities deny coercing Carver and Kent into confessing to a murder. They also insist that all interrogations ceased once it became apparent the couple should seek out the help of a lawyer.

Albert Greer, the lead prosecutor, asserts that Carver and Kent's guilt was clear from the beginning and that as soon as it became obvious that they were finally confessing, all questions stopped while their respective lawyers were contacted.

It is the opinion of this reporter that things might have "fixed" themselves up a little too neatly for Greer and his case. This isn't the first time Greer's name has appeared on an investigation where the facts suddenly molded around a couple of "handy" witnesses. This reporter will be keeping a close eye on the proceedings and any related events.

Entry 4.....

29 June 1911

A hush fell over the crowd. There was a sudden thud of a body falling to the ground that broke silence. Then there was the panicked screams and the stampeding feet as everybody suddenly realized, get out now, or die.--

The above description comes from a witness at this morning's fatal bank robbery. At 10:29a, the Metropolitan branch of the Longman Bank was held up. Three assailants, wearing an assortment of dense material to disguise their features, entered the bank, carrying guns. The witness stated that once the assailants had assembled the bank patrons and tellers into one corner, away from the windows, the gunmen ordered one young teller to fill their bags with whatever money was being held at the bank.

After the three bags were filled, the witness reported a soft, popping sound followed by the body of the teller dropping to the floor. It only took moments for the crowd to realize the teller had been shot, a silencer used to mute the sound. And, in the pandemonium of the bank patrons fleeing the scene, the assailants slipped away, without being noticed.

Authorities are currently at a loss as to the whereabouts of the gunmen.

Curator's Note....

24 June 2011

     I thought I'd take a moment to interrupt the entry posting to try and fill in some of the details of what's been happening, if I may. About a week ago, while gathering antiquities to include in the town's history museum, I chanced upon a treasure trove at the town paper. The People's Gazette, founded in 1905, by a small group of benevolent townsmen, was a guppy in a sea of shark media. It's single-word motto, VERITAS, scrawled over the newsroom door and printed at the top of every page of its rag.

     Veritas-- truth-- was exactly what The People's Gazette was after. So long had our small town been corrupted by biased politicians buying their way into the townsfolk's good graces by way of the larger town paper. The only way any of the good, honest folk saw of getting the real stories out there was to make their own paper. It might not be read by many people, it might even cause the reporters and the editors some problems, but the truth is the truth and the truth must be heard--- at least that was the original idea of the paper.

     Today, The People's Gazette is the only paper in town. The single-word motto, VERITAS, is still emblazoned on every page and has been artistically carved into every corner of the building.

     When I began putting the pieces together for our town history exhibit, I never imagined that I would be lucky enough to stumble upon such a great antiquity. And, even less did I think I'd be able to include it. Nothing makes me prouder than having one of the typewriters in my exhibit on which the truth of our town was written.