The Lincoln Independent

Tuesday, December 30, 1924
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MITSCHER RANCH MAYHEM

U.S. Marshals have arrested four men, the survivors of a fierce gunfight that took place at the Mitscher Ranch on Sunday night, December 28. Another eight men were killed after abducting Mr. Lotus Ashford of Arkham, Massachusetts,  Mr. Frank Cannon, also of Arkham, and Mr. William McCloud of Silver City, New Mexico. The three gentlemen and apparently been unwillingly held by notorious hoodlum Mr. Salazar "Boss" Martin and his criminal gang after an argument concerning mining deeds. The miscreants were threatening to kill the three gentlemen, but with the help of Nurse Agatha Pettenkoffer of Carrizozo, they managed to break free and escape their confinement under dramatic circumstances. An unidentified Mexican was also killed during the tumultuous situation, and the owner of the Mitscher Ranch, Mr. Otto Argo, may have succumbed to a bullet wound, but this remains to be confirmed. U.S. Marshals will continue to investigate the case as more evidence surfaces.

Sheriff Donahue Arrested by Marshals

U.S. Marshals have arrested and charged former Sheriff Jared Donahue for illicitly receiving significant sums over the course of almost a year from Mr. Otto Argo, who is claimed to have been killed this Sunday.  The former Sheriff had apparently been paid off to ignore certain actions undertaken by notorious hoodlum "Boss" Martin against local Apache as well as against certain prospectors attempting to secure deeds to potential mining locations in the mountains north of Lincoln.

 The Lincoln Independent

Saturday, January 9, 1925
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Mitscher Ranch Sold to Foreigner

Mr. Lotus Ashford,  of Arkham, Canada, has become the new owner of the Mitscher Ranch as well the holder of mining and land use deeds associated with the property.  Mr. Ashford will move in after some repairs and renovations. Local concerns that Mr. Ashford will turn the ranch into a golf course have so far not been substantiated.

Boston, January 5, 1925 

Dear Lotus,

 I hope that this letter finds you in good spirits, despite the tragic and sad news regarding Cousin Jimmy. New Mexico is nevertheless supposedly a fantastic state, with great vistas and many opportunities, and I have spent some time considering such opportunities. You see, I have decided that it is more than time for you, Lotus, to become a fully responsible man, and not waste your time between the gambling table and the soirée. I have therefore decided to acquire a mine and mining rights in Lincoln County for you to peruse, and I have also made sure to purchase the Mitscher Ranch for you, since I understand the former owners may have abandoned it. I suggest you set up operations expediently, and report to the board when you are ready to commence. There may be more valuable compounds than mere gold and silver in the shafts, and I understand that there is an increasing demand for rare earth elements. 

Respectfully, 

Lotus Ashford, your father

From the diary of Lotus Ashford:

It is indeed strange to ponder what had actually transpired. Why, if it hadn't been for the indomitable Nurse Pettenkoffer and Esteban the Vachero, we might have been on our way through the void and off to some as yet undiscovered planet, our brains separated from our bodies as we were swept through the aether on the wings of those strange, strange creatures. But what were they? Why did so many of them seem to evacuate the mountains and fly in a northeasterly direction? They were tough abominations, though. One of them took several blasts from a 12-gauge shotgun with little reaction before suddenly....well, almost dissolving in a totally unwholesome fashion. I can also not figure out that Argo character. He seemed otherworldly underneath his heavy coat and hat, a denizen of some strange realm unknown to us. Our shotguns took care of that, though, although the remnants of Argo were disturbing, to say the least.

It was quite fortunate that Frank Cannon was an experienced P.I., and quite inventive in his use of violence. Now, why Frank would have hidden a stick of dynamite in his underwear defies any natural explanation, but then, Frank is from New York. 

And then, what about the strange items left behind by Them. The "ray gun" does not seem to work that well anymore. I can light my cigarettes with it, but not much more. The three tomes are also quite strange. They measure some 8 by 8 inches, and they are bound between sheets of what seems to be particularly heavy cardboard, although much tougher, and yet worn and damaged. The volumes are each of some 150 pages of a strange, semi-transparent and tacky vellum. The pages were pristine when we found the books, but they are already deteriorating, albeit ever so slightly. The first volume deals with cosmology and astronomy. There is mention of what I think might be stars or galaxies, Aldebaran, Yuggoth, Andromeda, Azathoth and asteroid clouds beyond the edges of our solar system. The second volume is full of what looks like mathematical formulae as well as diagrams and drawings. I am not sufficiently skilled in mathematics to make neither head nor tail of the math, but some of the drawings are more than a little eerie. The third book is full of names, mostly of people who have passed on a long time ago, but ending with Otto Argo, Humphrey Dean and Gladys DesJardin. No death dates are given for these three individuals. All three books are written in antiquated English.  

Daniel fell victim to the alien creatures.