Felled Foe Found! Latest casualty in Chinatown gang wars?

By Xephronia Warbaum

Shanghai, Washington Territories: 

Early in the morning on Friday the 28^th of January, fishermen dragged a corpse from the oily waters of Shanghai Harbor. The victim has been identified as one “Chang”, a notorious member of the Bing Kong Gang or “Tong” known in Shanghai for its shady and often violent activities.  Local residents queried are stunned, as this particular character was infamous for being unusually strong and vicious, and the thought that he could be bested in a fight poses the question of who this new threat, or threats, might be. Unlike the recent spate of grisly beheadings that proved to be the work of a nightmarish creature of the deep, this murder, as it can only be deemed as such, was inflicted by knife wound directly to the heart. Ironically, it appears that the victim’s own blade was the instrument of his death, according to Dr. Rynhold Beck, who was promptly called to the scene as soon as word reached Marshal Ortegavitch. Although nuns from Our Lady of Perpetual Vigilance were dispatched to accompany Dr. Beck to the scene of the crime, once news reached the Marshal of the nature of the situation, the Jaeger Corps were quickly sent to replace them. "I don't wish to involve the nuns in this affair.” says Marshal Ortegavitch. “They may be tough, but it's a very dangerous situation there." 

Violence is nothing new amongst the Chinatown gangs, as can be evidenced by the recent bombing of one of the “Dragon Lady’s” round houses, which some say may have been an actual assassination attempt upon this local luminary. While some say she is reaping what she has sown as the leader herself of the Dragon Tong, others decry this as without merit, as her people refrain from violence as a matter of course, and are not the originators of the local unrest. Dr. Beck supports this notion, going as far as to call her organization “honourable”, which is solid praise from someone who is in a position to know of what he speaks. The Bing Kong Tong, to which the unfortunate Chang belonged, is universally considered to be an outright criminal organization, feared by the populace. However, it is rumoured that a third gang has been making its presence known, one even more powerful than the Bing Kong. Says Beck, “From what I understand, this new group are small and had no previous ties to this town - they simply appeared a few months ago and their influence has steadily, silently grown.  Whether Chang was killed by one of that group, one of the Dragon Tong or one of the mysterious Fox Battalion (See additional article. Ed.), I just don't know.  But what I do know is that with each gang related death, the danger for the innocent people of these streets grows.”

In a not so unusual turn of events, it appears that some locals are actually welcoming the advent of this new Tong, as it may dampen the activities of the hated Bing Kong. Dr. Beck has made inquiries, but says, “It is proving very hard to find people willing to talk - some are scared, others seem to feel a sense of loyalty to this new group.  But I hear the leader is a very fierce leader indeed.  People around here hate the Bing Kong Tong with a passion that would blind the sun! Anyone who comes along and seems to offer them a way out from under the Bing Kong is going to be hailed as a savior.” Dr. Beck is frank about his appreciation of this sentiment, but still has his reservations. “Chang was a brute of the lowest kind, he terrorized and brutalized these streets.  I hope he suffered greatly…but the thought that someone could best him in such a fight worries me…”. 

At this time citizens should consider themselves warned about the peril of venturing carelessly into Shangha. The usually questionable safety of the alleys and streets of our Chinatown are most likely a good deal less savory than usual, and extreme caution should be observed, even in broad daylight.  While some may consider the 24 hour patrol somewhat alarmist, Ortegavitch stresses that “They (the Jaegers) are making sure this turf war doesn't get out of hand. I put in a lot of work keeping Steelhead safe all these years, I'm not letting it go to waste.” As this case is considered “under investigation”, any and all persons with knowledge that may help the Marshal and the good Doctor with their endeavors are encouraged to come forward. You may contact me, Xephronia Warbaum, if you have reservations about speaking to a public official, and I will honor any requests of anonymity. This is a matter that demands our vigilance!

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Whence cometh the Fox Battalion?

As some of you may have observed, strange bills have appeared on walls, doors, and windows around town, bearing a series of phrases in unusually cryptic Latin verbage. Sister Arcadia of Our Mother of Perpetual Vigilance was first to spot one of these odd posters, and when more were found brought them to the attention of Marshal Ortegavitch. Upon a rough translation, they appear to be a call to arms on the part of a vigilance group calling itself the “Fox Battalion”, and reads approximately thusly:

Greetings,

We, the repressed and downtrodden members of society call on the name of justice to take up arms to fight back by any means, against the scum and terror who would defile and cause depravity by selling opium and illicit goods, take our families in the dead of night to be sold on the slave markets, bring thugs into our cities to threaten, steal, and kill for their selfish goals. And what is the Military doing about this, The US Navy and coast guard has its hands tied, the English Navy is spread too thin, the US Military and Canadian Mounties are too busy with their own agendas, even the Steelhead Militia force cannot act! That is where we come in, and that is where we ask you, the lawful and honest Individual who wishes to see justice done, come to us, and seek us out if you are interested in joining our cause. Let me be clear, if you are some miscreant, lawless, or have your own agenda, do not bother to apply, for we want loyal, just, honest, law abiding, hard working, and hard fighting individuals, of any sex, species, or race. Break the binds of fear the criminals would shackle us with, and fight for your rights of freedom and justice! 

It is signed simply “Lieut. H, Fox Battalion”, with a request for interested parties to contact the signer at a “predetermined location”.

The local Militia leaders seem to be at a loss as to who may be behind this movement. “It seems to be benign”, says local pundit Thadicus Caligari, “and so I don’t think anybody should be alarmed.” As with the case of the murdered gang member, Mr. Chang (see above), any persons with information on this movement to recruit members into what appears to be an organized but unofficial vigilance group should contact the Marshal or myself (Miss. Xephronia Warbaum, Steelhead Sentinel) as soon as possible.