Who Is The Straw Man?

BOMBER WORKED FOR CRIME LORD

SHADOWY FIGURE KNOWN ONLY AS THE STRAW MAN

MILITIA POWERLESS TO STOP HIM?

NEW BABBAGE, NB — The North Fells Track Bomber, Mr E Grady of Phaeton's Landing, was merely a contract worker for a New Babbage villain known only as 'The Straw Man', the New Babbage Free Press has learned, through a trusted source.

Few details about the arrest and interrogation of the bomber have been released to the press since his arrest last month -largely lost in the abject madness and confusion of what has come to be known, ominously, as Marsh Gas January- but the a trusted source has stated that while the Militia was able to squeeze very little information from the bomber, they were able to ascertain the nom de plume  of the entity who the dangerous gentleman worked for, someone known in the underground as The Straw Man.

Allegedly the bomber never met The Straw Man face to face, and so cannot comment on who this shadowy figure may be, or even what his intentions are, twisted though they may be.

The New Babbage Militia was unavailable for comment at the time of printing.

Anarchist Group Hoax

ANARCHISM IS A RED HERRING

WOMEN'S GROUP BAFFLED

WHO WAS BOMBER WORKING FOR?

NEW BABBAGE, NB — The supposed anarchist organization known as 'The Tiny Scallion Group' — which claimed responsibility for the bombing of the train tracks in the Fells, north of the city of New Babbage, earlier this month — has been discovered by agents from Terranova Investigations to be a total and consummate fabrication.

Mrs J Daggar — owner, proprietor, and chief agent of Terranova Investigations — has stated that the confessed bomber of the tracks, one Mr E O'Grady of Phaeton's Landing, confirmed after a thorough interrogation, that he was not, nor had he ever been, a member of any anarchist organization.

The guilty man further claimed that the name 'Tiny Scallions Group' meant nothing to him.  Mrs Daggar, after painstaking investigation has discovered that the name had formerly, and still currently, belongs to a women's cooking group, which focuses primarily on dishes containing green onions in some form.

'I had indeed wondered why my grandchildren should suddenly become so interested in Granny's omelet recipes.' stated Mrs E Gleet of the Canal District, Treasurer of the authentic Tiny Scallion Group, to a representative of the Free Press earlier today.

Mrs Daggar confirmed that Mr O'Grady admitted to having performed the heinous act at the behest of another individual, for active remuneration, but declined to offer a name to the press, stating that anything she said could possibly 'jeopardize the investigation, which is ongoing.'

Anarchist Bomber Arrested

SUSPECT ARRESTED WHILST DRUNK

HINTED THERE ARE MORE BOMBINGS TO COME

CONNEXION TO ANARCHIST GROUP UNCERTAIN

NEW BABBAGE, NB — A man was arrested at Doyle Place, in the Canal District, yesterday in connexion with the bombing of the tracks in the Fells, north of the City of New Babbage, on January 5.

The New Babbage Milita has not officially released the name of the suspect at the time of printing, but unnamed sources within the organization have unofficially named the bomber as one Mr E Grady, aged 29, of Phaeton's Landing.

Grady was arrested by Commodore Dagger of the New Babbage Militia at Ruby's Public House in the early evening yesterday, after some minor altercation.  Mr M Cutbush, bartender at Ruby's, was quoted as stating, 'He been in and out of here for two weeks near, get his self drunk and start heavily hinting about bombing the tracks. T'was no secret here.  Miss Dagger gave me a sawbuck to keep the drinks pouring into him, and he soon enough confessed outright to her. It were quite a show for the rest of us.'

Mr R Bladderstick, of no fixed address, who has imbibed with the accused on several occasions in the past, claims that Grady does not live permanently in New Babbage, stating, 'He got a room he stays in.  [He] works fer summan, [and] bragged 'bout how much he made for some job was mentioned in da papers and kep' hintin he was only waiting 'round for his next job.'

Mr Grady's connexion to the Tiny Scallion Group anarchist organization, if indeed there is one, has yet to be ascertained.  The Tiny Scallion Group claimed responsibility for the bombing earlier this month, in a statement addressed to acting mayor Mr O Underby, at City Hall.  Mr Underby was unavailable for comment at the time of printing.