News of the Night 9/1/99
Sunday, August 28: FOUR KILLED IN ANACHRONIST BRAWL
"Steroid use led to aggression," say coroners
It was a scene out of a bloodthirsty fantasy novel Sunday, as what began as an apparently drunken brawl turned to slaughter.
Forever Knight Renaissance Fair, a yearly three-week independent "Renaissance Festival" and market outside Bastrop, opened Sunday to another clear day; at 4:30, an hour and a half before closing time, it seemed like another "normal" day at the Faire. At 5:00, four men gathered outside Lady Diamond's Tapestries and began to shout at each other.
"It was horrible," said Merideth Yssandra, who ran the tapestry booth. "It didn't make any sense. First they were swearing at each other, then they started fighting. They fell into my loom," she said, "punching and clawing at each other--then one of them drew a gladius [a medium-sized sword]."
All four men died of blood loss, internal injuries and/or medical complications. Bastrop coroners reported that all four individuals showed abnormally high levels of adrenaline and traces of an as-yet unidentified steroid.
[Information on attackers: two from Austin, one from Houston, one from Bastrop. Names printed.]
"Forever Knight" will be opening again for its third and final weekend, Saturday-Sunday September 4-5. However, the independent fair will not be permitting weapons or the sale of weapons this weekend.
Missing Persons:
[Four photographs lined up: A "Young Businessman" type,
blond hair, a good chin, and a college sweat shirt, photograph
taken at a party of some kind. An olive-skinned young man in a
blazer, close-cropped brown hair and a "get me out of here
smile, clearly a posed professional photo. Another posed shot,
a young girl with an "alternative" haircut, straight
black hair in a graduation gown. Fourth photo an obvious gaming
geek in a Black Dog "Wizard: The Pretension" T-Shirt,
black hair and a sallow complexion, cut from a larger photo.]
* Nathan Coleson, age 19: last seen at family house in Oak
Hill.
* Patrick Moynahan, age 18, last seen by friends at "Ego's"
restaurant on South Congress near Riverside.
* Alcinda Piper, age 17, last seen by roommate at Jester Dormitory,
University of Texas, Austin
* Mason Murrell, age 19, last seen by friends at "El Cheapo"
compact disc store, South Lamar at 7th Street
If you have seen any of these people please contact your local police.
Wednesday 9/1: Davey, 36, Arrested in Wolf Killing
Traffic stopped along South Lamar as a pickup truck dragged a wolf to its death Thursday.
The animal was bound to the truck with heavy rope and pulled from Elizabeth St., through a red light and crossing into the left lane several times, south to Live Oak St., where the driver ran away from the crime scene. The wolf collided with several cars and was badly injured, and found dead at the scene.
["Shock Value" picture of the creature that really shouldn't have been included, a slow news day in the World of Darkness: What might have been a wolf once, with a heavy coil of rope around its neck. Most major bones broken, two legs at horrible angles, much fur missing, tied to a rusty once-white pickup truck.]
The truck is owned by Finch Davey, Elgin, and several witnesses identified Davey as the driver.
Jim Chandler, founder of the Wolvesbane Project, could not be reached for comment. The Wolvesbane Project is a new special interest group pressing for the extermination of non-native wolves. However, the group released a public statement that they do not condone vigilante behavior.
[Gratuitous diagram shows the creature on a 15' lead, driver follows a wavy path for about a half-mile, into oncoming traffic several times. Even the dotted line looks painful.]
Sports News:
University of Texas house of the Delta Omega Alpha fraternity
have hosted a number of "minor league" football games
as part of their service to the Austin community, bringing our
inner-city youngsters to the University's fields for some old-fashioned
sports fun--way to go, guys!
Delta Omega Alpha, and their sister sorority Zeta Rho Omega are newcomers to the Austin college scene, but are strong starters, with several members on the 1999-2000 football lineup. Dr. Elliot Muir, chairman of the UT Austin Kinesiology department, commended these two organizations yesterday, saying "It's great to see people getting involved with Austin's youth--these truly are the leaders of tomorrow."
Jacob Williamson 9802-157
With thanks to Kelley Nines