OLMSTEAD KIDNAPPING
TRIAL UNDERWAY

Sensational Accusations Against Wealthy Ferdinand Olmstead

Prosecution’s Star Witness, Isabelle Barnes, to Take the Stand

Today marks what is likely to be the climax of the trial that has gripped Arkham. Mr. Ferdinand Olmstead, millionaire and man about town, has been charged with the kidnapping and disappearance of Miss Betty Wellington. Today, Prosecutor George Barnaby will be calling his prime witness Miss Isabelle Barnes, a friend to Miss Wellington, to the stand.

The broad lines of the case are by now common knowledge. The trial revolves around what did, or did not, happen close to a year ago after one of the typically lavish events at the Olmstead residence.

It was at that event, hosted by the brothers Frederic and Augustus, that Miss Wellington was last seen. Every attempt by the police to locate her has proven futile. At length, Mr. Olmstead was arrested and charged with kidnapping. Only the absence of a body prevented the police from making the charge one of murder.

Mr. Olmstead has steadfastly maintained his innocence throughout the trial, which his lawyer, Mr. Jackson, has characterized as a grandstanding career stunt for Mr. Barnaby. “Mr. Barnaby has chosen to vilify my client for the simple reason that he is rich,” Mr. Jackson said. “It is my duty to show that those who have done well for themselves are due the same rights as everyone else.”

Miss Barnes, a close friend of Miss Wellington’s, is expected to deliver explosive testimony that, Mr. Barnaby claims, will definitively point the finger at Mr. Olmstead.

“Despite what they appear to believe,” said Mr. Barnaby, “the rich are not a superior species to the common people, and they are not above the law. Mr. Olmstead took his privilege to mean he had a licence to do anything to anyone. Miss Betty Wellington paid a terrible price for Mr. Olmstead’s belief. It is time now for Mr. Olmstead to face the reckoning that the law demands. The law that does, in fact, apply to him.”

After today’s witnesses have taken the stand, the prosecution and the defense are expected to make their final statements.

Arkham Horror: The Card Game Chapter 2 is available March 20 from Fantasy Flight Games. Check back tomorrow for more news from the Arkham Advertiser…