I hope this isn't too specific, but I'm having trouble finding anything that fits these parameters and I'd appreciate any ideas or direction!
Thanks!
Not sure what you mean by crime publication.
The Johnson County War made it to the front page of most major US newspapers in 1892.
The initial account of the war "The Banditti of the Range" by Asa Shinn Mercer was published in 1894 but nearly all copies were hunted down by the WSGA (The Cattle Barons in the Johnson County War) and destroyed. The book was eventually published in 1971 as "The Banditti of the Plains".
The conflict inspired a number of western novels and movies and in large part defined the genre. The most famous novel/movie is probably "Shane". Although the actual conflict was between big ranchers and smaller ranchers it is most often played out as a conflict between Ranchers and Farmers.