The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1897-03-19
into WILDS OF MAINE
Went Deputy United States Marshal
Emery
AND BROUGHT OUT UNDER AR
REST AN ALLEGED DESPERATE.

Nine Days of Terrible Journeyine
Through Almost impossible Wastes
After smuggler-A Tough Ex-
perience of an United States officer
How the Daughter of Gideon Caron,
the Alleged Desperate, Defended the
Log Cabin on Former Occasion-Cool
Manner in Which Deputy Marshal
Emery Arrested His Man.
United States Deupty Marshal Edward
ii. Emery arrived here last night on
the five O'Clock train with Gideon Caron
as prisoner. Caron was arrested by
MIR. Emery at Seven Islands on the St.
John river on a warrant charging him
with smuggling. The man has been
wanted for over year by the United
States authorities, but has heretofore
succeeded in keepingfout of the officers
way. The story of Carons exploits and
his capture adds anJther chapter to the
interesting series of arrests of Ealleged
Aroostook despeiados who surrounded by
the almost lmpenetrable forests of
Northern Maine persist in violating the
United States laws and defying the
United States officers. But Uncle Sam q
Officials ara persevering and plucky fell
lows and none among them has made "a
greater reputation for himself than has
Edward H. Emery.
On the st. John river, which flows
through the virgin forests of Northern
Aroostook and along whose banks on its
PIPER reaches, the settlements and clear
ings are few and far between. Joseph or
as he is more often called, Gideon Caron
lives. His home is of primitive charac-
ter and is fully mile or more from the
nearest human habitation and more than
65 miles from the nearest post office or
settlement. The man Is giant in build
and last night when seen in the tolls of
the United States officers he looked and
talked like the gentlest and most
harmless of men. Tipping the scales at
253 pounds. six feet or more in his stock
ing feet, with an agility and quickness
only found among men who have often
times to depend on their skill with the
rifle and their swiftness of foot for
dinner, Caron has the reputation on the
Maine frontiersof being a bad man and
an ugly customer. Whether or not this
reputation has been merited by his deeds
the reader may perhaps be able to form
an opinion after reading some of the
stories which have been told about him
by his neighbors. Caron is called u
farmer by courtesy, but as his farm con-
sists OF only few acres of land redeemed
from the midst of bowling wilderness,
the title should only be used advisedly.
Like his neighbors Caron has picked
up precarious livelihood by working at
odd times for the lum bermen, in fishing
and hunting and incidently, it Is said.
in smuggling across the Canadian
frontier rum and other commodities
which meet with a ready sale on the
United States side of the line.
On several occasions Caron has been
known to use his rife and though as
far as recorded he.has never yet shot
anyone, the lumbermen along the st.
John river stand in fear of him and hold
him in great respect. Some years ago,
it is said, Caron took offense at a Ium-
herman named O'Neil whom he found at
his home on his return from long
absence and emptied his Winchester
after the man who took to a canoe on
the river at Caron's approach. Caron ; s
neighbors told the United States officers
what very desperate character he was
and that it would be a brave officer in
deed who would attempt to place him
under arrest for smuggling. 1t was gen.
orally known that Caron had engaged
in smuggling and on warrant being
sworn out or his arrest Deputy Marhals
Prescott and Emery STARTED out, Just
in.
In the dead Of winter with the snow
many feet deep on the ground, tn. two
officers plunged into the heart of the
wilderness. After a journey of nearly
100 miles from the nearest railroad the
United States officers approached Caron's
log house early in the evening. Though
half starved and nearly exhausted from
their long tramp through the woods the
officers decided to strike at once and not
give their bird time to get away. They
were heavily armed as they expected q
meet with resistance from desperate
man who had, IN beknown to the off,
GERS, already learned of their approach
and was even then safe from pursuit,
miles away in the Canadian forests.
Believing Caron to be in the house,
from the only window of which light
family shown, one of the officers raped
on the door. Suddenly the light went
out. Again the officers knocked and
demanded those within to open the door.
what you want?' came from within,
in shrill, excited female tones.
SIS Gideon Caron in thers?"
mo" replied the woman, she is not
here.''
The officers did not believe this. They
thought Caron was hiding from them
within. They told the girl, for such
she was, to open the door, telling her they