The Portland daily press., 1899-06-05
AFTER A LONG CHASE.
A U. $. Deputy Marshal Got His
Man.


Deputy United States Marshal Norton
arrived here Saturday evening on the 8
o'clock train from the wilds Of Aroostook.
He brought with him Ben Condor, who
waa indicted by United States grand
jury for smuggling and VINO was caught
in the very act Of Smuggling by Deputy
Marshall Norton and Custom House o H.
Ger Burns.
Condor has had the reputation Of SNUG
Cling Canadian liquor across the line
into the United States for some years
and last winter he was caught coming
across the 81. Johns river by John A.
Nadeau, custom house officer at Fort
Kent. with punr loaded With LIQUOR.
Nadeau seized the team of Condor and
also the liquor and after some parleying
Condor agreed to go peaoably with the
custom house officer to Fort Kent, where
the custom house officer would appraise
the value Of the team and Condor would
have a chance to bid 1t in. with this
agreement Nadeau got on to the seat of
tho pung with Condor and they started
to drive for Fort Kent, the custom house
ofiicsr holding the reins When the Gus
tom house official was somewhat on his
guard, Condor suddenly seized the reins
and threw Nadeau from the pung,
whipped up his horse and got away.
From that time until Friday he has been
plying bis trade of smuggling liquor and
has kept the French Canadians over a
long stretch of country suppliedRwith
Canadian liquors.
A few weeks ago Deputy United States
Marshall onshappened to be up near
Fort Kent and there learned of the where
abo uts of Ccndon. so the first of last week
he started out to get him. Mr.. Norton
started from Fort Fairfield at 8 O'Clock
on Wednesday afternoon and from that
hour until early Saturday morning he
did not have wink OF sleep, only hat
he could catch while. driving through the
interminable forests Of Northern Aroos-
took, or while laying in wait for his man
by the side Of the rough wood roads.
From Fort Fairfield Mr.. Norton drove
81 miles to Ashland and thence is miles
further through the woods to the Moose
Settlement. near which Condor lives.
Mr.. Norton was accompanied on this trip
by Custom House Officer Burns Of Fort
Fairfield who proved himself TO not only
be vigilaut and efficient officer. kut
one with plenty of nerve.
The two officers drove through the thick
woods until o'clock Thursday morning
when they were near the place where
Condor lived. They did not want to
reach Condon's house before daylight and
So. ,oH tn ~. II 1a-r
to break. They then hitched up their
horses and drove along to Condon's house,
where they found that he was not at
home. The two officers drove on a mile
or two and. again went into the woods
and there they passed all day Thursday
waiting for Condor to return home.
They suspected that he had gone across
the line for more liquor and this turned
out to be the case Late in the afternoon
the two officers hitohed up their horses
again and drove along towards Fort
Kent. On the way they learned that
Condor had gone to Fort Kent, and
thinking THAT they might find him there
they hurried on. With darkness came
terrific thunder storm with drenching
rain, and a night SO black that 1t was
impossible to see ones hand when laid
before the face. They left the horses to
find the road for themselves and hurried
on towards Fort Kent. In thick woods
and by this lurid light they discovered d
team driven by a man directly in front
of them on the road and coming towards
them. The driver of this team saw the
officers at the same moment sthey discov-
cred him. In the dark which followed the
binding lightning's fash, this man
whipped up his horse and passed the off,
GERS team on the dead run
The officers followed him for short
time, urging their horses Into a run, but
realizing that they were unnecessarily
frightening the man whom they took to
be Condor and running the risk of meet
ing with an accident, they determined to
dive on to Fort Kent and track their man
in the morning. so they went on to Fort
Kent, being thoroughly drenched by the
driving storm. They remained at Fort
Kent for a few hours and at day light
were after the smuggler again. They