Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1902-03-29
TOOK NO CHANCE.
Warden Huston Tells Of Capture
of Peter La Fountaine.
Been After Man for Five Years--Was
Obliged to Shoot.
Thinks Peter Will Live-ls Now Across
the Line.

| Warden George Huston of Perham Is
in Bangor for a day or two on business
and is stopping at the Penobscot Ex-
change. Mr.. Huston was one Of the
| wa,dens to capture the poacher, Peter
| La Fountaine, and his story of the
event is an interesting one, supplying
| several details to the accounts already
| published of the affair.
| For more than five years. said Mr..
Huston, II have been attempting to
capture La Fountaine, but he was. a
very hard man to find. His hunting
operations covered several townships
which were well recognized by. other
poachers as his especial preserves. He
has more than a dozen camps scattered
over the territory extending from the
head waters of the st. John to the head
waters of the West Branch and thence
to the Allegash. This section is rich
in beaver, or rather was, for La Foun-
, tame has operated SO extensively as to
practically wipe out the beavers. He
has also slain many moose and is said
to nave made very. good money, for,
according to report. he has some $1,000
put away and has also carried an in
surance policy for $4,000.
Il have probably been after La Foun-
tame some Is times in the last five
years., continued Mr.. Huston, but
have never been able to find him at any
OF his camps. He was on the move
continually and often went over across
the line for months at a time. We had
been warned that Peter might shoot
and told not to allow him to get the
drop on us.
La Fountaine, while probably not
especially fond of any of us, had a
particular grievance against Temple
ton on account of a happening some 10
days prior to the capture. Templeton
visited one of his camps after hides
and after he left the camp burned. La
Fountaine is said to- have stated that
Templeton burned the camp purposely
but this is denied by the warden. who
says that he nude ten there, but that
the camp was albright when he left
it, 49, ~
on the day that Ia Fountaine was
shot we struck ayfresh trail that we
We're sure was made by La Fountaine
and that we followed all day. travelling
some % miles, until we came to a camp
about SIX miles from Baker lake. It
was about s o'clock in the afternoon
when We arrived there and we could
see Peter moving around. We waited
awhile to see if he would not come out
anu as ne did not we crept up to the
door and pulled off our snow shoes
that IS Iempleton did, and started in
before | had got mine off. so I went
in right behind with my shoes on.
Templeton had a revolver but only two
cartridges, while 1 was unarmed. The
instant the door was opened Peter who
was on the floor in front of the fire look
ing towards the door, leaped to a sitting
position and al once grasped his gun. lev
cling 1t towards Templeton The latter
ala not wait but fired, the bullet passing
through La Fountaine's body a little
above the heart and through the top of
At theFsame Instant jumped forward
ana Srasped the gun. La Fountaine lean
ed forward a bit but did not fail over.
,,a We passed the night at the camp and
we We're sorry that we had been Obliged
u. u. shoot MN. The man evidently thought
,hat ne WIS gong to die and lamented
SAID that nobody was to blame but him
self, for he had no business over there
anu might nave known that he would get
caught sometime. The man did not bleed
much and when morning came pleaded
70 be taken to his home across the bor-
The wardens decided to grant tho 70
quest for they could get medical attend
ance more quickly by carrying him there
and If the went to the nearest settlement
on this side it would have been necessary
to carry the injured man for several miles
on a handsled. They were afraid that
any delay in the matter would be fatal
La Fountaine claimed that he did not I'm
tend to shoot when asked by the wardens
as to his intentions. Mr.. Huston believes
that the man will recover.
1t is understood that in case La Foun-
tame survives his wound Commissioner
Carleton will ask for reequisition from the
across the border.