Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1908-02-10
Desperate Attempt at Sui
eide bySmugg|er Nadeau.
Swallows Part Of Strychnine
Mixture Before Overcome.
Was In Federal Building, Portland,
Awaiting Sentence.

Portland. Me. Feb. 9.-Frcemar
Nadeau of Fort Fairfield, indicted as 9
smaggler by the United States grant
jury, which reported Saturday. at
| tempted TO poison himself Saturday
afternoon III the Office OF United States
District Attorney Whitehouse.
He got the bottle containing stryCh-
nine up to his lips and had taken q
little Of it when Mr. Whitehousc jump
ed on the man, knocked the bottle
from his hand and threw him to The
floor. Assistant District Attorney Ar
thur l.. Chapman, who was III the Of
flee at the time, sprang to the aid of
the district attorney, and together they
succeeded in keeping the prisoner from
taking the rest of the poison.
Nadeau did not get enough to kill
min. Er. Robinson says he will live.
Nadeau WIS arrested about Jan.
at West SaLois. near the Canada line.
He Is Il brother of George Nadeau, the
famous smuggler, who was declared
to be an outlaw and was hunted by
the United States and State authorities
for some years before he was finally
captured.
Saturday afternoon he was taken to
the United States building to be
brought before Judge Hale, and Mr..
Whitehcuse and Arthur Chapman, the
assistant district attorney, talked with
him. He was told that Judge Hale
would probably not impose Jail SELL
tence and it was 4 question how large
q tine would serve to remind him not
to smuggle any more.
Suddenly Nadeau said, I've done all
l can, and it's all over"
He took a knife and small bottle
from his pocket. pried the cork from
the bottle and attempted to drink the
contents.
Mr.. Whitehouse caught his arm and
MI. Chapman sent the knife ard bottle
lying to 4 corner of the room Deputy
Haskell rushed into the office, but by
that time Mr.. Whitehouse and Mr.
Chapman had Nadeau on the floor. He
had succeeded in taking but I, little OF
the poison, but was evidently suffering
What did you take?" said NJ
WhitehOuse.
Fox poison" said Nadeau.
what is it made of" asked the
district attorney.
"StrychnilIe.' replied Nadeau with
an evident effort.
DR.. Wallace w. Robinson was called
and by the prompt administration of
remedies saved his life. While suffer-
ing acutely Nadeau said to Mr.. White
house: Can you have me fined and
let me Eo?"
George Nadeau was q bad man"
VINO had shot several officers, and
Freeman Nadeau has also had a bad
reputation. For many months SNUG
Cling has been going on across the
Canada border into Maine. and the Of
fiters have tried in every way to break
up the desperate gang which has been
flooding the upper part of Maine with
dry goods, liquors and clothing from
Canada.
In January the revenue officers final
" ran down Freeman Nadeau and OBJ
tanned evidence that he had been car
rylng on this wholesale smuggling
across the ST. John river. Deputy
United States Marshal Haskell went
down to arrest Nadeau and found the
man at West Sabois. Mr.. Haskell took
no chances with Nadeau and planned
t. rrtst him in the night time and to
take him by surprise. He succeeded in
doing so, although Nadeau had a big
revolver and other weapons near him.
Tho specific charge against Nadcau
was that Of smuggling $1,000 worth of
clothing and dry goods across the s,
John river