Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1920-08-07
Wardens' Perilous Trip
But Landed Their Man

But Landed Their Man
Brief reference has been made to a
hurried trip taken by Deputy Ward
ems Arthur Deag and Elmer John
, ston, who are on duty on the upper
st. John waters. Aroostook county,
near the Canadian boundary, from
a point In their territory down to
! Fort Kent, with a game law yiolator
"a party who was found with deer
meat in possession at his lumber
camp. From detailed report of the
! wardens, just at hand at the De-
.partment Of Inland Fisheries and
Game, the following facts are not
! ed.
The man in question, one Pau!
Cloutier apparently decided not to
avail himself of the opportunity to
| settle under civil suit but said that
he would like to go to Fort Kent, evil
/ IDENTIFY thinking he could bluff the
young officers and get off more easily.
Daaquam and Fort Kent are widely
separated on the map and the only
means Of conveying a prisoner on the
American side is by canoe. These
particular wardens, moreover, had
| never made the trip down the st.
John. Undaunted, however. they
| made a start about 1890 A. NJ. that
same day, with the offender. in a
pouring rain. Although their canoe
was UNIT for such hard trip, they
report an uneventful run to Deputy
Warden George Spinney's camp.
| which Is located about three miles
q Tel. -
There was good pitch of water. and
the trip of SO miles was made in four
hours. The wardens. with their
prisoner, spent the night at Spinney's
camp.
Warden Spinney, it is reported.
strongly advised his youn- co-work-
ers against making the attempt to
navigate the Big Rapids of the ST
John in such q f1imsy canoe. but the
boys were game and decided that the
journey should be completed.
At o'clock the next morning the
journey was resumed, and the report
of the. wardens appears to indicate
that the prisoner began to think
he was really going somewhere.
He had no money with him, and the
wardens allowed him to make an at
tempt to secure some by telephone at
Seven Islands. but he could not reach
the desired parties on the phone.
therefore the trip was resumed
after an hours delay.
TIL report states that when the
canoe approached the Black River
Rapids, some way below, it began to
appear that the prisoner was not ex-
actly at home in the canoe. He
grasped gunwales firmly and stared
somewhat wild-eyed at the foaming
ripples ahead until the frail craft slid
safely into the dead water below. The
prisoner supposed he had just passed
through the noted Big Rapids"
When he found out his mistake. he
became pale as death. AS the canoe
approached the Big Rapids" about 3
o'clock that afternoon. he began to
show signs of unea siness
The wardens' report shows that
they were SO busy navigating the
craft that they had no time to notice
Just how their prisoner appeared.
Suffice 1t to say that the three mile
stretch Of white water-Big Rapids
was traversed in exactly three min
utes by the watch. AS they struck
the dead water below. the prisoner
wcpt for joy. The remaining Isl
miles to st. Francis we're unevent-
full, the party arriving there at 5 p. NJ. |
Here the worthless canoe was aban-
doned and a much needed square
meal secured. They had traversed
the SO miles Of river in just Is hours
of padding. A car was then hired to |
take them and their prisoner to Fort
Kent, where they arrived about s
P. NJ.
The offender was taken before
Judge A. G. Fenlason and by means
of the telephone was able to arrange !
to secure the necessary money to paw
the fine, together with some money
the wardens had loaned him for hotel |
bills and railroad fare home through |
Canada. 1t was reported to the
wardens that Mr.. Cloutier arrived in
Daaduam much wiser and very
much ashamed jobber, and it is init
mated that he does not intend to make
another such trip to Fort Kent.