The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1906-08-29

John r. Letz. the homesteader. the
~outlaw OF Cameron dam" viii re-
main an outlaw for many a day. IN
less the sheriff Of Sawyer county can
devise some means Of capturing him
without the help Of the Wisconsin na-
fional guard This Is the only salts.
faction that was given to Sheriff Cyl
land, who led a posse Of crack rife
shots after the man at Cameron dam.
when he asked the governor for troops
10 serve a warrant on this home
steader. who for three years has de-
fed the state courts. and who for
part Of that time has stood OF even
the United stateS authorities.
II rounds more ike tale Of the
mountains OF the vest. or OF the grand
duke ridden steppes OF Russia. than
a story OF a Wisconsin homesteader's
fight for what he believes IS simple
justice, does the record Of John F.
Dietz's successful defiance Of the en-
tire state Of Wisconsin.
Il began with an effort on the part
of the poor farmer OF the wilderness
to collect q debt from a great lumber
company, backed BY men with mil
lions. He has 50 far failed to get
what he claims was due him. but the
lumber company which opposed its
viii TO the persistence Of the woods
-. rsrtn
lnal claim. He originally claimed A
small sum, a few hundreds Of dol
lars. The company's loss since II
failed to pay what was demanded has
reached a total Of fully a quarter Of
a million dollars. and some estimates
put the figure at nearer a million.
The Chippewa River Lumber com
pany has lost 10000. 900 feet OF tim
Der, and has been forced to discon-
tinue extensive numbering operations
IN the upper waters OF the Thornapple
river by the guard placed at Cam
eron dam By OUTLAW" Dietz. who re
fuses 70 let a log go TO market until
his claim Is paid. He has successfully
upheld his right to the dam for three
years against posse after posse,
against bands OF woodmen In the EN-
ploy Of the company. and in the face
OF efforts TO dynamite the dam
State Is Appealed To.
The state has been appealed 70 to
send troops 70 stop the war Of lone
woodsman against a great lumber
company. and has refused. telling the
sheriff that 1t is his duty to capture
Dietz, n he has a warrant for the out
law, and that II is not necessary to
call out the militia TO arrest one law
breaker.
After three years OF Intermittent
fighting. recently Sheriff Gylland. who
had already appealed TO the governor
for troops in vain, went into the viii
derness about the Dietz home with a
posse Of crack shots from Milwaukee,
headed by private detective who has
figured in many a thrilling encounter
with angry strikers. counterfeiters,
and in other situations requiring a
man OF iron nerve.
Thirty miles through the wilderness
Sheriff GylIand led this posse, and at
the end OF the trip found a desperate
man, armed with a repeating rife,
with his two sons fighting valiantly
beside him, and with even the women
ready to defend the fortress against
the invaders. At the end Of the bat
tie thr posse withdrew. not in the
precise order and desperate resistance
at every step that one reads about in
war stories, but precipitately, dashing
through the woods at a pace which
would make the deer seem like snails
beside a jack rabbit In comparison.
Behind them was left John Rogich,
Of Milwaukee, thrice wounded. and in
the fortress was Clarence Dietz, shot
in the head by a rife ball, but saved
from death by the hairs breadth by
which the bullet struck him a glanc-
fng Instead OF a direct wound.
Were Il not for the possibly fatal
wounds sustained by Rogich, the scene
Of the battle might almost be a com
edv. for at one moment fighting depu-
ties. the Dietz family was quick to re.
turn to the even tenor Of its way,
and with the frightened deputies Zee
ing through the woods at the whis-
per Of the name Of Dietz. the members
OF this desperate family returned TO
the hay field to resume the interrupt
ed farm work. Meanwhile Rogich was
craving through the woods, aban-
doned temporarily by his companions
IN search Of shelter from the rain
which was threatening Rogich spent
an awful six hours in the woods. lost,
until be was found By surveyors. aft
er the departure Of his comrades.
When they returned. satisfied that
Dietz was not IN pursuit. they found
RoEIch gone. and It was not for three
6ays that thsy secured any trace Of