Kingsbury County independent. (DeSmet, Kingsbury County, S.D.) 1894-1929, 1910-10-21
DIETz GIVES UP
FIGHT WITH THE Law
Wisconsin Outlaw, After Long
Battle With Officers, Surrend-
ers Himself.

Winter, wis, Oct. Eff papa comes
out will you promise not TO shoot mimi
He is shot through the hand and wants to
surrender" These words spoken to Sher-
if Nix Madden at the endge of the clear
ing surrounding the besieged home by lit
tie Helen, youngest daughter Of John b.
Dietz, brought to an end Saturday after
noon the stubborn resistance of the man
whose stand for the last six years against
what he considered injustice has attracted
widespread interest.
The surrender did not come, however,
! without death and bloodshed. One man Is
dead. five men and a woman are wounded
and much property has been destroyed.
The dead:
OSCAR HARP, IS years old, deputy
sheriff.
The injured:
John +. Dietz, aged 49, defender OF Cam
eron dam, shot through the hand.
Chet Colepuch, aged So, deputy, right
ear shot off.
Clarence Dietz, shot through arm.
Myra Dietz, shot through the body; will
recover.
The last two named. children OF John
Dietz, were shot the previous week by
deputies.
Bullet Hole in Head.
Harp was found on a hill beyond the
LISIH CdDll WIFI u DullSI IlOlS III LilS LLC"S'
He, with Mont Wiley, Thomas Pomerlo
and William Rankin, all deputies. had
tried to crawl to a place of vantage in the
lumber piles near the Ditz barn when a
we'll directed bullet caught him. Accord
ing to Wiley three bullets whistled
through the air at about the same time
and one Of them struck Harp. The other
deputies retreated without trying TO rescue
their comrade. He was found at S:U
- Sf - - L-z~ l.nI about fhraa
hours.
Ditz was not wounded during the morn
ing fusillade, as had been supposed. His
drop to the ground was merely a ruse to
fool the deputies. He was injured, how
ever, while firing from the barn during the
afternoon when a bullet went through
a crack and passed through his left and
Dietz denied that the wound caused him
to surrender.
To Father Joseph Pition. the priest, who
was largely instrumental In bringing the
long drawn out contest to a close, he
whispered that a baby was about 10 be
born to his wife and he feared that both
she and the infant might die.
Little Girl Approaches.
The surrender Of Dietz was very dra-
matte. The alert lumbermen, leaning on
their rifles at the edge of the clearing and
gazing intently at the windows of the log
cabin, suddenly saw the 1utter of a white
handkerchief at the door. Then little
Helen appeared and advancing with the
cloth over her head walked to the edge
Of the clearing, where she announced that
her father was willing to surrender.
A short consultation followed between
the sheriff and his deputies. and Deputy
Heffelfinger volunteered to go back with
the girl. In the meantime Father Pition.
In his eagerness to bring the combat TO
an end, had started running toward the
cabin. He waived a handkerchief as he
ran and unhesitatingly entered the door.
When Heffelhnger got half way the priest
was returning. He did not stop, but hur-
ried to meet the sheriff.
Priest as lntercessor.
"Dietz will surrender" said the priesG
but he wants a doctor to dress his
wounds and ne desires to talk with the
newspaper men"
II won't trust him. said the sheriff. IF
he wants to surrender let him come out
with his hands over his head"
Sheriff Madden refused to go to the cab
IN and kept behind a tree. Deputies
Thornbahn, Sully, H~effelfnger and DR..
D.. G.. +. Grofton, OF Sayward, went to the
cabin, dressed DietS's wound, handcuffed
him and Leslie brought them out Dietz's
left hand was in a sling and he was smil-
ing and spoke cheerfully to the newspaper
men. He posed for several pictures.
why didn't you give in when assured
Of a fair trial by the attorney general?"
he was asked.
They kept on changing their plans he
replied, land I did not know what I could
depend upon. Besides. we thought we
could have lasted It out, and we could
have but for the little baby we expected.
I am now glad II is over. We have lived
all right. You might go into the house,
though, and SEQ what we have to stand"
J. c. Davis, district attorney Of Sawyer
county. said there. were enough warrants
out against Dietz TO send him to prison
for the rest OF his life II he was convicted.