Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1910-10-11

his son, Leslie, exposed themselves
outside the cabin. Instantly every
rifle carried by the posse surrounding
the Dietz home flashed fire and Dietz
dropped to his knees for moment
and then both ran into the cabin. It
is not certain that Dietz was hit.
It appears that John and Leslie
Dietz walked into trap set by the
deputies. Leslie left the cabin to go
to the far side OF the clearing for q
COW. . Immediately several shots
were fired The boy ran along the
crest Of the hill and seemed to
weaken. Dietz was between the lum-
Der pile and the barn and received
the full fire of deputies in the lumber
pile. He pitched forward, lay pros
trate for a moment, scrambled to his
feet and darted into the house. Mrs.
Dietz also. was outside, but sue
ceeded in reaching the cabin without
being hurt. None Of the Dietz family
were armed. After all had entered
the cabin Ave shots were fired at the
deputies. The firing stopped on both
! sides in few minutes.
Scream From Within Cabin.
A scream was heard within the
cabin during the shooting. Whether
one of the bullets found mark in the
body of one of the children, or whether
person screamed from fright Is not
known, Before the shooting began
John Dietz walked about in the early
morning fog on the edge of the trap
laid by the officers and pickets posted
at advantageous points. Everything
was ready and yet Dietz walked
around unseen and unframed.
All Family Walk Into Trap.
At 1885 Dietz appeared and walked
directly to the barn, between 1t and
the lumber piles, behind which the
deputies were concealed and reap
peared on the other side. He made a
perfect target and the watchers at the
edge of the woods held their breath
expecting to see him crumple in a
heap in his tracks. Later every mem
Der of the family appeared and strayed
some distance from the cabin about
their chores. Suddenly the crack OF
rife sounded from the woods behind
the house and then the fusilade fol
lowed in a roar, but it soon ended and
all was quiet for time.
Fjoht Extends over Six Years.
The fight Of John Dietz for his
home dates back over six years. In
t1eO4 Dietz made claim against the
Chippewa Falls Lumber & Boom com
pany for money he alleged was due
him. The Chippewa Falls company is
an offshoot of the immense Weyer-
hauser lumber interests in Wisconsin.
Dietz alleged the company owed him
| 81 600 for services. He, with his wife,
claimed title to eighty acres of land
on which is located the now famous
Cameron Dam"
A little later Dietz made claim for
ss 600 which, he alleged, was due him
as toll for logs driven through the
dam. Dietz has never claimed to own
the dam. He says 1t Is built without
legal right on property that he owns.
The company refused to pay the claim.
Dietz opened the gates of the dam,
stood guard over 1t with rife and
soon there were 2O,O00,000 feet Of logs
landed high and dry on the bank OF
the stream. The logs were worm eaten
and were destroyed.
Then hostilities began. The I'M
mense powers of the lumber interests
were brought to bear against Dietz.
MANY attempts were made to capture
him. but he was always too wary. He
shot several deputy sheriffs. He de-
fed the law. Once an armed force
was led into the Dietz stronghold.
Three men were killed. Numerous bat
Ties were fought. In one of these
Clarence Dietz, son Of the outlaw
was killed.
Process servers fought shy Of Dietz.
Not a man could be found who would
dare make the attempt to arrest him.