The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1910-12-10
Children Shot From Ambush, Then Hail of Bullets on
Log Fortress of Cameron Dam Besieger Killed in Tracks
John Deitz, Wounded and Overwhelmed by Assauting
Party Surrenders Face Another Battle for His Life
on Murder Charge. Third Chapter in the Thrilling
Tale of Correspondent Evans

! stander. Iuterfered aud knocked
neitz down The latter rose and
shot his assailaut through the
shoulder
Testimony differs as 70 who was
the aEgressor Indeed. there are
two sharply differoutlatlnE stories
as 10 just what happened Deliz
claims that he shot purely la self
defense. and that the brawl was a
-tfAmcup The Horci aymrathiE.
ers declare that Deitx was the as.
Z gress0r
Delta retired tu his citadel and re-
fused 20 give himself up No regn.
Z lar service ~ a warrant was made
Z Verbal messages and pcuclled notes
advising him 90 surrender marked
{ the oxtgnt Of official effort Co serve
& a warrant upon him
Finally Fred Thcrbnhn. de
fermined man with some ambition
20 be- sheriff. laid before Sheriff
Madden q plan Tor taking pcitr
The plan was accepted Thorbahn
Was made deputy iu charge. and
other deputies were swnrn in On.
( cideufally ThoFbahn got 81 600 for
I the Job and the deputies 50 cents an
hour Tor the time they served dag
and uirht1
First an attempt was made 20 am
bush Deitz on the road Sheriff
Madden. Thorbahn and Deputy
Van Alstine hid by the roadside Tor
several days. waiting Tor Dcltz to
drive 90 town Tor mail
Clarence. Myra and Leslie pcitn
en- route To Winter fcli into the am.
bush Thorbahn stepped from bis
hidlng place. called upon the three
10 hold up their hands aud lmmedl
ately began to shoot II seems that
Leslie Topped over the side Of the
( waeun-bed al the first sign og dan.
Z ger drawing n Luger automatic as
he went Thorbahn. who had a
Luger Ia each hand. feared that
Leslie would shoot from the shelter
E Of the wagon. hence his hurried
I shooting lie fired wlid At Leslie.
/ shot Myra through the side AZ the
waist and barked Clarcncea arm.
[ bat missed the lucky Leslie. who es-
capped after serving as a target for
I a tnsiiiaGr OF shots
/ Clarence and Myra were taken
info custody
Then 60 or 30 deputies we're
sworn In and Thorbahn led the at
tack on the Dcitz cabin
/ The clearing was closely hesieRed
for several days. Finally Attorney
General Gilbert went In and urged
Deitz 10 surrender. assuring him n
fair trial n Deitz bad accepted
this assurance. Il seems not IN
likely that be would have come out
Of the dilemma with better grace
than be eventually did But he de-
cided 10 fight IL out to the bitter
end
Each day Leslie would 90 up 20
a little knoll some distance from
the house and scan the envirnus
for signs Of the besieRora Then
he would come down and hia father
would take his place. sweeping the
circle OF the clearing with a pair Of
binoculars.
on the morning Of Saturday.
Oct 3. as Leslie approached this
knoll. he was surprised by depu.
ties They had strict orders 10
take him alive, but they bungled
the holdup and began shootinA.
contrary 10 the orders of the sher
| ~ Leslie ran. and the battle was
on, II lasted from 800 a. m. Tin 3
o. m. Wildly fired bullets pep.
pered the ground for rods, all about
the Deitz buildings.
Late In the forenoon Deltz ran
from the house 10 the barn. leav-
Ing Mrs Deltz and the children ~
ing on the floor behind a harricade
Of furniture In the rear room Of the
house. II Is supposed that he
/ climbed into the haymow and fired
from there through holes cut In the
I roof He was using smokelcss
powder, however. and II Is a diff
cult matter to establish this to- a
certainty
While Deitz was IN the barn.
| Deputy Oscar Harp and several
other bold spirits crawled on their
I hands and knees over the bald hill
D