Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1910-10-14

upon us that l sent little Johnnie
and Helen out after the cows, which
had strayed over beyond the lumber
pile. They tripped out of the cabin
without the slightest fear and |
watched them cross the plank oyer
the Thornapple dam below the
house.
When the children stayed too
long | sent Leslie out after them.
He went around the other way, over
the hill, near the lumber pile. My
God, he walked right into the trap
which the deputies had set.
Il was in the yard and heard the
shots come whizzing over the roof.
saw Leslie turn and start back
toward the house. There was more
shooting and he turned in among the
lumber piles.
Il ran to the house and got in
side where my husband was with his
loaded guns. 1t has come, John,
cried. They have come to kill us.
Get Leslie into the house, was
all he said. His teeth set down hard
and 1 knew he was going to fight
them.
81 was nightly afraid, but l went
out on the porch and yelled to Les
lie to come in, that they would kill
him if he stayed where he was.
He got up from the lumber pile
where he was hiding and walked
to the house They shot at him
again and again, hut my brave boy
wouldn't run. 1t was a miracle that
they all missed him.
Then the little ones came into
the clearing. ] expected to see them
shot down by the bloodthirsty crew
that surrounded us. | thank God
that the deputies had the heart to
spare the little innocents.
Then they began that awful
shooting"
Mrs. Dietz put her hand over her
eyes for a moment as if to shut out
the thought OF the battle. When she
looked up she asked with quivering
lips:
What do you think of men who
spend all day shooting into home
where there is a defenseless woman
and her children who have never
harmed anyone?"
There was no answer and she
went on with the story.
Bullets seemed to come from every
direction. They ripped through the
| windows and found BEDS II tue walls
and furniture. The thud of them as
| they struck the logs of the outer
wall was like the patter of rain.
I'VE all gathered in the living
room, keeping carefully out of range
| of the windows. We pulled out the
organ and heavy bureau, the draw
ers of which were filled with sheets.
We crouched behind this barricade
| most of the day.
Johnny trembled like a leaf and
| what could | say to hearten him?
Little Helen nearly tainted several
! times. The child was fairly sick with
| fear. How | kept up do not know,
| for / surely thought we would all be
murdered.
Leslie was with me and the chill
| dren the whole day. He never fired
shot
IF it hadn't been for the children
| I'd have failed then. 1t was all
could do to keep up. If the children
had only cgied / believe l could have
stood it better. They were too
| frightened to cry, poor, little. white
| faced innocents. A bullet came
through the wall and passed within
an inch of Johnny's body where he
was crouching behind the organ. Les
! lie picked it up. 1t was a steel-cased
| bullet The whole house now is lit
tered with them.
THE next | remember was when
John came staggering into the house.
| He had made the run from the barn.
I've been hit, mother he said,
holding up his hand, from which the
blood was dripping.
Then | began to plead with him
as never woman pleaded before.
asked him for the sake of our I'M
born child to give up the hopeless
| fight. It was hopeless. Bullets were
still raining on the walls and through
the windows and we did not know at
what minute they would rush us.
! prayed to God to soften his heart and
make him give up the fight.
Leslie was moved first. He
joined with me in begging father TO
1 give it up. Finally he said. Well. all
/ right / started to get a white flag
I to 90 out of the house with.
John pulled me down and told
me they'd kill me if ! showed my
/ self. Before ! knew what he was
4 about. he gave the flag to little
Helen and she ran out of the house
waving it in the air
John Dietz, in telling his story Of
/ the battle, said:
Il surrendered at the pleading Of
my wife, who is soon to become a
mother. She and the children hid
all day behind the organ, a bed and
"a bureau. The bullets came in so
thick that | was afraid that she and
The children would be shot The
strain was beginning to tell on her
and ] had to give it up"