River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1910-10-13
DE|Tz SURRENDERS
8 YEARS WAR ENDS
BRAVE DEFENDER OF CAMERON
DAM GOES DOWN BEFORE
SUPERIOR NUMBERS.
ONE DEPUTY KILLED IN BATTLE
Which Ragged Around the Lonely For
est Clearing For Eight Hours
Deitz Has His Hand Shat
tered BY Bullet.

Winter, Wis, Oct. 10.-Handcuffed
to Fred Thorbin the man who Is his
own sworn enemy, John +. Deltz, the
defender of Cameron dam, surren-
dered at 1920 Saturday afternoon to
the law and will stand trial.
A bullet wound in Deltz'S right
hand, which prevented him from u.s.
ing his gun to advantage, is supposed
to have fastened the surrender.
Oscar Harp, deputy, was killed.
Deputy Vonpomerlo was with Harp.
Both men made a run for the lumber
pile. Harp fell dead with bullet In
his mouth.
Mrs. Deitz and Leslie are prisoners.
and are not injured.
The terms of the surrender were
unconditional, other than a request
from Deitz that he be protected from
violence.
Helen Deitz. the 14-year-old daughter
of the prisoner, represented the family
side in the final peace negotiations;
the other side represented by Sully
Heffelfnger of Minneapolis, the man
chosen by Sheriff Madden to go in
and make arrangements with Deitz
and promise him absolute protection
from violence to either himself OF his
family.
John Deitz. his wife. his eldest son
Clarence, and his son Leslie occupy
cells in the county jail at Hayward
while his eldest daughter, Myra, al
though under arrest, is still confined
at the hospital at Ashland as the re-
suit Of the bullet she received in the
back from Thorbin's pistol week
ago.
The log cabin which Deitz has de-
Tended on Cameron dam for the last
six years during his fearless defiance
OF the law and the authorities, is rid
died with thousand shots.
Rev. Father PiIon Enters Cabin
Rev. Father ]. A. Pilon was the
first to enter the cabin since the pro-
gress of the earnest seige.
While Helen, acting as her fathers
emissary of peace, was asking the
deputies for protection from violence,
the brave Catholic priest, learning
that there were wounded in the shack,
took advantage of the truce and with
the permission of Sheriff Madden.
crossed the clearing to the cabin
where he lent assistance to the
wounded father.
The interior of the Deitz cabin is
one mass of bullets. Every log is
riddled and daylight peeks in at every
angle.
During the shooting, Mrs. DeitZ and
Helen and John, Jr., occupied posi-
tons Of comparative safety, behind a
barricade of boxes, chairs and the
organ In the living room floor.
To Mrs. Deitz is given the credit Of
the surrender with the loss of only
one life. With Helen and Johnnie at
either side, the mother sought in every
way to shield her young from the
merciless deadly rain Of steel and
lead.
Although bleeding profusely from
the nasty bullet wound in his right
hand. Deitz would only grit his teeth
and return the intermittent fire when
the bullets continued to pop inside the
shack.
The pleadings Of the mother and
the frightened, yet silent set faces
of the two children, especially John
F. Deitz, Jr., his fathers pride, finally
softened the heart of the man who for
six years has defied anyone and every
one, law or no law. The hardships of
war were soon softened by Father
Pilon who in all kindness and truth
complimented Deitz upon his bravery
in surrendering.
Deitz received his wound as he
placed his hand to the cabin door
about to enter after he had covered
the retreat Of his son from the hill
early in the day. Leslie had just ran
| into the barn-had ran full 500 yards
through a perfect hail of bullets from
every direction.
There was an affectionate reunion
when John and Leslie Deitz were
brought into the county jail at Hay.
ward where Clarence Dietz has been