The Calumet news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 1907-1938, 1911-05-02
John F. Deitz, Mrs. Deitz and Their
Son Leslie Charged With Muir
der Of Deputy Oscar
Harpin
TWO OTHER CASES PENDING
Case Against AImyra Deitz May be
Dropped and Authorities Have Lit
tie Evidenee-Historyo Of
Deitz Troubles.

Hayward, Wis, May 2.-The joint
case against John f. Deitz, Mrs. Deitz
and their son Leslie Deitz for the muir
der of Deputy Oscar Harpin the early
part of october 1910, was called for
trial here today before Judge Reid of
the Circuit court. This is the first and
most serious of the cases growing out
of the heroic defense of the Cameron
Dam. Thornapple River, by John +.
Deitz and his family. After this case
is disposed of there will be two more
cases TO come up for trial; one is
against John +. Deitz alone and is for
his assault on William Giblin, the for
mer sheriff. who, with Patrick McGinn,
tried to capture Deitz in 1904. The
third case is against Almyra Deitz, the
eldest daughter of Mr.. and Mrs. Deitz,
who is charged with intent to kill John
Rogich, a deputy from Milwaukee, who
Joined in the attack upon the Deitz
home i'm 1904. This last mentioned
case will probably be dropped by the
state, as the prosecution is understood
TO have absolutely no evidence against
the girl. Almyra Deitz was shot in
the hip at the time of her arrest, but
has since then fully recovered from
her injury.
Troubles Began In 1904.
The troubles of the Deitz family,
which eliminated in a long siege of
their log cabin near the Cameron Dam
and their final capture after a des-
perate and bloody battle in the early
part of last October, began in 1904,
with the purchase of the Cameron
farm by Mr. and Mrs. Deitz. Prior to
that time Deitz and his family occu-
pied cabin near Price dam and Deitz
was employed as watchman of the dam
by the Chippewa Lumber & Boom
Company. When Deitz removed to his
place at Cameron dam, he gave up his
position. The refusal of the repre-
sentative of the lumber company to
settle with Deitz for the pay which
the latter claimed for his services, led
to an assault by Deitz upon the agent
of the company. The latter obtained
warrant. but all attempts to serve
it failed.
Defends Self With Rifle.
After a short time a dispute arose
between Deitz and the lumber COM
pany concerning the right of the COM
pany to run logs through the sluice of
Cameron dam. Deitz, who owned the
30 oil hn
pany the use Of the sluice without pay
ment and the company took the matter
into the courts. Summons were is
sued for Deitz and also a temporary
injunction, but he would not accept
service. The case was fou ut in the
civil courts and was finally decided I'm
favor of Deitz. During the years since
the Deitz family moved into their log
house on Cameron Dam numerous at
tempts were made to serve warrants
and legal papers on Deitz, but the lat
ter claiming that he could get no jus
tice in the courts, refused to accept
service. on May 8, 1904, former
Sheriff Giblin and three armed men
tried to arrest Deitz. but he defended
himself with his rifle and forced the
sheriff to withdraw
Siege of Deitz Cabin.
Deputy sheriff Rogich was shot dur
ing another attack upon the Deitz
homestead, on July 25, 1906. A pitched
battle between the deputy sheriffs on
one side and the members of the Deitz
family on the other took place and
Rogich was seriously wounded by a
shot. IL was said at the time that AL
myra Deitz had fired the shot. In
September of last year Deitz became
involved i'm a quarrel with the presi-
dent of the school board during a visit
to the town of Winter and incidentally
shot Bert Horel, who tried to act as
peacemaker. This last trouble led to
the long siege of the Deitz home by a
large posse seeking to arrest Deitz.
IL was during the final assault, which
ended with the surrender of Deitz and
MS family, that Deputy Harper was