The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1911-03-06
TO TRY CAMERON
DAM "HER0" SOON
John Deitz and Family Must
Answer for Their Defense
of Their Home.
american News Seryicel


Hayward. Wis. March C. Every.
thing seems to be In readiness for the
hearing OF the cases against John Deitz
and four members Of his family on
charges of murder and assault. grow
Sng out OF their valiant defense Of their
Cameron Dam home and property. The
cases are set for trial before the term
Of the circuit court beginning
Monday and in anticipation OF the SEN
sational trials. hundreds of persons
from the adjoining counties have come
TO Hayward, eager to listen to the in
tcresting testimony and to await the
outcome of the cases which have at
tracted more than ordinary attention
throughout the country.
The first case to be called Is
against John Deitz. Hattie Deitz. his
wife, and Leslie Deitz, their son. on
the charge Of having murdered Oscar
Harp. deputy sheriff. who took part
in the attack upon the Deitz strong
hold at Cameron Dam. The second
case is against John Deitz alone and
IS for assault on william Giblin. form
er sheriff, who with Patrick McGinn.
tried to capture Deitz in 1904. Valen-
tine wcisenbach. who helped Deitz at
that time. is now in the state peniten'
tiary at Waupun on a twelve-year
sentence for the shooting. The third
case Is against Almyra DeitZ. eldest
daughter of John DeitZ. who Is charg-
ed with assault with intent TO kill John
Rogich, n deputy sheriff who took part
in the attack OF 1904, but II IL believed
that this case will be dropped by the
prosecution. as there seems to be no
evidence to show that the girl ever
handled a rifle.
Long In Linelisht.
Deitz and his sturdy family have
been more or less In the public lime
light for a number of years and have
furnished practically all the sensations
OF the county ever since 1904. Prior
90 that year Dietz and has family oc.
cupied cabin near Price dam where
Deitz acted rs Waterman of the dam
for the Chippewa Lumber company. In
February Of 1904 the Deitz family
moved to the Cameron farm. which
Mrs. Deitz had purchased four years
before from the widow OF Hugh Cam
eron. Before leaving Price dam Deitz
made n demand for his pay and the
failure OF the representative Of the
company to settle led to an alteration
In which Deitz made use Of his fists.
This led to the issuance of the first
warrant for his arrest. Deitz's claim
was settled several wears later by the
payment to him OF $1.717.
In April 1904 Deitz posted a notice
on tho wing OF Cameron dam, forbid
ding trespass. The Chippewa Lum-
Dor and Boom company had logs in
Thornapple river, which they desired
to sluice through Cameron dam.
DEITY would not permit that. unless
the company paid him $4,000. The
lumber company obtained "A temporary
injunction against Deitz. but he dis
regarded II and. armed with his rifle,
prevented the lumbermen to sluice
the logs through the dam. That he
was within his rights was proved af-
tcrward.. when the courts decided that
Mrs. pcltz owned the fowage rights
along the Thornapple river and had
the control OF Cameron dam and its
siuices.
During the summer of 1904 several
attempts were made TO serve warrants
in connection with the dam controver-
~ upon Deitz. but he kept the depu-
ties at u respectful distance. When
former sheriff Giblin aud three armed
deputies attempted on May ., 1904,
to take Deitz. several shots were fir
cd and Giblin retired. Several other
attempts were made In the same year
ard during 1905 and the early part Of
1906. but all were unsuccessful. On
July 20. 1906. the sheriff with Il dozen
deputies, all armed, surrounded the