The River Falls times. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1894-1933, 1911-05-18


and the lumb:r companies operating
in Sawyer county. Wisconsin, began in
February, 1904, through Deitzs refusal
to allow the companies to flow logs
over the Cameron dam, on a quarter
section bought by Mrs Deitz, without
paying him the toll he demanded.
In the ten principal attempts to cap
ture him on various charges and legal
processes, one deputy was killed, sew
eral men were wounded, Myra Deitz
was shot through the body, Clarence
was wounded in the forehead and Johr
Deitz was shot through the hand. In
addition the shooting Of Bert Horel
by the man from the Thornapple. Sep
itember last, is more or less closely
traceable to the original fracas.
Many Charges Against Him.
The tenth armed effort to take Deitz
was successful, and he became a
prisoner Of the law October last. He
was charged with various offenses
ranging from destruction of property
and assault and battery, through tbs
more serious accusation of assault
with intent to kill, to murder in the
were co-defendants in the murder
case. They, Myra and Clarence. and
John Deitz. are co-defentiants to other
allegations.
FIowage Rights Disputed.
Deitz's contention regarding his
right to the dam was that it was on
mis- wife's property-which was found
by a surveyor employed by the Chip
pewa Lumber and Boom company to
be true-aEd that in the warranty deed
she held there was no mention of any
reser yation of right to maintain the
dam and flow the land. The contention
of the Chippewa Lumber and Boom
company and the Mississippi River
Logging company was that this right
was perpetual, that the reservation
had been inadvertently left out of the
warranty deed, and that manifestly
Mrs. Cameron, the previous owner.
could not sell something she did not
own.
Takes Some of the Logs.
In the spring of 1904 Deitz laid claim
to about $4,000 which he said was
due him for 10000 900 feet of logs the
company mad sent over the dam since
he came into possession of the proper
ty. This was refused Deitz then held
up a drive of 6,500,000 feet, warning
off the company's employees. The logs
he sawed later into lumber, and the
pile of it figured as one of the
strategic points in the battlefield in
the sensational fighting October 8.
Serving the Injunction by Mall.
An injunction was issued by Judge
Parish, and given to Sheriff Peterson
forservice. Peterson slipped it into
mail sack and by that method got il
into the Deitz cabin. This was on
April II, 1904. 1t was promptly thrown
into the stove, and the sheriff left, az
many successor was to do after him,
without bringing the situation to an is
sue. John Deitz claims he has never, in
all the trouble, been legally served with
any court order or warrant Peterson
was given Jail sentence and a fine for
his failure to serve the injunction. He
was not required by the court to serve
the one or pay the other.
Attempt at-capture No. was made
by Sheriff Fred Clark, the present in.
cumbent Of the office, who was res
elected last fall to succeed Mike Mad
den. Clark went to the Deitz cabir
May 3, 1904. and asked the head of tbs
family to accompany him to Hayward.
Nothing happened, either on Clarks
part or on Deitz's anc.y he sheriff fat
tened the railroads revenue by the
price Of return ticket to the county
seat.
Shots Exchanged Without Injury.
Next came Ex-Sheriff William Glib
I'm, now proprietor of the Giblin hotel
in Hayward. His cue was May 10. ia
took with him William Elliott and an
armed posse. Deitz and man named
Welsenbach met them in the WOODS
three miles from the cabin, and shots
were exchanged, without serious injury
on either side. Weisenbach went td
prison for twelve years for his part OF
the affair.
Thomas Grist, Civil War veteran, the
next sheriff, appeared before De1tz
shortly thereafter with a warrant fof
assault and battery. The warrant
went into the same stove that got tbs
injunction.
Posse Does Nothing.
In April. 1905. posse camped neat
the cabin for several days, but leff
without doing anything hostile Sher-