Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1924-05-14
JOHN DIETZ SUCCUMBS
Defender of Cameron Dam
Passes at the Age of So
Years. Family Reunited
During Illness.

Death has written the last chap
ter In the turbulent history of
John F. Dietz, Defender of Cam
eron Dam The man who, in
1910, defied a sheriff's posse that
had stormed his log cabin home
in northern Wisconsin, ended his
career in the quiet of Milwaukee
hospital.
Around the bed was grouped the
family that had stood by him in
the farmhouse at Cameron Dam
Mr.. Dietz had been suffering from
an infected leg and dropsy. He
never knew that in Milwaukee
county court he had been adjudg-
ed incompetent and that a guar
dian had been appointed to look
after his estate.
For 20 years, John F. Dietz has
had a chapter devoted to himself
in Wisconsin history.
Beside Cameron dam, on the
Thornapple river, Sawyer county,
he staked his ALL He had disposed
of everything to obtain the farm
machinery needed for wrestling the
living of his family from the wild
erness soil. Then he came into
conflict with the numbering inter
ests, represented by the Chippewa
Log and Boom Co.
Beside the creek, below the dam
he had his little truck garden
But the lumber company controll-
ed the dam. About the time the
garden products were beginning
to thrive, the dam would be open
ed at the arrival of the log drive,
the land would be flooded, and the
bit of a garden would disappear.
The company promised him re-
enumeration but Dietz said he was
always put off.
The first serious clash came on
April %, 1905, When Mr.. Dietz
drove Sheriff Peterson from his
farm as he tried to serve an in
junction obtained by the lumber
company. May 8, a posse sent to
the farm was fired upon and Pat
rick McGin wounded.
Another attempt to arrest Mr..
Dietz, made in July, 1905, resulted
in the wounding of John Rogich,
a deputy sheriff, and Clarence
Dietz, a son of the Defender of
Cameron Dam
Mr.. Dietz' various controversies
were in allegiance until the shoot
ing of Bert Horel, at Winter, Wis.,,
Sept. 6, 1910, as an outcome of a
school board quarrel between Mr..
Dietz and C. G. O'Hare, president
Of the board. An unsuccessful at
tempt was made to arrest Mr..
Dietz for the shooting. The
wounded man subsequently recov-
cred.
Oct. l, 1910, Leslie, Clarence and
Myra, Mr.. Dietz's children were
ambushed by members of the
posse, and Myra, a daughter, was
wounded. She and Clarence were
captured while Leslie escaped.
Gov. James O. Davidson then
sent Col. O. G. Munson and Atty.
Gen. Farnk L. Gilbert to Cameron
dam as Intermediates. After three
conferences with them, Mr.. Dietz
announced, Oct. 6, 1910, that he
would accept no compromise.
A fve-day siege, which followed,
ended in a pitched battle in which
several were wounded and resulted
in the surrender of Mr. Dietz.
The tenth attempt to arrest the
Defender of Cameron DAM sue
ceeded. 1t was during this battle
that, it alleged, Oscar Harp, a
member Of the sheriff's posse, was
killed. Mr.. Dietz later claimed the
deputy was seen alive in Salt Lake
City, Utah.
| Without a lawyer to defend him
he went on trial and was convicted
Of first degree murder for the
death of Harp. May 10, 1911, he
was sentenced to Waupun for life.
For 10 years, until his pardon,
May Is, 1921, by Gov. Blaine he
was known as prisoner 11342 and
worked in the Irvine factory.-Mil-
waukee Journal.