JOHN
DEITZ DIES LATE THURSDAY.
HAD BEEN IN ILL
HEALTH AT MILWAUKEE FOR SEVERAL WEEKS.
Family is With Him
at Hospital When the End Comes Peacefully.
The remains of John Deitz, who died in Milwaukee Thursday, were brought
here Sunday morning, accompanied by the wife only and a Milwaukee newspaper
man, J. J. Colby of the Sentinel. Undertaker G. L. Lyle took the remains
in charge, which were taken to the Presbyterian church at 2 p.m. where
funeral services were conducted by Rev. W. M. Hawley, who delivered an
impressive sermon. R. C. Peck sang two solos. The pallbearers were old
neighbors and friends.
The remains were laid in their last resting place in Meadow Creek cemetery
in the family plot where lie three of his children: Harry who died in 1897
at the age of 12, Leanna who died in 1901 at the age of 8, and an infant
that died in 1911. Stanley died at the age of 9 in 1908 and is buried at
the Cameron dam farm. The parents, Mr. & Mrs. John Deitz, Sr., are
buried in Meadow Creek cemetery, as well as his brother, William W. Deitz,
whose grave adjoins to the west. Henry Deitz of this city is the only surviving
brother.
John F. Deitz, aged 63 years, died at a Milwaukee hospital late Thursday
afternoon following an illness of several weeks' duration. With him when
the end came were his wife, sons Clarence, Leslie and John Jr., and daughters
Helen and Myra.
For several days preceding death Mr. Deitz had been acting irrational and
a guardian was appointed to keep his property from falling into other hands,
as he and his wife had been estranged for some time.
John Deitz was a visitor in Rice Lake about six weeks ago and at that time
appeared to be in good health. An interesting visit was enjoyed by the
Chronotype editor, who had not seen Deitz since the visit made to his home
before being captured, in the interests of the Milwaukee Sentinel. Mr.
Deitz seemed to enjoy very much going over his past experiences at that
time, but there was a tone of bitterness toward the lumber companies, whom
he seemed to consider his nemesis up to the time of his death.The long
fight against the lumber companies both in and out of court that finally
resulted in his conviction on a murder charge and sentence to state prison
had embittered him. When pardoned several years ago by Gov. Blaine he was
declared in poor health, but apparently had recovered much of his former
strength until recently he became seriously ill and tried in vain to cure
himself by fasting for a time.
The purchase of the Dietz homestead in 1904 on which was located a portion
of the Cameron dam was followed by spectacular battles with officers of
the law and posses for six years, until October 8, 1910, he surrendered
after his home had been riddled by bullets. Oscar Harp was killed in this
battle, the officers claiming Deitz was responsibile, while he said a bullet
from the posse caused it. This year he claimed to have evidence that Harp
was never shot, but was living in the west.
John Deitz came to Rice Lake in 1870 as a young boy with his parents from
Winneconne, Wis., the trip being made overland. Here he married Miss Hattie
Young and lived on a farm west of Rice Lake, later moving to Sawyer country
where they lived for a time on the Brunet river and later locating on the
farm at Cameron dam.
For a time before the trial Mr. and Mrs. Deitz lived at the Gustafson home
west of this city. His brother, William Deitz, was for two terms sheriff
of Barron county and for years an insurance man here. One daughter, Mrs.
Herman Voight, lives on a farm a mile west of Rice Lake.
Mr. Deitz perhaps gained more notoriety than any other man who has ever
lived in upper Wisconsin, and many newspaper writers made him appear as
a heroic figure fighting the big corporations, this also being the theme
of the moving pictures off which the family made big money while he was
in prison. Even New York dailies carried lengthy editorials on Deitz. The
marvel of anyone who visited the Deitz home during the time of the battles
is that none of the family was killed by the hundreds of bullets that went
through the home
