Sheriff: Honor deputy who died in 1908

MUSKEGON, Mich. (AP) - No one disputes that more than 100 years ago, Muskegon County sheriff's Deputy Joseph C. Hazeltine died mysteriously on White Lake.

But what hasn't been recognized -- neither locally or nationally -- is that Hazeltine died in the line of duty, working as a "special deputy" at the time, while trying to catch fishermen netting in the lake illegally, said Muskegon County Sheriff Dean Roesler.

Now Roesler is trying to get Hazeltine's name on "The Protectors" monument in front of the Michael E. Kobza Hall of Justice building. The names of fallen officers are chiseled on a wall next to the monument. Roesler would also like Hazeltine's name to be added to the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial as well.

"It's the right thing to do. Clearly he was acting as a sheriff deputy that night. In whatever manner he met his death, it still should be recognized as a line-of-duty death," Roesler said.

But it won't be so easy, Roesler said. He has to present specific criteria to national officials to get Hazeltine, who was 45 when he died, considered for the honors.

"The challenge is that Hazeltine was classified as a "special deputy," which means he wasn't a full-time law enforcement person (which is part of the requirement for the honors)," Roesler said. "He worked at the Whitehall Tannery where most of the men of that era worked."

However, Hazeltine technically filled in for the full-time sheriff at that time, Roesler said.

"The sheriff would appoint a number of special deputies around the county because the sheriff's full-time force was very small, and it would take several hours for a regular deputy to reach certain part(s) of the county on horseback," he said.

"Special deputies were utilized -- or hometown deputies -- to deal with a situation until a regular deputy could arrive to the scene."

Hazeltine and the deaths of two game wardens he was with when he met his death has always been classified as an accidental drowning, historical newspaper reports indicate.

The county coroner at the time stated that the men "came to their death from drowning in White Lake ... while endeavoring to secure nets placed in said lake, contrary to law and apprehend party or parties placing said nets, and in trying to perform said duty were drowned in an unknown and mysterious manner."

The incident took place on Nov. 15, 1908 when two area game wardens, Deputy Julius Salmonson and his brother, Martin Salmonson, and Hazeltine attempted to apprehend a group of fishermen netting fish illegally.

According to a number of archived newspaper articles, the Salmonson brothers had discovered illegal nets during the afternoon of Nov. 14, 1908, near the mouth of the White Lake Channel that leads to Lake Michigan.

The colony of fishermen who lived near the mouth of White Lake were considered dangerous and were known to have threatened police officers who questioned their netting methods.

So, expecting some difficulty the evening of Nov. 15, 1908, the game wardens requested assistance from Hazeltine before they set out to confront the men.

Around midnight the three lawmen set out on horses with lanterns along the edge of White Lake and took a small, flat-bottom boat to seek out the fishermen.

No one heard from the men after they left that night. Authorities conducted a search of the area the next day.

The bodies of all three men were located 600 feet from the shore in about 7 1/2 feet of water.

Roesler said during a follow-up investigation into the deaths, sources said the men may have been overpowered by the aggressive colony of fishermen.

Officials from the state's Department of Natural Resources are working on getting the two Salmonson brothers recognized for losing their lives in the line of duty, Roesler said.

If it wasn't for the effort of the DNR officials to recognize the game wardens, the investigation into Hazeltine's death might have never happened, Roesler said.

And Hazeltine was just as much involved the day he died in White Lake, Roesler said.

"I think it would be appropriate that his name is recognized on the National Police Memorial, and I'll be working with our local Fraternal Order of Police lodge to get his name placed on our local memorial here outside the hall of justice," Roesler said.

In the meantime, Roesler is looking to speak with any relatives in an effort to learn more about Hazeltine.

"I would like to ultimately locate any living relatives and see what they can add to this story, if anything, and I want them to know that their loved ones aren't going to be forgotten."