Augustus Case 1842-1911

CASE

Posted By: Merllene Andre Bendixen (email)
Date: 5/4/2012 at 18:50:26

Aug. Case Found Dead
At Fox Lake Near Sherburn Last Sunday Afternoon
Foul Play Suspected
Remains Brought Here for Burial Monday Afternoon – Funeral Tuesday.
Augustus Case was found dead at Fox Lake near Sherburn, Minn., Sunday afternoon and to remains brought here for burial Monday afternoon. An inquest was held, also a post-mortem, by the Martin county authorities and the conclusion reached was that he came to his death by unknown violence. He was found lying on his back with his arms folded across his breast in an out of the way place on the banks of Fox Lake. The supposition is that he was placed there after being killed. He was seen Saturday afternoon in company with three tramps going towards Fox Lake. Sunday afternoon he was found as above stated by a young gentleman and two ladies who were out walking. The mayor at Sherburn was notified and the body taken to the undertaking parlors where a post-mortem was held by Drs. Farrish & Farrish. They found a dislocation of the neck, but otherwise the body was not bruised. A bottle containing strychnine was found a short distance from the body. In his pocket was 25 cents in cash and a ticket to St. James, Minn. His son, Geo. A. Case, was notified here and went up Monday morning and brought the remains home and the funeral was held from the Case home on north Sixth street Tuesday afternoon, services being conducted by Rev. Whitfield of the Methodist church.

Mr. Case left here Friday noon on the M. & St. L. passenger, telling the C.H. Coon family, where he had been at work, that he was going to Minneapolis. Before going, however, he told Mr. Coon that he was going to commit suicide Saturday. This leaves a doubt as to whether he took his own life or met with foul play. Instead of going to Minneapolis he got off at Sherburn and went to Fairmont, returning to Sherburn Saturday [May 14, 1911] forenoon. The tramps that were seen with him during the day left sometime during Saturday night and have not been heard from. This looks suspicious but it might be if he did die a natural death or committed suicide the fellows became frightened and got away before it was found out, thinking, perhaps, they might be implicated. The authorities at Sherburn say today they think they have a clue and will follow it up in hopes of finding out something. The stomach was taken out and sent to the University of Minnesota for analysis. The Sherburn people believe he was murdered by tramps but Geo. Case is not of that opinion.

Deceased was sixty-nine years old and had been a resident of Estherville since 1891. His wife died five years ago. Three sons are left to mourn his death, Geo. A. Case, of this city, Winn Case, of Macedonia, Iowa, and Garfield Case, formerly of Estherville, but at present somewhere in Minnesota and cannot be located. (Estherville Democrat, Estherville, IA, May 17, 1911)