Bismarck weekly tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1943, 1900-03-23
mUKDEK Uf SlAKk.
Indications Point to a Clear Case of
Murder in the Case Of August
Stark.
Body Found in the Casino Coal Mine,
to Which Place it Was
Dragged.
Face Beaten and Cut With Some
Heavy, Edged instrument, caus-
ing His Death.
Inquiry and Investigation Into the Mat
ter Being Made by Coroner White
and Jury.
DEATH OF AUGUST STARK.

OFOne WnlCe and a cOrOner'S Jury
consisting of John Wray, William
Walton and D. j. McGillis returned
last night from the Casino coal mine,
north of the city, with the body Of
August Stark, of whose murder there
is no doubt in the minds of the cor
oner or the jury. The body was found
at the Casino mine and not at the
Yengst mine, as stated yesterday. The
mine is operated by James Jenkins and
Ira Jenkins, his son, who notified tho
coroner of the finding of the body.
Stark has been working for them since
October last, and according to their
statementsS to the coroner, had been
last seen Saturday morning, when they
sent him to work in the mine, to tear
up the track inside and prepare for the
cave-in which usually happens in the
spring. That was the last time he
was seen alive.
The jenkins came to town Saturday
and on their return Sunday, found that
the stock had not been fed and Stark
was not to be seen. They searched
for him and his body was found in the
mine, at a distance of about POO feet
from the entrance to the shaft. The
coroner was notified late Monday after
noon.
The body of the dead man was found
by Coroner White in the mine and at
a distance of about 200 feet from the
opening. An investigation of the sur
roundings convinced the coroner that
he had been murdered somewhere
outside the mine and his body then
dragged in. From the appearance of
his clothing, which was pulled up
about his shoulders, he had been
dragged by the feet, and there were
marks upon his ankles, where a strap
had been fastened, apparently to drag
the body with. A piece of the strap
was also found by the coroner The
undershirt vas we'll up around the
shoulders, but the overshirt had the
appearance of having been pulled
down. In the pockets of the dead
mans trousers were found a bunch of
keys and a little over three dollars in
money. upon the face of the dead
man there was a cash, extending from
the nose across the left cheek to the
jaw, made apparently with some heavy
edged instrument. The wound was
eaten out, as though by chickens,
and the end of the nose eaten away.
Little blood was found where the body
lay. There was some blood upon the
back of the head. At the outer en-
trance to the shaft there was straw,
and along the shaft to where the body
was found evidences of dragging were
found in the gradually disappearing
wisps of straw here and there along
the way. The body was frozen when
found.
Stark had been a resident of this To-
cality for several years. He worked
formerly for D. J. McGillis and was
known to have some money; McGillis
paid him about 5000 when he left his
employ. Other reports say he was
the p%ossessor Of $500 or $500 in saw
ings. No money was found by the
coroner in his trunk, which was
brought to the: city.
Coroner White brought James Jen-
kins and his son to the city as wit
nesses. States Attorney Allen was
notified by wire of the crime. The
%coroner's jury met this morning but
did nothing, awaiting the return of the
states attorney.
Coroner White and the jury made an
examination of the body again this
morning. The appearance of it con-
firmed the other evidences of the drag
ging of the body for a considerable dis
tance. The back was purple and
black, where it had dragged on the
frozen ground, and there were various
indications that it had been dragged
a considerable distance.
States Attorney Allen came in on
the 400 train and after a consultation
with Coroner White and the members
Of the jury it was decided to adjourn
the inquest until 10 o'clock tomorrow
morning. Coroner White will prob.
ably go to Wilton to make some in
vestigation there, as Stark was seer
there on Friday last, and some light on
the case may be obtained there.