The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1904-02-09
MARTIN ENGER
WAS MURDERED
CLgBBED OVER THE TEMPLE
AND THEN CHOKED.
Body Placed in a Straw Pile, Which
Was Burned in an Effort to Cover
Up the Crime-Only Theories to
Explain the Extraordinary Taking
Off of Southwestern Minnesota
Special to The Journal.

Special to The Journal.
Luverne Mimi, Feb. 9.-The coroner's
inquest over the remains of Martin Enger.
the Rose Dell township farmer whose
frozen and partly burned body was found
in the ashes Of a burned straw pile last
week, developed the fact that he had been
murdered, the jury finding that his death
resulted from a blow over the left temple
by blunt instrument in the hands of
persons unknown. Marks on Enger's
throat and the congested condition Of his
lungs indicated that he had been choked
after being struck, and that his body was
afterwards placed in the straw pile which
was burned in an effort to hide the crime.
Enger was last seen alive on the night
Of Jan. %, when at about II o'clock he
started to walk from Jasper to his home.
about two miles south of that place. His
dead body was not found until ten days
later when search was instituted for
him. Up to that time his absence had not
created any uneasiness at his home, as
he had expressed the intention before go
Ing to Jasper OF visiting his brother at
Iuverne. In fact the search at that time
was the result Of talk by boy living In
Jasper about 'raking q straw pile for
Enger's bones"
1t was Enger's habit to leave the road
when about half mile from his house
and cut across a field, and it was at this
point that he is thought to have been
killed. A package Of meat and one Of his
mittens We're found a short distance from
the road From that point he was evil
IDENTITY dragged to the straw stack, which
was but a short distance away, and which
was then fired and his body placed on the
stack in an effort to cremate it and SO give
the inference that he had become over
with the cold and had crawled into
the stack and accidentally set fire to it.
FruItIess Effort to Cremate.
while the stack was entirely consumed
Fingers body, which was lying in the Gen.
ter Of the stack, was but slightly burned
about the legs, while his hair and mus
stache were not even singed. The body
was Invested Of overcoat and under coat
and vest. which were found in another
part Of the stack nearly destroyed. The
body was lying face upward and the
only portion of his clothing on the upper
part of his body that was burned was on
the back Of his shirt as tho he had been
placed there after the fire was nearly
out.
When last seen Enger had in his pos
session about $50 in money. This is miss
ing. altho his watch found in his trou-
sers pocket which had not been touched
by the fire. It is not thought that rob
berry was the motive of the crime, as the
amount Of money does not seem to war
rant such q theory. A plausible theory, if
robbery was the motive is that his assail-
ant did not intend to kill him, but fearful
that he had done SO placed him by the
straw stack, which he set fire to- to keep
Fnger from freezing in the event that he
recovered, and when he found he did not
then put his body in the fire in effort to
destroy all evidence.
% While 1t Is believed that the deed was
committed by someone well acquainted
with Engers habits, the officers as yet
have not the least CleW.