The morning call., 1892-08-06
FOUL PLAY Is SUSPECTED.
Strange Facts About Missing
Martin Mertens,
a False Theory Promptly Started About His
Disappearance-He Had Enemies
and Feared for His Life.

On July 5. exactly month ago yesterday.
Martin Mertens, young grocer aud saloon
keeper doing business in partnership with
his brother at the northeast corner of Beale
and Harrison streets, left the store at 1
O'Clock in the afternoon 10 attend the
funeral Of Supervisor Jackson. and he has
not since been seen.
Within few days after his disappear
ance story was started by some unknown
persons that he had gone to take bath at
HarbOr View and had probably been
drowned.
There are three facts directly conflicting
with this story. One is that Mertens had a
considerable sum of money in his possession.
The second is that he did not go to Harbor
View. The third is that he had been twice
assaulted with deadly intent shortly before,
and had expressed fears to his room mate
that his life was in danger.
sTABBING AFFRAY.
So far the matter has not engaged the at
tention of the Police Department, but a
recapitulatiOn OF certain facts in the recen /
history of Mertens may serve to pu. the
detective department on the trail of a very
dark deed.
On the night of April OF the present
year Martin Mertsns was taken in the pa
irol-wagon to the Receiving Hospital in
this city suffering from an incised wound
under the left ear. which was serious
enough to necesstate his confinement TO
bed aud subsequent removal to the German
Hospital.
After his wound had been dressed at the
Receiving Hospital he stated that little
before O'clock on the evening of Sunday,
April 4, he was tending bar in another gro-
Gerry saloon, which he owns Jointly with
his brother. at Point LoDOs and First ave-
nues. There is ladies' sitting-r0om con-
nected with the grocery. A member OF the
Fire Department named Redman entered
this saloon IN company with Mrs. Adams,
the wife of another fireman. After he had
been there a short time Redman's mother
and Mrs. Mcdonald entered and the three
women went into the sitting room.
They all lived near the saloon. Mrs.
Adams commenced singing vulgar
version Of the "Tra-la-la- boom de-ra" ditty,
and as there we're several children and
minors within earshot Mertens requested
her TO desist. She refused and Mertens
ordered her out. Rsdman interfered and
took the Homan's part, whereupon, after
the pair had called him foul names, Mer-
tens undertook TO put them out by force.
y number of persons rushed into the Sit
ting-Toom, and Ia the scuffls Mertens was
stabbed by some unknown person. A
young man named Louis Elser, also local
resident. came to the aid of Mertens and
was also stabbed. twice in the back and
twice in the arm. The Adams woman
threw bricks at Elser as he went out, and
then Mertens. who had procured revolver,
turned the crowd out.
WHAT MERTENS SAID.
Meriens said at the close of his state
ment that he knew it was no use to prefer a
charge against Reiman as he was a men,
Der of the Fire Department and had pull,
so that he would surely be acquitted. Elser
either did not know or would OF say who
stabbed him. and the whole thing was
"squashed up"
Two or three days before this another
attempt had been made on the life Of Mer-
tens in the same saloon.
On this occasion an American, whose
name could not be learned, was singing a
song in the saloon bar and made such a
noise that Mertens requested him to STOP
The man persisted, and number Of Ger
mans who were present Joined in the
protest Of Mertens. Still the singer
went on and finally defed the crowd
to stop him. The Germans made a
rush for him. when the American turned on
Mertens aud made slash at his neck with
ciaspknife. The stroke would have proved
fatal. for it was delivered with deadly aim
and great force, but young man named
Wise, living on Henderson avenue caught
the blade in his hand, which was severely
cut. The matter was hushed up, and when
an attempt was made to investigate the
matter number of h0odlums promptly im-
posed silence on all the persons to whom
gulse their anxiety to have the entire affair
kept as secret as possible. II need hardly
be added that in the other cutting affair
Redman's pull worked ike charm and he
was exonerated.
SIGNIFICANT FACTS.
Ellef Olsen, "a seaman on the AK and
q member OF the Coast Seamen's Union.
was sitting in the Beale-street grocery
owned by the Mertens, John aud Martin,
when CALL reporter entered yesterday
He is an intelligent, quiet-mannered Scan
dinayiaD, about 30 years Of age. He said
in the course OF his conversation that up to
the time OF the disappearance of Martin
MeTtens he had been the latter's roommate
Martin was about % years old, a sober man,
unmarried, not addicted TO gambling and
not involved In any trouble likely to cause
him to leave the city or State. After the
cutting seTapes already referred to Martin
had frequently appeared anxious and wor-
Tied. and had limited about enemies who had
designs on his life.
Olsen added that he Is among those who
are on the roll for Immediate service at the
Seamen's Union and that he expects to 90
to sea at any moment Hs positively
affirmed his conviction that Martin Mer-
tens has met with foul play, as none of his