The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1897-06-17
LURED TO HIS DEATH.
FATE OF A WEALTHY TENNES-
SEEAN AT MERAMEC
HIGHLANDS
Supposed Slayer a Man He Had
Known Since Boyhood and With
Whom He Was on Most Intimate
Terms.

WhOm ne mas Deen on terms O1 hill
mate friendship for six years. His as
sailant is Martin Ensley of Memphis,
whose father, Colonel Ensley, was one
/ of the most prominent mine owners
and planters of the south.
Ensley induced his companion TO visit
Meramac Highlands, a summer resort
Is miles from here. On the plea of i'll
rJess he went 10 a clump of bushes
ABOUT 20 yards from the hotel. There.
stepping behind his victim. he dealt
blow after blow on the head with a
hammer which he had purchased pre-
sumably for the purpose OF commit
ting the murder.
When the pounding with the piece
of steel mad reduced Collins TO state
CT insensibfiity, Ensiey stopped over
the PROSTATE body and tore from vest
pocket a roll of bills that amounted
to $4,000.
He darted up the hill and passed the
money to an acccmplice, who is be-
lieved to have escaped on trolley car.
Then the would-be murderer ran down
the path leading to the Meramec river.
Two men saw the terrible assault and
the robbery, and witnessed the transfer
of the money and the escape OF the
principal and his accomplice. Charles
Peter, a baker, employed at the Inn,
and a. gardener who had been engaged
about the grounds a fortnight, were the
witnesses. They ran to the inn and no.
titled Night Watchman Busch and told
him the story.
Busch found Collins lying fiat ON his
face, groaning but unconscious Blood
was flowing from several wounds on
the scalp. and the left ear was nearly
torn away. He was removed to kirk
wood, where physician dressed his
wounds.
Ensley did not try to board the car.
He ran down the hill to the river, ana
followed the stream for nearly mile
until he reached shanty occupied by
a ooatman. He pounded vigorously On
the door, and when the old man opened
it he exclaimed: I've been robbed and
my friend has been murdered. Help!
Look. l am covered with blood!
The cid man hastily dressed, and an
sWering the strangers appeal for as
sistance, accompanied him up the river
and then 20 the inn. Ersley evidently
expected to find the body where he had
left ii. and evinced great surprise when
he saw people running around. Here
is a man you want to tell your story
to- the old bcatman said, as some one
came up. The arrival was the night
watehman To him Elsley repeated
the story he had told on the river bank
What's your name2' asked Buscn.
Martin Enslev," was the reply.
You are the man I am looking for,
said Busch. 7 want you for muir
der and he seized his prisoner. Ems
ley protested his innocence. but was
taken into the inn and placed under
guard
All this occurred about midnight. At
O'Clock this morning two deputy sher-
ifs from Clayton county arrived at
Meramac Highlands. They searched
he 6lGROV-
cred a new hammer covered with blood.
on Ensley was found $500 which at
first was supposed to be part of the
stolen money At daybreak Ensley
was driven over to Kirkwcod, and 1t
was broad daylight when the prisoner
was taken to the room on the third
: floor of the North Side inn. and brought
face 10 face with the wounded man
who was tossing on the bed.
is this the man who struck your
asked a deputy.
I. Collins looked at him steadily.
Yes, said he.
'Ensley, how could you do t?' he
added
The prisoner looked down, muttered
as well. and was led away. He was
then driven over TO Clayton.
Collins, the wounded man, has a
stable here at the fair grounds, but he
runs. under an assumed name. His
parents. who are prominent in Nash
VILE objected TO his owning race
horses, and so did his wife, who is
from Cleveland. o.
This spring Collins decided to try
his luck on the track. He sold hotel
at Nashville for S25. 900, and made ar
rangements for placing stable at one
of the tracks. In order to be perfectly
at liberty he sent his wife to her rela-
tives in Cleveland and then unfolding
his plans to Martin Ensley. his boon
companion, and asking him to accom-
pany him, he purchased two horses
which had run at Memphis and which
he fancied and left with them for St
Louis. Ensley accompanied him. Col
Inns had SIS, 900 at his command and
Ensley $1,000 or so.
The arrangement entered into at
Nashville was that Ensley should fig
ure in all business transactions, as Col
Inns did not wish his name to appear
Martin Ensley's father was Colonel
Enoch Ensley man Of more than ma
tional fame, and regarded until his
death. three or four years ago, as the
richest individual in the south Colonel
Ensley was leading spirit in the de-
veloDment OF the mineral resources of
the south. He was largely interested
in the Tennessee Coal and Iron COM
Bessemer. Ala, helped make Sheffield.
Ala, great mining place, founded
several towns, one of which bears his
name, owned several big cotton planta-
| tons, and was an intimate friend of
Andrew Carnegie. He had two children,
Martin, who is almost 80, and Lady,
a year or two younger. For the latter
he named the Lady Ensley mine, one
| of the largest in Alabama
Martin Occllpied hi0h rOSifiOr in
the social circles of Memphis Nash
vile. Birmingham and other southern
cities during his fathers life. He was
! married to Miss Bettye Selden.
daughter of NJ. L. Selden, a wealthy
Memphis man. Miss Selden was re-
garded as the handsomest woman in
/ the state When Colonel Ensley died
1t developed that his estate was en-
: numbered SO heavily. that X was doubt
full if anything would be saved. About
| two years ago southern society was
/ startled by the announcement that
| Martin Ensley's wife was suing him for
divorce on the ground CT non-suDport
! Since the divorce Martin has divided
his time between Memphis. Nashville.
Birmingham and other cities where his
father had interests.
DIR. Pittman, who attended Mr.. Col
| Inns. said his wounds, ten in number,
viii not prove fatal unless blood poi
sonine sets in.
Martin Ensley was locked uD in the
county jail az Clayton and Prosecuting
| Attorney Heidorn listened to the
prisoners story. The latter said: Il
came here two weeks ago from Mem
phis and went to the Southern hotel.
My business of late has been racing
and betting on races. l have lost and
won. have lost $4,000 in two weeks,
| but have made enough more than that