The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-06-17
TRIED TO KILL HIS FRIEND.
A RICH MANS SON IN JAIL FOR
ASSAULT AND ROBBERY.

InUlCteo ny = hnmtmer-he BAYS HhhEtIu
Ensisy Bcat HIN Down aud Robbed Him
or nc. ooo-Ensicy says Another ls Guilty.
81. LOUIS, juno 1e.-Martin Ensley, the son OF
tho late Col. Enoch Ensley, a millionaire well
known in tho South, Is in n cell at the 81. Louis
County Jail in Clayton, whilo c. ID. Collins, a
wealthy Tennessee hotel man, known through
out the country. is struggling for life on a bed
at Kirkwood with little probability that no will
survive wounds received by him last night in
the suburb Of Meramec Highlands.
These wounds are alleged to have been In
ficted by Enslcy. Need Of money is said to
have caused Ensley. under the guise Of friend
ship, to lure his comrade into the woods away
from the hotel, and beat him almost to death
with a hammer. Collins declares positively
that Ensley led him into the trap, and inflicted
tho wounds which are now expected to cause
death, and then robbed him of $4,000 in cash.
Ensley denies tho crime. He asserts that while
he and Collins were out walking Collins was at
tackled by an unknown man, and that ho defend
ed him. Collins declares that Ensley struck him
with the hammer Just as he was within a few
feet of the highway. and that Ensley rained
blow after blow upon his akull and neck.
The scene of the crime is about seventy-hve
yards west OF the inn at Meremac Highlands,
and It was about IL o'clock last night that 1t
occurred. Collins and Ensley had gone to the
Highlands for n short rest and enjoyment Of tho
country. At least this 10 why Collins went.
Collins had sold a hotel at Nashville, Tenn, q
few weeks ago, and had $4,000 in cash. he says,
upon his person. This fact, he alleges, he dis
closed to Ensey.
They walked to the inn and strolled about In
the more public portion Of the ground. Collins
started for the Pagoda, which Is west Of the inn.
by o path In which there are q number Of flights
of steps. He says that Ensley fingered behind,
and when Collins was within five yards Of tho
roadway above, Ensley ran up suddenly beside
| him and dealt him . blow on tho forehead with
| a hammer. 1t was a terrible blow. and Collins
became half unconscious. His assailant then
brought the hammer down eight or ten times on
the head OF his victim. He pounded Collins on
the top. side. and back Of the head and on the
neck, and at each blow the wedgc-shaped edge
with which no struck sank into the skull and
flesh.
Then tho man knelt beside his victim and,
tearing open the coat and waistcoat. thrust his
hand into the pocket that contained the money
and withdrew 1t. He then turned and fcd. He
thought there was no witness to the crime.
which had occupied only q few seconds. But in
this he was mistaken. Paul Rouqucmont, the
head cook at the inn; William Koehler, tho
baker, and Charles Fielder. the assistant cook,
had been asleep on the grass a few feet away. and
had been aroused by the noise.
They say they saw Ensley as he struck his VIC
tim and searched Collins's pocket. Feidler
started In pursuit of him. Ensley ran southeast
and disappeared in tho darkness. The men
hP.Eisd e Rd the Inn M t and told private an w sssssns5
back and carried Collins TO the hotel. where he
received medical attention; Hs was oDnss aS.
He immediately accused Enslsy. and rsintsd the
In the mean time Ensley had gone south Of the
employee Of the Highlands Company. to whom
HI HI. t faisn a 'f Saa g BEEN sae s ss.aaised h and s9 robs ed s anna
that he had fed. He believed his friend was Sc.
ESsisy l Is,sssS' s aHs . he w Essssa help BUSH % aas
sitting on tho front y%eranda Ensley was GOV.
'F s1 sa!R '' tss 1s saS n nai' fe want. What's your
H"Ensley."h he replied.
him found 1900 upon his person: He denied
Witnesses asserted that he was the man who had
to Clayton. where he was locked up. The ham:
mer with which tho assault was was
found near the scene of the crime. 1t was covered
Collins says the $500 found on Ensley un;
that much money in his pocket when they left
their hotel. Charles Fielder, the baker a,
s shs ,RPc% sa Z . Ne SAY after e a Plfin wt eoIll ms n poeRss
The man ran to a fence, where he met a confed
crate crate and sRsn s snS d hi% the SlunTab1is s eo sGt9 1spe.
, who Is still at large, Is supposed to have thu
} th Me enig Som Sns of tbs Is f isPS c 81 { Enach oh En.l. 10 T r.
3 Colonef's first wife died early. leaving him twt
> Ensiey' was a belle IN her day, and married
!; surgeon in the United States navy. She lives II
, Col. Ensiey. who died a few years ago at bill
4 home In Memphis, was considered one OF tn
a ! b;a daath uaa aunDnaai Tn he aeyeral timcR
t millionaire. He was one OF the pioneers in de
Q v%eloping the iron and coal folds Of Alabama
5 and FOR years was one of the largest owners o
Coke Company. He was elso President Of tn
5 banks. besides owning one Of tho mos
8 extensive plantations on the Missi"sipp
m1ns and the town o. Bessemer, Ala. owe
Q prise. The position he took in the ,Presidentia
s Campaign OF 1888 startled many OF his Southern
!; . .snsaS sr an sn n4,i sToq u son GRtbisadly 70 f ths %o9f.
american Reuieic in favor Of a high, p%rotectiv
8 tariff, and showing where 1t would benefit tn
3 in M fSs social hi' siFei Ss' ol SsmPhis; SssSykis. ~
lions. no was esteemed as fortunes favoritc.
nearly ri as prominent dissr"ced themselves i
Memphis by getting drunk and insulting rspnl
IT S %sse w srrested. IN and a the '9A sssapa SSs's eau.e she
sensation. ,Ensley's companion jumped hi
K bond and went to Europe TO ayoi
N a trial. Young Ensley stood his trial. He col
fessed HIS fault: said he was drunk and wa
e ported himself caused n slight revulsion Of pull
20 fic feeling in his favor. He was fined severt
He kent out OF society for q year or two. the
q re-ontered IL, and was married TO Miss Betty
v Selden. daughter OF NJ. l., Selden, a wealth
Memphis man. Young Ensley and hts wife weT
10 everywhere, and kept just In advance Of tn
fashions. He drove a tandem during the racin
10 season, and in 1893 rode Bertha to victory In
70 g%entlemen's race at Montgomery Park.
70 About two years ago Southern society va
IS startled by the announcement that his wife wi
~ suing him for divorce on tho ground OF mo-
20 support. She, got her decree. and Is now near
. as much Of q belle as she was before her ma
" rage. Ensley and Collins played the race
u heavily In this city during the past three week
. the latter owning q string OF horses under a
y assumed name.