The record-union., 1897-06-17
Lured to a Lonely Spot, Almost Beaten to
Death and Robbed.
The Assassin He Had Supposed to be
His Friend.
Martin Ensley of Memphis Tries to
rlurder the Man Who Had Ever
Befriended Him-Dealt Blow After
Blow on the Head With Hammer
and Then Robbed His Unconscious
Victim.
Victim.


Victim.
ST. LOUIS, June &c. D. Collins,
wealthy Tennesseean, was lured to his
probable death Tuesday night by man
he had known since boyhood, and with
whom he has been on terms of intimate
friendship for six years. His assail-
land is Martin Ensley, Of Memphis
whose father, Colonel Ensley, was one
of the most prominent mine owners ana
planters Of the South.
Ensley induced his companion to visit
Meramac Highlands, summer resort
fifteen miles from here. On the plea or
illness he went to a clump of bushes
about seventy-five yards from the hotel.
There stepping behind his victim, he
dealt blow after blow on the head with
a hammer, which he had purchased
presumably for the purpose of commit
ting the murder.
When the pounding of the piece Of
steel had reduced Collins to a state of
insensibility, Ensley stopped over the
PROSTATE body and tore from vest
pocket roll of bills to the amount of
$4,000. He darted up the hill and pass
ed the money to an accomplice, who is
believed to have escaped on a trolley
car. Then the would-be murderer ran
down the path leading to the Meramac
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 accomplish Charles
Feiter, 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
notified Night Waterman 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, the left ear was nearly torn
away. He was removed to Kirkwood
where physician dressed his wounds.
Ensley did not try to board the car.
He ran down the hill to the river, fol-
lowed the stream for nearly a mile,
until he reached shanty occupied by a
boatman. He pounded vigorously up
on the door, and when the old man
opened it he exclaimed
I've been robbed and my friend has
been murdered. Look, I'm covered with
Blood
The old man hastily dressed, and an
swering the strangers appeal for as
sistance, accompanied him up the river
and up to the inn. Ensley evidently
expected to find the body where he had
left it, and evinced great surprise when
he saw people running around.
! Here is a man you want to tell
|
as someone came up. The arrival was
Night Watchman Busch. To him Ems
ley repeated the story he had told on
the river bank
What's your name?" asked Busch.
Martin Ensley,'' was the reply
You are the man 1 am looking for"
said Busch
Il want you for murder" and he
selzed the prisoner. Ensley 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
Sheri1fs from Clayton County arrived at
Meranac highlands. They searched
the ground Tor weapon and discovered
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 driy-
en- over to kirkwood, and it was break
ing dayilght When the prisoner was TAX
Ell TO the room on the third floor of the
North Side Inn and brought face to face
with the wounded man who was on the
bed.
is this the man who struck you?"
asked a deputy
Collins looked at him steadily
Yes, said he. "Ensley, how could
you do it?" he added.
The prisoner looked down, muttered
something about having been assaulted
as well, and was led away. He was
then driven over to Clayton.
Collins the wounded man. had a
stable here at the Fair grounds, but he
runs horses under an assumed name
His parents, who are prominent in
Nashville, objected to his owning race
horses, and so did his wife, who is from
Cleveland, Ohio.
This spring Collins decided to try
his luck on the track. He sold a hotel
in Nashville for S25.0 900 and made ar
rangements for placing stable at one
of the tracks In order to be at per-
feet liberty, he sent his wife to her rel
atives 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 him for ST.
Louis. Ensley accompanied him. Col
Inns had $4,000 at his command and
Ensley 81 900 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 a leading spirit in the de-
velopment of the mineral resources of
the South. He was largely interested
in the Tennessee Coal and Iron Com
pany, and established the steel works at
Bessmer, Alabama; helped make Shelf
field, Alabama, a great mining place;
owned several big cotton mills and
plants, and was an intimate friend of
Andrew Carnegie. He had two chill
dren, Martin, who is almost 80, and