1919
DIED FROM FRIGHT
Ezekiel Collins Victim of Heart Trouble.
He Dropped Dead When Charley Collins Pointed Pistol At His Son�s Breast.
"My God, don�t shoot." With these words on his lips, Ezekiel Collins, one of the old residents of the Collins settlement, dropped dead Sunday morning. Three feet from the spot where Ezekiel Collins breathed his last. Charley Collins stood with a pistol pointed at the breast of Lee Collins, a son of Ezekiel Collins. The fear that his son would be shot to death caused Ezekiel Collins to drop dead.
Ezekiel Collins was one of the older members of the Collins generation, whose descendants are scattered along the western border of Howell county, in the neighborhood of the old town of Horton. In the early days when much pine timber was found in that part of the country, a railroad extended to Horton from Burnham. This road was ten miles long and was taken up fifteen years ago after the timber was cut out. Although the ____have been taken away from Horton a few houses remain. In one of these Ezekiel Collins had a store.
Sunday morning Ed Moore, Joseph Lowe, Walter Keller and several others was pitching horse shoes in front of Collin�s store. Collins and his son, Lee Collins, 20 years old were watching the sport. In the distance they heard some shooting and said Charley and Ike Collins, brothers, came riding up.
"We�re the best men in old Horton and can whip anybody in this crowd," one of them shouted with an oath as they both leaped from their horses.
Lee Collins took exceptions to the boast of his cousins, and a quarrel ensued. Eye witnesses� to the affair say that during the quarrel Charley Collins drew his revolver and pointed the weapon at the breast of Lee Collins. This frightened Ezekiel Collins, who had heart trouble. The old man threw up his hands when he saw his son�s danger and dropped dead. Charley and Ike Collins then rode away. No shots were fired by any of the party.
Deputy Sheriff Levi Collins, who resides in the neighborhood was notified of the affair. In company with Ed Moore, an eye witness to the exciting experience, the officer came to West Plains. Warrants were issued for the arrest of Charley and Ike Collins, charging them with carrying concealed weapons. Deputy Sheriff Levi Collins rode horseback from his place to Horton to serve the warrants while Deputy Sheriff L. R. Huston went to Willow Springs to watch the trains, as it was believed that Charley and Ike might leave the country and would come to that place to hoard a train. The men were found at their homes by Deputy Sheriff Collins and placed under arrest. They were brought to this city and lodged in jail.
The Collins settlement has became notorious for the many events that have occurred within its borders. There are many families of this name in the settlement, numbers of whom are not related. They marry from one family into another until the Collins generations are scattered all along the northwestern border of Howell county.