The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1889-07-06
Mercer VS.. Mercer.

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The trial of the cross suits for divorce,
brought by George w. Mercer, of Newark,
n his wife, has been postponed until
October, when it will take place before a
jury. On recommendation of Referee
Silas w. Brownell, Mrs. Mercer is to be
allowed 5000 counsel fee and $40 a week
alimony meanwhile.
1t will be remembered that some three
months ago Mrs. Mercer brought suit
against her husband for separation and
support on the ground of cruelty and
abandonment. The husband in turn sued
for absolute divorce, naming Joseph
Colyer, the wellknown carriage builder,
Halsey street, Newark, as the co-respon-
dent, and alleging that Mr.. Colyer and
Mrs. Mercer had been improperly inti-
mate in October, 1881, when they, in COM
pany with the daughter of Mr.. and Mrs.
Mercer, went to Chicago. This charge
was supported by the evidence of Mrs.
Lulu T. Blanchard, of High street, the
daughter referred to. Wesley Egbert was
also mentioned as a correspondent.
The evidence taken before the referee
consisted of the testimony of d number of
witnesses for the husband. Three or four
of these were the children of the couple.
Young George Mercer produced a lot of
letters, which, he said, he had secured by
breaking open his mothers trunk. They
purported to have been written by a gem
tleman in Pittsburg, and were compro-
missing in the extreme. The writer asked
when Mrs. Mercer was coming to Pitts
burg again, intimating that they had met
there already. Mrs. Mercer denied ever
having seen the letters or having them in
her possession. If they had been taken
from her trunk, she said, they had been
put there by some enemy.
Mrs. Mercer took the stand June IL.
The first episode to break the monotony
was a tilt between her lawyer and young
Mercer. The son sat in a chair tilted back
and amused himself by laughing sar-
c~astically at his mothers testimony.
When she cried, as she did frequently, he
poked fun at her. Finally Mrs. MERGERS
counsel said
'.Mr. Referee, will you kindly exclude
this young man from the proceedings?"
"I've got a right to stay in here and /
shall not go out" sale he defiantly.
you have no right i'll here; you have
interrupted my witness time and again
(Mrs. Mercer was leaving the room in
tears)-and by - if Mr.. Referee does not
put you out I'll kick You QUIT"
This forcible utterance led to a change
in the young mans demeanor.
Mrs. Mercer was asked If she had not in
effect zone to Lawyer William B. Guild,
of Newark, and offered, for $500, to
acknowledge her intimacy with some
men. She denied the allegation indig-
VII l4NL LII AS1 w 1CNN G4 IOON IlCl
in hand. He asked her to tell Mr.. Guilds
whole connection with the case, which
she did as follows, according to the
official report of the testimony
Mrs. Mercer-Mr. William B. Guild
wrote to me to come and see him. Netter
offered in evidence.) On receipt of that
letter went to Mr.. Guilds office.
Counsel-What conversation did you
have at Mr.. Guilds office? What did he
desire you to do? Tell all that occurred.
Mrs. Mercer-I asked Mr.. Guild if he
would try and see MI. Mercer and if he
would stop proceedings if he could per-
suade him to stop proceedings; and that l
wanted to see my children gives way to
her feelings)-see what arrangements he
could make.
Counsel-What did Mr.. Guild tell your
What proposition did he maker Tell the
whole story.
Mrs. Mercer-Mr. Guild wanted me to
allow Mr.. Mercer to get his divorce, aud
If there was nothing criminal to make a
case he would help me to make a case for
Mr.. Mercer, so that he would get his di-
vorce.
CounselAWhat did Mr.. Guild request
you to do?
Mrs. Mercer-To think of some man
that the man must know all about me-
and to get him to &c in some hotel and
have a detective around to watch me
and see me go in.
Counsel-Mr. Guild requested you to do
that?
THE ALLEGED SCHEME.
Mrs. Mercer-Yes. l said l did not want
to get any one in trouble; / did not want
to make any trouble, but he says, II will
do it myself If no one else will; put a mus
tache on n no mi will know me-" n y r
/ told Mr.. Guild / had been a pure woman
and had been perfectly straight.
Continuing her testimony, Mrs. Mercer
said in response to questions by counsel
that Mr.. Guild really suggested no inn
propriety other than to go to the hotel and
take a room and AVE q man seen entering
the room while a detective watched near
by. She was to be paid $500 for acceding
to this, but she steadfastly refused. Mr..
Mercer, on being called Immediately after,