New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-07-24
WHERE rs THE HOUSE BOILDERf
WILLIAM S. MERCER, A CONTRA ACTOR, HAS NOT
BEEN SEEN FOR SOME DAYs-CREDgToRS
wOtJ.D LIKE TO KNOW WHERE HB is.

WILLIAM S. MERCER, A CoNTR ACTOR, HAS NOT
BEEN SEEN FOR SOME DAYs-CREDgroRs
WOULD LIKE TO KNOW WHERE HE is.
william s. Mercer. builder, of No. 96 broadway. Is
reported to have left the city with considerable money
which he received on a building loan. leaving many
creditors in the lurch. lie known as specu-
lstive builder and was engaged In two building
operations, one in Eighty eighth-st between Ninth
and Tenth ayes, consisting OF nine thfce-story
dwellings, and the other In Ninety thirtlst between
Ninth and Tenth aves., consisting OF eight dwellings
the Elehty-eiehth=st. property cost sj4,OOO, all on
purchase money mortgage with building loan OF
100000 The Ninety -thifd-st property cost $4,000,
all on purchase money mortgage with building
loan of s62 900. The houses TO cost $4,000
each None Of them has been completed, the
Eighty -elghth-st houses having the second tier OF
beams ND and the Ninety thrist houses being lathed.
lie had trouble with the later
undertaking several months ago, but sett.ed
the claims filed against him then, The
first payment OF the building loan on the Eighty
eighth-s houses made 1t is said, about ten days
ago. and this is the money Mr. Mercer is said to have
taken with him which should have gone to the
creditors who have been doing the work for him.
The amount currently reported is S13OOO but
those In a position to know say 1t was only $4,000
or $1,000 At the ONCE Of c. I. Barney, who Is
said TO have let Mr. Mercer have the money, all IN
formation was refused the clerk saying 1t was Mr.
Barneys cousin who made the loan. During the last
few days mechanics liens, aggrcgatng over S2ooOo,
have been filed against Mr. Mercer on the Eighty
eghth-st and Ninety hiisi-st houses, tho principal
ones being as follows David Muller, S7,1oo; Ole
Olson. 81. $50; Richard w. o'Meara, 81 900; Dey 81
somervlle 90, 800 Terence Kennedy 81 900 Richard
Hoar, 80 $50; Edward f. Bowes, 81 100; Dimock,
Finck & Co., 81 $40.
At the handsome Office of Mr. Mercer, at No. o6
Broadway, a young woman said yesterday that MI
Mercer had not been there for week, and had gone
out of town for HIS health She did not know where
he had gone. When asked about the mechanics
liens She replied "Ohi that's not his fault"
E. G. Butcher who occupies the Offices with Mr.
Mercer said that the latter at the office on Tues
day of last week and he had not seen him since them
Mr.. Mercer appeared then to be much troupeu' anu
seemed like man out Of his mind. lie had no idea
where Mr. Mercer had gone. lie had some trouble
with the man who loaned him money with when
to build, the amount of payment being 5000, Dut
Mr. Mercer said the lender was keeping back Sl,ooo
because some rubbish and rocks had been left in the
wards of the houses This worried him greatly, as no
had trouble only few months ago on his loans which
he managed TO get through Mr.; Mercer had formerly
had homo in West sXteth-st, but he had moH uio
house and foreclosure proceedings were afeaoy Ill
Mr. Butcher, although knowing MIR, Mercer in a
business way for long time f Ret Mr. s e aSSq' had
had trouble with his wife who had gone West; lie
had also heard the rumOr that Mr.. Mercer had gone
away with a young woman not his wife, put no.hihs
defnite was known III regard to it. Mr.. Butcher
said he would not be surprised to see Mr.. Mercer
come back at any moment. -
Mr. Mercer had no rating at Bradstreets as he was
reearled as speculative builder. lie was formerly
of the firm of 5. r. Bullock d Co., waerwork con-
tractors Of Wall-st, but withdrew about two years
ago when that firm became financially involved He
then started the firm of William ; Mercer 90.
tract TO build waterworks at Crcston Iowa. but shortly
aerward sold out the contract and went into building
operations. He is about thirty eight years old.