The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1899-08-19
MERCER.TR ENCHARD AFFAIR.
THE SHOOTING or wM. TRENCHAisD
ny VIOLET MERCER.
Both Parties Arc Well known In
Houston. NIicrc They For-
mcrIy Resided.


VIM +. Trenchard by Mrs. Violet Mercer,
which occurred in New Orleans on Thurs
day. are taken from the New Orleans
Times Democrat;
William +, Trenchard, a cotton sampler,
residing NJ No. 1906 Saratoga street, near
Erato, and employed by Strauss \ Co,
of 800 Carondelet street. was shot and
dangerously wounded yesterday by Mrs,
Violet Mercer, The affair occurred at 1llo
st. Charles avenue, near Calliope street,
a peighborhood seldom besmlrched by
scandal jealousy was the cause of the
shooting Frenzied by neglect, the wo-
man fired twice and tried to Kill the man
Then, woman-lke, she wept, She ca
ressed him until assistance came, and in
agony she wrung her hands and hoped he
would not die. II was very dramatic.
The shooting occurred shortly before ]
o'clock Trenchard was summoned from
his place OF business by telephone CAL.
He at first declined to go, but on Mrs.
MERGERS threat TO go TO his house and
make scene, he says that he Jumped OH
car and went up town, hoping to placatc
the irate woman. Previous TO receiving
the telephone message he received the
following letter through the mail
"Trenchard--So you think by lingering
my note you are safe. Now ! VIII give
you TIL Thursday at o'clock to bring
me that SIS, and If you fail ] viii go TO
the office Friday morning don't care
for the consequence, You can not and
shall not Guido me- | viii wade through
hades. No dirty, dishonest liar viii ever
get the best Of me. and II you think so,
try It, you wretch. | viii yet make you
curse the day you ever met me as ! did
you. had a letter today from Mrs. -------
In regard to that matter. smiled to think
| viii yet make others suffer even more
than l. never VIII rest day or night
until / am satisfied, and ! VIII be- Re-
member that. | would be willing to be
burnt alive today to get even with you
for your dirt, and no one has u better
show than /, and | don't say can count
as many friends as you can, perhaps more,
and Of better class. who VIII stand by
me to the end. i have not said anything
to Paul. don't know whether you have
or not and don't care. Perhaps you are
satisfied with billing old Charles +.
don't care If everybody In New Orleans
and Houston VIII know II sooner or later
1 want my photos | don't want anything
of mine TO remain on your dirty person
The letter was written in lead pencil.
There was no punctuation. and there were
other evidence OF haste. II was written
by a woman who was wild with hate and
whose mind was evidently made up.
Yesterday forenoon Mrs Mercer dressed
and went down town. From one OF the
Canal street drug stores she called up tho
office where Trenchard was at work and
asked him If he had received the letter
and was going up TO the house, Trenchard
claims that he replied that her letter was
nothing short of an attempt ut blackmall
and that he would not go up TO her house
Then she replied that she would 90 TO his
house and make n scene. Fearful OF the
consequences, the man told her that he
would go to her house as requested. The
telephone conversation ended. she board
ed st. Charles avenue car and went
home. She was hardly indoors when the
bell rang and the servant. who was pre-
pairing the table for luncheon, we3t TO
the front door and admitted Trenchard.
They went up stairs to her room, on
the second floor. She seated herself on the
bed he on a chair. Then an angry con-
ensued. She accused Trenchard
of trifing with her affections; OF having
pretended marriage as his object and then
showing attention to other women She
told him how she had learned from q
young lady employed In the millinery de-
partment OF one OF the largest dry goods
stores in tho city that he had been pay
ing her attention for ten years, and she
then found out that he did not intend to
marry her. The upshot OF this interview
was that she told him to 20 to the bureau
drawer across the room and get his let
tiers.
At this point the two tell widely dlverg-
ent stories. Trenchard says there was
something In the woman's manner as she
said this that excited his suspicion. She
was nervous. He started to go for tho
packet. and the thought flashed through
his mind that she had set a trap. He
turned Just in time to receive the lrst bull
let in the right side. II WAC followed In
a second by another. that entered the
right arm shattering the bone. He says
that she had been seated on the revolver
and as soon as he turned his back she
hurriedly drew 1t and began firing He
says that II he had not turned when he
did she would have emptied her revolver
into his back
Mrs. Mercer gives this version OF the af-
fair the lie. She says that she told him to
20 to the bureau and get his letters, and
then. a fit OF stubbornness coming over
him. Trenchard told her to go and get
them herself He started to leave the
room. but. reaching the door, he turned
there, and. with one arm akimbo and the
other leaning against the door frame. he
began to tarnt her. He SO exasperated
her that. losing all idea OF consequences.