The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1903-01-18
DEATH OF WINNIE MERCER
ENDS A REMARKABLE CAREER.
Had Been a Baseball Pitcher for Eight Years-Fear of Consumption
s Thought to Be the Cause of His Suicide-Incidents of His Ca
rer and Some of His CharacterIstics-Stor of Famous
so Pitchers Battle in Which He Participated
l1r7rEN FOR THE SUNDAY REPUBLIC.

WRITTEN FOR THE SUNDAY
Dsspondent over his chances in what he
'considered a losing fight against that dread
de0tyoyer-consumption - Winnie Mercer.
baseball player. gentleman good fellow and
bon vivant, took his own life at San Fran
cisco last week. and in his passing the
game of baseball lost one Of its most inter-
citing characters. =
Those who gather about his grave in the
little Ohio. city which he called his home
are not the only mourners. The sporting
public. and especially the baseball frater-
nifty. magnates. players, and fans. will not
forget Mercer for many a day. and his un-
timely end Is to them q cause of universal
SORROW and regret
Win Mercer could hardly be called q
unique character in baseball. but he was
M Of the latter-day class Of gentIsmanly
players. who did much toward keeping base
ball ON the high plane which makes it the
one great national game. When the Great
Umpire called him out at San Francisco a
brilliant career was cut short Though q
veteran In baseball. Winnie was q man
YOUNG In years. He was just about to en-
tsc the managerial ranks. and with his
natural talents he might have been a promi-
pent figure in the baseball councils Of the
dntSse; Tor out Of the playing have
= sHc6 man as Charley Comiskey and Ned
I many ways MERGERS career was a re-
mkfkAble one. He was possessed OF at
tractfvo qualities. and probably no player
~, the professional ranks had 90 many
lar with fans the country over. Though re-
lated to Winnie-he. Was O. third or Fourth
consis- l meyer had ne pleasure q an e;
enough to be impressed with his virtues
and his w~eaknsssss. the latter being few.
He. was always pleasant. q good mixer
and he had n heart that y3S an lander M n
woman's.
LONG AND BRILLIANT CAREER.
Winnie lacked a year or two Of being 20
older. Starting out in, the professional
e ere, I and les was a "a Gssih play ysrn az 9S g P caS-
sfdering his environments. 1t is a wonder
that he became such q ~.stayer.".
ordinary S1aSas . aaSe'e o. e U,% l Ssan m SSy. anan Inc ne
was a well-built man. but in the last few
years he felt that he was doomed to- the
ssssh BY his own hand rather "a than an that that.
These qualities of personal attractivehess
have shortened the career Of more than; one
IN q ball PLAYERS travels around the circuit
In a big league. Ball players say that Mer-
est roller ever in the professional ranks.
but not IN the ordinary sense OF that purely
Through the publicity given him. Winnie
Eained q reputation that was not pleasing
to him. Gambling with him was q weak
meas mess; not a vice; Amything that IT,, had Ian, an els-
most irresistible force. He could not look
at poker or a game OF craps without an
card or a throw Of the dice, even though
He did not gamble for gain. but for his
openly. charged Mercer with having been
mort in his accounts with the asl-star ag-
ereeation Of ball players. who were play
fnU nm the pRniA0 Hoouf pot IL haaT hocn
heen alleged, he could have got the money
sources. he had money Of his own. Never
before had dishonesty been charged against
him, and he was not the. man who would
allow that amount OF money to impel him
HIS TEMPORARY RETIREMENT.
It will remembered that during the sea-
..n OF 1901 Mercer was a sick man and not
wanted to play. but the directors of the
Washington club sent him to his home in
Esst L y, eoso, Of ian and there he rested
hs looked = picture = health. he was not
sssS'1 s.n ons At ds W,a, sfssT so'p ss : sass4sd !. q
uard declared that If he should be subject
suqlmer Winnie pitched good bali for De
troYt: though. he was not in good health.
On his way to the coast with the All
- AS SsSRGS0 I'VE a.
Las Vegas, N. M, to see a brother who
had gone there for the beneficial effects OF
the climate. That visit depressed Winnie. as
he feared he might soon be o~vertaken by
the disease he dreaded.
In his farewell letter to his mother, Mer-
.iestting the best OF him. ana It's said
that he was a principal In q little romance
that turned out 2 disappointment for him.
ban player: who was more or less init
mtFation for a certain Pennsylvania girl of
ftch family. AZ the story goes. this feel
fp& was reciprocated, but the parents Of
tks young lady disapproved Of the friend
eAtp q 9 her away to an Eastern
NND OF A ROMANCE
z Whether this ended the romance or not.
s. b sid that Mercer was not the same
Man afteryaxd. He Vas admired BY wotn-
Z, sbnt did not play fAst and loose with
TN. In this respect he was very much =
g6ntlean&n Of honor. He liked 4 gay COM
pony and grAoed many social gltherisfgs. /
For several seeeons he conducted a dancing
4c6eol In Washington, a IN that city he \
-; Prime zeSosate; He Sss not 2 man !
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