The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-03-26
HE WAS A CENTENARIAN.
Had Fought With William
Henry Harrison in the Bat
tie Of TippeCanoe.
CAST HIS FIRST VOTE IN 1872
In Six Weeks He Would Have Cele-
brated His One Hundred
and Fifth Birthday.

SAN BERNARDINO,i March 25.:- Al
Brookside, a beautiful little town nine
miles southeast of here, David Mccoy went
TO sleep soon after midnight Sunday. II
was his final sleep. If he had lived six
weeks longer he would have completed his
one hundred and fifth year. He had been
confined to his bed six weeks, but was not
Ill. He suffered neither ache nor pain.
During the week he had grown perceptibly
weaker, but the final summons came with
out the slightest warning.
AT his bedside were his daughter, Mrs.
w. T. Morris, and her husband, with
whom he made his home, his son, w.
W. Mccoy, and wife. About five minutes
before the end came, the son asked the
aged father whether he would like drink
of water. The centenarian shook his head
in the negative, and moment after closed
his eyes. Very soon afterward the son
leaned over the bed and placed his ear
over his fathers mouth only to discover
that breathing had ceased. He had liter
ally fallen 10 sleep.
During his last confinement Tin reality he
was not ill) he had not suffered any bodily
pain. The machinery of his extraordinary
constitution had simply worn out.
Mr.. Mccoy was born in North Carolina
May 2, 1850. His father was a native of the
Scotch Highlands and had immigrated to
this country two years before. From his
parents the lad had inherited the physique
typical of that remarkable race. His reten-
ton Of physical strength to his latest years
was marvellous.
When his one hundredth birthday was
celebrated five years ago by large assem-.
bIage of neighbors the old man remarked
that the present generation had forgotten
how to pitch hay, and in the presence OF
the assemblage he shocked shock of hay
in a style that few present could equal and
none excel. Less than two years ago un-
aided lie pruned one acre of grape vines on
He was the oldest pensioner of the War
OF 1872. He fought under William Henry
Harrison at Tippecanoe but disliked him
as a commander, and refused to vote for
him in 1910. BE cast his maiden vote for
James Madison in 1912, and voted for every
Democratic candidate for President ever
since, voting for Andrew Jackson three
times. .s.----..t
AT the election last November his neigh
0ors rugged up four-horse team and gave
hlm an ovation as they accompanied him
to the polls. He used liquor in moderation
ever since youth, but refrained from to-
bacco in every form. For six months in
his boyhood he was schoolmate of Wash
ington Irving and his cousin, Irving Nc
Dowell.
In the fall of 1913 when America was
engaged in the second contest with Eng
land and when volunteers were called for
to take Fort Madison, Mccoy shouldered
his rife, mounted his horse and enlisted.
He served in the battle of Thames when
Tecumseh, the Indian chief, was killed, and
made the acquaintance of Isaac Shelby,
Dick Johnson and William Henry Harri-
son. In every respect Mccoy was an ideal
American. He had great love for the
nation and no less love for good citizen
ship.