Waterbury evening Democrat., 1895-04-26
.M'CABE CHOSE DEATH.
Killed Himself Rather Than Go
 on the Witness Stand.
KNEW FACTS HE COULD NOT TELL.

The Ex-New York Fire Chief Would Have
 Been Called Today to Testify In the In-
 vestigation Begun by the Senate Com
 mittee-A RuIlct In His Brain.
 NEW YORK, April 26.-Tho Press ...,S today: John McCnbe. a retired d. chief of the New York fire deparIm.,i.t. killed himself with a shot from rcvLl5Cr. Had he lived 24 hours longer he wOu Il have been tho first witness at tho senate investigation today to testify 10 the facts in his possession concerning tho allC"Cd corruption fund raised by tho officers ot the fire department to promote their sal a1y bill at Albany. Ho had told tho facts, or some of them, to President La Grange of the fire department to Elihu Root and his partner, Colonel Howard, who are counsel for The Press before tho senate Investigating committee. He had with held from them certain of the facts which at Q late hour on Wednesday night he dis covered to be in their possession. Thurs day morning Colonel Howard sent mes- sage to McCabes house asking him to come immediately to the office of Root Ss Clarke in the Mutual Life building Within go minutes after that message was sent McCabe put a pistol to his head and blew out his brains.
 Mir Root, who is representing The Press in the senate investigation, was counsel for Chief McCabe in the controversy that McCabc had with tho fire department six or eight years ago Commissioner Pur- Toy made stiff fight against McCabe and worked him out of the fro department and worked in his own brother. Charles II. Purroy.
 The Ex-Chiers Disclosures. When McCabo was dismissed from the force. Mr Root took the case into the courts and secured McCabe's reinstate- ment The kind relations which were es- tablished at that time between the chief and his counsel Lad been maintained ever since.
 McCabe was member of the Republic an organization at the head of which was MT. Milholland Ho knew Commissioner 1 La Grange. who was also member of that organization. When General La Grange became n commissioner of the fire department McCabc communicated to him many extraordinary facts concerning the operations of Tammany Hall in the department and gave to the commissioners O vast amount of useful information. Some part of this dealt with the subject now undergoing investigation before the | senate committee In his talks with the commissioner McCabo did not profess to havo any personal knowledge as to the | raising of Q corruption fund and seemed to be telling only what had come to him from outside sources. Theso facts he also | communicated to Colonel Howard and to l Mir Root.
 Did Not Want to TelL | McCabo was at Mir. Roots office on l Wednesday and had there a long personal conversation with MT. Root He agreed to talk with certain other offitSrs of the department and to return to Mir. Root
 with the information thus obtained. He
 did not return. Instead he committed | suicide.
 Mir. Root was inexpressibly shocked
 and grieved when the news of McCabe'E
 death reached him. He was at luncheon
 at the ti1no in the Lawyers club with his partner. Colonel Howard. A note wal
 handed to Mir. Root from one of the clerks
 nt his office informing him of the death Oi | McCabe.
 A message had been scnt to McCabO by
 Colonel Howard. It was n request fol 1 McCabe to call at once. What was wanted
 McCabo well knew He did not want tC
 testify and expressed a great deal of anx
 iety about the matter. Late on Wednes
 day night he is said 10 have talked with 1
 man who. ho thought, had revealed tn,
 facts, and ho blamed him severely for bay
 ing allowed them to escape.