The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1901-11-15
Rev. James H. MCKeChnie Found
Dead in Bed When a Servant
Went to Call the Priest to Of
fer Mass
DEATH CAUSED
BY HEART DISEASE
Members of Immaculate ConCep-
ton Parish, Where Fl. Nc
Kechnie Was Assistant Pastor,
Meet and Give Expression to
the Great Sorrow They Feel

MSOt anu WV ENHt SSStSt' ~
the Great Sorrow They Feel
Rev. James H. McKechnie, the es-
teemed curate Of Rev. Robert Walsh,
pastor Of the Immaculate Conception
Church, was found dead in his bed at
the parochial residence on Prescott
Street yesterday morning, shortly be-
fore o'clock, having succumbed some
time during the night to an attack of
heart failure, to which he has been sub
! ject for the past three years. He was
about the parish in his usual way
Wednesday, and went to bed in the
evening In apparently good health. The
servant girl at the house raped on
the door of his room at 6.45 yesterday
morning to awaken him, in order that
he might offer the 7.30 mass, but she
received no response. After rapping
several times and calling the priest by
name, she pushed open the door of the
room and found him lying on the bed
partly dressed. She noticed the death
ly pallor of his face and approached
the bed to discover that he was cold in
death. She hastily summoned Rev.
! Robert Walsh and DR.. John w. Nc
Koan, who has been the dead priests
Immediately called He said the death
was due to valvular disease of the
heart and, after Medical Examiner
Frederick H. Baker viewed the body,
he gave the same verdict.
Father McKechnie knew he was
victim of heart disease for the past
three years and he was also aware of
the fact that death might come to
him at any time and his life was one
that ba did pOf dread
of his Master at any time. He was
faithful and earnest worker in the
church, and his sudden death cast a
gloom over the parish in which he has
labored for the past nine years. Ow-
ing to the poor health Of his pastor,
Father Walsh, a great deal of the
priestly work of the parish fell on
Father McKechnie, and he did his full
duty by every member in the large
congregation, answering sick calls at
all hours of the night, and making fire.
quent visits to the homes of the par
ishoners at all times
Being connected with the Immaculate
Conception parish, he had charge Of
the priestly work at the Home Farm,
| the Insane Hospital at Bloomingdale
and at Notre Dame Du Lac, making
frequent visits to these institutions to
look after the spiritual welfare of the
inmates.
He was not one who courted notorie-
ty in any way and went about his
work quietly NUT energetically and the
hold he had on the people of the par
ish is shown by the feeling of sorrow
that hung over the homes of the North
End yesterday when they learned he
was dead. He was an earnest and
forcible speaker and his memorial adj
dress to the Emmett Guards last spring
was one of the best given before the
company since it was organized. He
was a great student and had acquired
library that is considered a model
of its kind among the Catholic clergy
of this vicinity. Among his brethren
of the cloth. he was popular and es-
| teemed, the young priests realizing his
knowledge of theology and philosophy
and the older priests admiring him for
the many sterling qualities he showed
| in his clerical work.
| He was born in Holyoke, May is,
1862, but shortly afterward his family
moved to Springfield and he considered
Springfield his home city because it Is
there his family now resides. His IA
! Their, James McKechnie, is armorer at
the United States arsenal in Springfield,
and one of his brothers, William G.
| McKechnie, is city solicitor of Spring
| field. Another brother. DIR. Frederick
McKechnie, is an eye specialist in New
York and his third brother, Charles,
lives in Springfield, where his only
sister, Mrs. Mary Dunn, wife of one of
! Springfield's leading physicians, also
resides.
Father McKechnie received his early
schooling in the public and high
schools of Springfield and entered the
| University of Ottawa, where he receiv-
ed the degree of bachelor Of arts and
| graduated with the highest honors in
la large class. He entered the Baltimore
/ Seminary nj 1884 and Aug. IS, 1885, he
was ordained to the Catholic priest
! hood in Springfield by the late Bishop
! p. T. O'Reilly. His first assignment
was to Chicopee and after two years
in this city he was transferred to st.
! Demands Parish in Fitchburg, so
nearly all his priestly life has been
passed in Worcester County. He came
to Immaculate Conception Church from
| Fitchburg nine years ago and his work
in this city is well known among those
! to whom he gave his life.
The funeral will be at the Church Of
Immaculate Conception tomorrow
morning at 10 o'clock, when a pontifi-
cal high mass will be offered by Bishop
Thomas d. Beaver of Springfield. The
body wig be taken to Springfield in the
afternoon and there will he a solemn
high mass of requiem at st. MichaePs
Cathedral Monday morning.
The body will be brought into the
Immaculate Conception CHURCH this af-
ternoon and from 4 o'clock Until after
the mass tomorrow it will lie in state.
The members of the parish had a
meeting in the parish hall last night to
take action on the death of their curate
and the large number present showed
how generally he was loved. Thomas
c. CarIigan presided and the meeting
voted to have a guard of honor from
the members Of the church remain with
the body during the hours 1t is in the
church, beginning at 4 o'clock this af-
ternoon. The guard from 4 to 10 p.
m. today will consist of two men and
hpne woman, changing every two hours,
End from 10 p. m. to a. m. tomorrow
the guard will consist of three men in
relays of two hours each and from
Ito 10, the guards will consist of
1.-TWO men and one woman. A committee
consisting of Thomas c. Carrigan, Pat
rick Powers, John n. Moore and Dr.
William ]. Devereaux, was appointed
to draft resolutions. The appointment
lof ushers and bearers was left with the
pastor, Father Walsh