The daily morning journal and courier., 1906-02-19
JOHN A. M'CALL IN
 HANDS OF HIS MAKER
FORMER HEAD OF NEW YORK LIFE INSURANCE COM
 PANY DEAD

End Peaceful and Without Pain--En- largement of Liver Given as the
 Cause--Patient Enjoys One Brief Mo ment of Consciousness During Which
 His Eyes Open and He Smiles Into
 the Face of His Wife--Mrs. Mccall
 Practically CoIlapses.
 New York, Feb. 1S.-John A. Mccall until recently president of the New York Life Insurance company, dled aI 5:S5 o'clock this afternoon at the Lau- rel house in Lakewood, N. J., where he had been taken about three weeks ago, in the hope that the change might benefit his health, which had suffered breakdown about two months ago.
 MT. Mccall had been unconscious since about 1 o'clock this morning, ex- cept possibly for one brief minute thls afternoon, when his eyes opened and he looked in the face of his wife, who was bending over him. He smiled, and as he did so his eyes closed again, and he remained in the coma until the end.
 One of the last persons MT Mccall talked to was his old friend and pastor Rev. Father Matthew Taylor, of the Church of the Blessed Sacrament, this city. He went to Lakewood yesterday to see MT. Mccall at the latters re- quest. Bishop James A. McFaul of the diocese of Trenton arrived in Lakewood last evening. but did not see MT. Me Call who had long been his friend. This morning at o'clock the bishop said mass in the Church of Our Lady of the Lake, at Lakewood offering prayers for the recovery of the strick- en man.
 The attending physicians notified the family at 1 o'clock this afternoon that the end was close at hand. Mrs. Me- Call had been at the bedside constant ly since last evening. All of the seven children were summoned.
 It was announced that MT. McCalls death was due to enlargement of the liver and the end had been peaceful and without pain.
 Mrs. Mccall is now under medical care. She had become worn out by the long vigil at the bedside of her husband, and when he died she practice ally collapsed, although it is thought her condition will not develop seriously.
 The body will be brought to New York tomorrow morning.
 If Mrs. Mccall is able the entire fam lily will come on the same train. If not, some of the children will remain at Lakewood with their mother. The body will be sent to the Mccall resi- dence on West Seventy second street The funeral, the date of which has not been fixed will be at the Church of the Blessed Sacrament.
 MT. McCall's physical breakdown oc- cured about the close of the investi- gation of life insurance affairs in this state by legislative committee De- cember last. The report of the com mittee is expected to be submitted to the legislature at Albany early this week. Mr. McCall's examination be- ! fore the committee was a severe one, and the ordeal he underwent in reheas- ing in detail the affairs of the com pany and in divulging transactions about which the general public were ignorant, worried him greatly, it was said
 Mr. Mccall was i'll in bed at his home in this city when he affixed his sigma ture to his letter of resignation from the presidency of the New York Life.
 About three weeks ago his condition became such that his physicians and family deemed it advisable to remove /, him to Lakewood, where it was hoped the rest and quiet would mend the pa tient's shattered nerves, and speed the beneficial effects of the treatment of his physical disorders. During all of this time MT. Mccall worried constantly about his business affairs. He was com pelled first to mortgage and then to sell his handsome country place at Long Branch, N. J.. in order, 1t was said, to repay to the New York Life In- surance Co. $235,000 on the Andrew Hamilton account, MT. Hamilton, the legislative agent of the company, hav- ing made no accounting for this sum. MT. Mccall had promised, when the Hamilton disclosures first were made, to repay the amount named if by cer- tain date a satisfactory statement was not forthcoming from Hamilton, who is now in Paris. The directors of the New York Life at the expiration of the time set called upon MT. Mccall for the payrnent of the money. He acceded to the demands, paying $S5,000 in cash and giving his notes for $15O,0O0, the lat ter being secured by a mortgage on his country place, which later he sold sub- feet to the mortgage. MT. Mccall re- ali2ed in all something over $SOO,OOO fol the property, which was said to have cost him just double that amount.
 Ten days ago MT. Mccall suffered the first sinking spell of his illness, and was very low for several days. Then he improved slightly. One week ago to-day. however he suffered a second sinking spell and grew much worse His condition became so low that life was despaired of A priest of the Rom. an Catholic church, of which faith MT Mccall was an adherent, was summon ed, and the last sacraments of the church were given to the stricken man
 When all hope had been lost Mr. Me Call suddenly rallied. It was an effort of the mind and will, however, and no 8 physical improvement. The attend ing physicians foresaw the approach ing end, and so warned his family whC remained with the sick man from thai time to the moment of his dissolution.
 MT. McCall's mental effort to shak off his ailments was the result of tht report of the Fowler Investigating com u1ittae coDnosad of diractors of thf