Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1906-02-21
JOHN A. M'CALL. IS DEAD
FORMER POWER IN LIFE INSUR-
ANCE WORLD PASSES AWAY A
BROKEN MAN.
WIFE Is STRICKEN AND ILL
He Defended Andy Hamilton to the Last
and Exposes Ruined His
Health.

NEW YORK, Feb. 19.-John A. Nc
Call died at the Laurel house in Lake
wood, n. j., at $50 o'clock Sunday
afternoon. For more than seventeen
hours the former president Of the New
York Life Insurance company had been
unconscious, except possibly for one brief
moment in the afternoon when his eyes
opened and he looked into the face of his
wife, who was bending over him. He
smiled. The news OF the death was not
given out by the family until some time
after it took place
One of the last persons Mr.. Mccall
talked with was his old friend and pas
tor. Rev. Father Matthew Taylor of the
Church of the Blessed Sacrament. He
went to Lakewood to see Mr.. Mccall at
the latter's request.
Mass for Dying Man.
Bishop James A. McFaul of the diocese
Of Trenton arrived in Lakewood, but did,
not see Mr.. Mccall, who had been his
friend. Sunday morning at 7 o'clock the;
6lshop, IN the Church of Our Lady Of the
Lake at Lakewood, offered prayers for;
the recovery of the stricken man.
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 practically coli
lapsed, although it is thought her condiL
ton will not develop seriously.
The body was brought to New York
this morning and sent to the MCCALL
residence in West Seventy-second street,
Ihe funeral, the date of which has not
been fixed, will be at the Church of the
Blessed Sacrament.
1t was announced that Mr.. Mccall S.
death was due to enlargement of the!
liver. and the end had been peaceful and
without pain. Three weeks ago he was.
taken to Lakewood in the hope that the
change might benefit his health which,
gave out two months ago near the close
OF the insurance investigation by the
legislative committee.
Ten days ago Mr.. Mccall suffered the
first sinking spell of his illness, and was
very low for several days. When all
hope had been lost the patient suddenly
rallied. 1t was an effort of the mind,
and will, however, and not a PHYSICAL
improvement. The attending physicians
foresaw the approaching end and So
warned his family, who remained with,
the sick man from that time to the
period of dissolution
Reused by Fowler Report
Mr.. McCalls mental effort to shake off
his ailments was the result of the report
of the Fowler investigating committee,
composed Of directors Of the New York
Life. They censured Mr.. Mccall severe
" for certain acts Of his in connection
with the legislative bureau established by
him, with Andrew Hamilton at it's head
An effort was made to keep the contents
of the report from the sick man, but,
learning the statement had been filed, he
worried so much over the matter that it
was decided early last week to permit
him to see it.
The recommendations Of the report de-
handing Of him O fuller accounting of
the legislative work than he had made
are said to have been q crushing blow to
the company's former president. He de-
clared to his family and to the intimate
friends who saw him that he was de-
termined to get well, that he wanted to
live to set himself right before the Amer
lean people. The strain was too much,
however, and from that time Mr.. Nc
Calls decline was rapid.
Refused to Admit Blame.
Mr. Mccall died believing that his
downfall was due to a combination of
circumstances for which he was not to
blame.
This statement, which was made to the
public through his son, John G. Mccall,
contained the following significant para
graph:
II may not have lived the life of
saint, but as l look back now | cannot
recall that | have ever deliberately
harmed man, woman or child. | have
lived my life as 1 saw it and as best
| could"
Mr.. Mccall turned from his own feel
ings to defend Andrew Hamilton, and re-
pudiated the suggestion that his own
downfall is to be attributed to the
Judge" who is now in Paris and who
declines to return to this country and
account for the huge sums in the "yel-
low dog" fund which was used to in
1uence legislatures.
Disgrace Bears Heavily.
. For fourteen years Mr.. Mccall had
been one of the most prominent figures
in the business activities Of New York
city, and the thought that he must close
his career under a cloud bore heavily
upon him in his last hours. Up to last
autumn he was regarded as a man sue
cessful in the highest degree, and he
found himself satisfied in holding one of
the most important positions of trust
possible to an insurance man in the Unit
ed States.
Then came the deluge of insurance af-
fairs, and he found his life blighted.
Sketch of McCall's Life.
John A. Mccall was born in Albany.
n Y, March 2, 1910. He entered the
insurance business early in life, and in
1885 was appointed state insurance COM
missioner by Grover Cleveland. who was
then governor. He relinquished that po-
sition to become controller Of the EQui-
table Life Assurance society, which po-
sition he held until he became president
pany in 1892.