The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1906-02-19

New York Life, to Paris. Young Me-
Call returned the middle OF December
with Hamitons statement, which
proved to be n badly muddled docu-
ment which accounted for nothing.
The Fowler committee of trustees
appointed to investigate the New York
Life. refused to accept the Hamilton
statement and held Mr.. Mccall to his
pledge. The Fowler committee ut that
time was unable TO discover the amount
OF tho unexplained or unaccounted for
funds that had been given TO Hamilton,
but Mr.. Mccall figured it at s235,O00,
which later on proved to be far below
the real figure.
Sacrificed His Insurance.
To raise even the s235,oooo Mr.. Mccall
was put to some straits. He gave three
notes of $4,000, each secured by n mort
gage on the magnificent summer palace
he had built at Long Branch. The re.
naming $4,000 he paid in cash.
To get this money, it was said yes
terday. he had to sacrifice insurance
policies amounting to about 100000, which
he carried on his life. He took the full
cash surrender value of the policies.
which was considerably less than the
total premiums he had paid in. Some
OF these, policies had been running for
fourteen years, or ever since he became
nrpSlutUC OIL tlle New 1OTk Lire,
The first day he testified beforeEthe
Armstrong committee he declared that
reports of his having great wealth were
unfounded: that If he died his estate
would not amount to 100000, and more
than half of 1t would consist of life in
surarice.
The mortgage for $4,000, which he
gave on his Long Branch home neces-
sttpted the sale of that property, when
was an Enormously expensive one 10
maintain. The property was encum-
harad with a prior mortgage for 100000.
II was sold two weeks ago to Myron n.
onnenbeim. lawyer. for about sS5oooo'
,bo moi proceeds to Mr.. Mccall being
siOoocO He had spent upon the place IN
all 10000
During ali this time his illness puzzled
Tic nhvsicians. Mr. Mccall has never
known a Ack day in his life until Dec.
20 when he had to take to his bed up
to that time ais rugged health anu
rhysical vigor seemed as perfect as
ever.
Though specialists like DIR. Janeway
were called to attend him 1t was some
time tefore the doctors diagnosed ms
malady as acute liver complaint as
gravated by worry over his business
trouble.
Immediately after the sale of his Long
Branch home nc was removed TO Lake
wood There he seemed to improve Tor
a time. but just before the Fowler COM
mittee submitted n report of its invfs-
tigatfon of the Andrew Hamilton matter
he had sinking spell Whether he had
received hint of its finding is not
known, but the document itself when
finally made public proved so disastrous
MI, yta,t
his family would never permit him to see
The report showed that Mccall had
paid Hamilton in all Sl.3i7,3S2, and that
Hamilton could only account specifically
for sS7,G07. II held Mccall liable on one
account for s219501 and on another for
$3.50, in addition to the $4,000 he had
already restored.
Started AS Clerk at S1o.
John A. Mccall was born in humble
circumstances in Albany, March .. 1910,
and is now nearly tifty-sevcn years old.
Being ambitious for a business educa-
ZION, lie went 10 the Commercial College
of Albany. and in 1865 he started in
business as $40 clerk in the Asserting
House for State Currency. and gradually
rose till lie was earning 5000 year
about the sum which he received for n
single days work before he resigned
from the Nea rHork.Life.
Then lc.. GOT II Chance to enter the
agency offices of the Connecticut Mutual
Life Insurance Company as bookkeeper.
Next, he took n position with the insur-
ance firm of Levi Parscr and Company.
Finally. in 1870, he was appointed to the
State Insurance Department, and this
was really the turning point in his career.
HE WIN bjfhprto haI
worked NJ insurance TO earn his living,
now decided to stick to it. He began
10 have visions OF wealth. He soon grew
"a know more about insurance than any
BODY i'll the department, and in 1883
Grover Cleveland, then Governor, APP
pointed him State superintendent of in
sGrauce.
IN 1855 Mr. Mccall declined a reappoint-
ment and became comptroller of tho
Eaaitahle Life, a position which he held
until 1882. when he was elected president
of the New York Life.
Close to Morgan Firm.
Through his first lce-president, George
w. Perkins and in other ways. President
Mccall stood in close relations to the
firm of j. eP. Morgan and Company
throughout his tncumbency. In 1896 how
ever, he came out against the Morgan
syndicate in the matter of bond issue
made By President Cleveland to replenish
the}nation's gold reserves.
Mr.. Mccall became n director In a
dozen corporations, and grew IN proml.
nence as an influence in the financial
world. When the Spanish war started
President Mckinley sent for him 10 dis.
cpss pecuniary ways and means. Mr.
Mccall assured Mr.. Mckinley that he