The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1907-04-15
To James II. ECkeIS While
tie was Asleep.
NOTED FINANCIfR
Who Won Fame as a Comptroller Of
the Currency Passes Away at
Ills Home in Chicago.

chicago, April 15.--James Fl. Eek
els, president of the Commercial ma.
tional bank and formerly comptroller
| of the currency, died at his home Sun.
day, OF heart disease The death of
| MIR. Eckels occurred apparently while
ie was asleep.
Tho fact that ne was dead was dis
covered by Frank Evans, butler,
who entered Mr. Eckels' room TO an
swer telephone ring that had con.
tinued for some time. Evans found
Mr. Eckels apparently asleep. The
butler called to him and, getting no
response. sought to arouse the bank
cr, only to find that the former comp
troller was dead Members OF the
household were summoned and DR..
Frank s. Churchill was called DR..
Churchill arrived within short time
and said that Mr.. Eckels had been
dead for several hours.
Mrs. Eckels and her daughter,
Phoebe. Is years old, are in Paris,
where the latter is attending school.
They have been abroad since last fall
and planned to return to Chicago
within a few weeks. They were at
once communicated with by cable.
The death of Mr. Eckels came on
the eve OF a breakfast party which he
had planned for number of friends
aud relatives. Judge Lands, of the
federal district court, Mrs. Lands,
Mr. and Mrs. Il. M. Gary, of New
York; George NJ Eckels, brother,
and his wife and others were TO have
been guests James A. Eckels. OF
Princeton. H.. father OF James IT,
Eckels. died recently.
On the day of the death of the
elder Eckels, the son was host OF
ex-Presldent Grover Cleveland. The
sx-president and Mr.. Eckels were at
breakfast when news of the fathers
death was received at the Eckels
residence. Mr. Eckels was kept In
ignorance of the fact for several
hours until Mr. Cleveland had left the
city.
1t developed that the person who
was trying to communicate with Mr..
Ecltels over the telephone the ring
Ing of which led to the discovery OF
the death, was George NJ. Eckels. a
| brother. Half an hour later the
brother was called to his own tele.
phone and informed Of the death. A
| post-mortem exa'nination was held
and statement was issued giving
the cause OF death as organic heart
disease. The funeral will be held
Tuesday at the Fourth Presbyterian
church. The body will be placed in a
vault until the return OF Mrs. Eckels
and daughter, when a private funeral
will be held.
Mr.. Eckels was stockholder and
was prominent in the management
OF several concerns, among them be-
| ing the Hewitt Manufacturing Co..
the Union Traction Co., the Feather
stone Foundry and Machine Co.. the
Chicago Real Estate Trustees associ-
alton, the Allls.Chalmers Co.. the
American and British Securities Co.,
The Bankers Trust. of New York, and
The First national bank, of Baltimore.
James Heron Eckels was born at
Princeton, lll.. November go 1858.
and most OF his life was spent in iii.
nois. He got his early education In
the schools OF Princeton. He gradu.
ated from the Albany. N. Y, law
school IN 1880. He practiced law at
Ottawa. H., until appointed by Presi.
lent Cleveland to the post of comp.
troller OF the currency in 1893. Mr..
iIckels during the agitation OF the
currency question became prominent
as an advocate Of the gold standard.
Always a democrat he became affili.
ated in 1896 with the gold standard
democrats. He retained the office OF
comptroller of the currency until the
End of President Clevelands term In
1897 when he became president OF
the Commercial national bank, Of
Chicago.