Bryan morning eagle. [volume] (Bryan, Tex.) 1898-1909, 1907-04-16
ECKELS EASILY EXPIRES.
Death Overtakes Financier ~
He Was Slumberins.
HAD A NOTABLE CAREER.
Comptroller Of the Currency During
the Second Adminissratisa II Prssi-
dent Cleveland and Cennsessd With
Numerous Enterprises.

Chicago. April 15.-James II. Eek.
els. president Of the Commercial Ma
uonal bank cf this city. and former
comptroller OF the currency. died ut
his home Sunday OF heart disease. The
death OF Mr.. Eckels occurred appar.
emily while he was asleep In his bed.
The fact that he was a dead man was
discovered by butler. Frank Evans.
who entered Mr.. Eckels room after
hearing telephone within ring contin-
uously without receiving an answer.
Thinking that Mr. Eckels had not been
awakened Evans entered and found
Mr.. Eckels apparently asleep. The
butler called TO him, and getting no
response hought 10 arouse him and
found that he was dead. Other mem.
bers OF the household were summoned
and DR.. Frank s. Churchill was hur.
riedly called. Or. Churchill arrived In
short time. and after an examination
gave II as his opinion that Mr.. Eckels
had been dead for some hours.
The death OF Mr. Eckels came on
the eve OF a breakfast party which he
had planned for a number OF his
friends and relatives
Mrs. Eckels and daughter. Miss
Phoebe. who are at Paris. were cabied
James A. Eckels OF Princeton. father
OF James A. Eckels. died two months
ago. On the morning OF the death OF
the elder Eckeis the son was the host
OF former President Cleveland. The
former president and Mr.. Eckeis were
NJ breakfast when the 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.
II developed during the day that the
person who was trying 10 communl
cate with Mr.. Eckeis over the teie-
phone. the ringing OF which led to
the discovery OF the death. was George
Eckels. Half an hour later he was
called 10 his own telephone and noti-
fled OF his brothers death.
Mr.. Eckels was stockholder and
prominent In the management ~ sev.
eral concerns. among them folng th~
Hewitt Manufacturing company and
the Union Traction company. OF which
he was vice president: the Feather.
stone Foundry and Machine company,
the Chicago Real Estate Trustees as
sociation. the Allis- Chalmers company,
the American and British Securities
company. the Bankers Trust Company
Of New York. the Oakland National
bank Of Detroit and the FIRST Nationall
bank Of Baltimore.
Mr.. Eckels was born al Princeton
NJ. Nov. %. is5s. and most OF his life
was spent In Illinois. He received his
Early education In the schools OF the
native city. later taking up the study
n law nj Albany. n. ". graduating
rom the Albany Law school In 1880
He practiced law at Ottawa. H.. until (:
appointed by President Cleveland
OF the currency In 1898.
Ar. Eckels. during the agitation OF the
question. became prominent
Is an advocate OF the gold standard.
Always a Democrat. he became affil
ated In 1896 with the Gold Standard
Democrats. He was comptroller OF the
until the end OF President
term IN 1897, when he be
ame president of the Commercial Ma
ional bank OF this city.