Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1907-04-16
WIFE AND DAUGHTER
ARE in EUROPE
Laid Bible Aside to 60 to
His Last Sleep Cleve-
land Sends Message
Of Regret

Chicago, April 15 James n. EcFels,
comptroller Of the currency, president
of the Commercial National bank. re.
ceiver Of the Chicago Union Tracticn
company, and one of the best known
finsnciers in the country, was foun,i
dead in bed yesterday morning at his
home. 1S Ritchie place. He died In
the night the victim Of organic heart
disease. from which he had been suf.
fering for ten years.
No member of his family was in the
house when the end came Mrs. Ecls-
els AID their 18-year-old daughter.
Phoebe, are in Paris, where the latter
is attending finishing school for
girls. They were notified at once BY
3cablegram, and are expected to catch
ia steamer for the United States this
morning at Cherbourg, France.
~ The dead financler was 48 years
old He was small in statue, but a
giant In mentality. He was d man Of
high character, wonderful resourceful.
ness, and of great executive ability.
.s3 End Comes Peacefully.
For ten years Mr. Eekles has known
that death might come at any moment
and that he might call help quickly,
in case of need at night, q signal bell
had been installed near his pillow, 1
with the push button but four inches
from his head When the dread sum-
mons came, however, he failed to usa
1t, and it is believed the attack must
have come while he was sound asleep,
and that he never awakened to realize
that the end was at hand. His fea-
lures were calm, and there was no
Indication that death had been other
than peaceful.
Mr.. Eckles had retired Saturday
night at 1920 o'clock, lying awake IN
bed for a few moments, as was his
custom. to read chapter from the
Bible Then carefully placing the open
book over his watch upon small
table at the side of his bed he had
turned off the electric light and gone
to sleep.
At what hour death came, no ono
will ever know.
The funeral will be held Tuesday
afternoon. 1nterment vii not taka
place at once. 1t having ben decided To
place the body in vault until the re-
turn of Mrs Eckels and daughten
when private funeral will be held.
Prominent in BUSINESS.
Mr.. Eckels was stockholder and
was prominent III LIE ~
several manufacturing concerns
among them being the Hewitt Manu-
featuring company and the Union
Traction company, of which he was
vice president.
He was a member of the Union
League the Merchants and Commer-
cial clubs OF Chicago, and OF various
clubs in the east
Mr. Eckels was one of the receivers
of the Chicago Union Traction conf
pany appointed by Federal Judge
Grosscup several years ago.
Mr. Eckels was born at Princeton.
ILL.,, Nov %, 1858, and most of his lifs
was spent in Illinois. He studied law
at Albany. N. T. graduating from tha
Albany Law school in 1880.
He practiced law at Ottawa. Ill, un-
til appointed by President Cleveland Ia
the post of comptroller of the currency
in 1893
Advocated Gold Standard.
Mr. Eckels, during the agitation Of
the currency question, became proml-
nent as an advocate of the gold stan-
dard At the end of President Clave-
lands term in 1897 he became presi-
dent of the Commercial National bank
of Chicago. He is survived by wid-
ow and daughter. his brother, George
M. Eckels, and a sister, Mrs. Jane =
Palmer OF Princeton, Ill.
George NJ. Eckels is a Chicago att
| torney
lcLEvELAND EXPRESSES REGRET.
4 Eoryoar Praaidan% SrA.L. l;rhix ~