The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-04-15
Was Comptroller of Currency Under President Cleveland
FOUND DEAD IN HIS BED
Death of President of Commercial Ma tional Bank of Chcago-Discov- cred by Butler on Failing to
 Answer the Telephone.

president of the Commercial National bank of this city, and former comp troller of the currency, died at his home early today of heart disease. The death of MT. Eckels occurred apparently while he was asleep in his bed. The fact that he was dead was discovered by a butler, Frank Evans, who entered Mr Eekels' i room after hearing a telephone within | ring continually without receiving an answer. Thinking that MT. Eckes had not been awakened Evans entered and found MT. Eckels apparently asleep. The butler called to him, and getting no re- sponse sought to arouse him, and found that he was dead. Other members of the 1 household were summoned and Dr. Frank Churchill was hurriedly called. Dr. Churchill arrived within a short time and after an examination gave 1t as his opinion that Mr. Ecl5els had been dead i for some hours.
 1 pr. John II. Murphy, the Eckels family l physician, was also called and responded promptly. Mrs. Eckels and her daughter are in Paris where the latter is attend l ing school. They have been abroad
 
 to Chicago within few weeks They were at once communicated with by ca 1 be. It is understood that they will sail | for New York tomorrow. The death of MT. Eckes came upon the eve of a breakfast party which he had planned 1 for a number of his friends and relatives. l Judge K. M. Landis of the Federal dis trct court. Mrs. Lands, Judge and Mrs. E. H. Gary of New York, MT. and Mrs. George M. Eckels. brother and sster-n- law of the deceased, and others were to have been his guests. James A. Eckels i of Princeton, father of James Eckels, died two months ago. On the morning l of the death of the elder Eckels, the son was a host of former President Cleveland, the former President and MT. Eclels were at breakfast when news of the fathers death was received at the -Feiseis' res' dence. .es4. Eckels was kept in Ignorance of the fact for several hours, until Dlr Cleveland had left the city.
 It developed during the day that the person who was trying to communicate with MT. Eckels over the telephone, the ringing leading to the discovery of the death, was George M Eckels, who about a half hour later was himself called to the telephone and notified of his broth CTS death.
 | formal coroner's inquest will be held | tomorrow morning. The funeral will be held Tuesday afternoon from the Fourth 1 Presbyterian church. The Rev. William M. Ottman will conduct the services. In- 1 al p1 at 1 having been decided to place the body in a vault until the return of Mrs. Eckels and daughter, when private funeral 1 will be held.
 | MT. Eckels was stockholder and was prominent in the management of several l concerns, among them being the Hewitt l Manufacturing company and the Union 1 Traction company, of which he was vice president: the Featherstone Foundry and Machine company, the Chicago Real Es- tate association, the Allls Chalmers com. pany, the American and British Securities company. the Rankings Trust company of New York, the Oakland National bank of Detroit and the First National bank of Baltimore.
 MT. Eckels was born at Princeton, Ill.,, November 2, 1S5S. and most Of his life was spent in Illinois. He received his early education in the schools of his na- 1 tive city, later taking up the study Of law at Albany. N. r., graduating from the Albany Law school in 1880. He prac- ticed law at Ottawa. H., until appointed by President Cleveland to the post of comptroller of the currency in 1885 Mr. Eckels during the agitation of the cur | rency question became prominent as an advocate of the gold standard Always democrat he became affiliated in 1896 with the gold standard democrats He re- tained the office of comptroller of the currency until the end of President Cleveland's 3 term in 1897. when he became president of the Commercial Bank of this 1 city