The Detroit times., 1911-01-30
BL|GHTED LIFE OF
J. A. RANDALL ENDS
His Two Great Disappointment.
Were Failure To Become Judge and
Death of Only Son.

Two great disappointments In the
life OF James A. Randall, who sue
cumbed 10 a two-years' illness, with
Bright's disease. in his home, East
Grand Boulevard and Brush-st.. Sun
day morning. embittered his declin-
INK years and no doubt FASTENED his
end.
Some twenty years ago, Mr.. Ran
dali had an ambition TO be circuit
Judge. He was then at the hight OF
his career as lawyer and enjoyed
great popularity. There are those to-
DAY who say he was fairly nominated
IN the convention i'm which his name
was considered, but the result OF the
vote was not SO announced. and Ran
dall's name was not one Of the four
to go before the people as Democratic
candidates for the circuit bench.
After this experience, Jim" RAN
dali had no inclination for politics.
Soon afterwards he drifted into the
business of promoting railways and.
his brother-in-law, L. W. Voigt, built
and organized the Detroit a North.
western railway and was also the
promoter of the Windsor, Sandwich
4 Amherstburg railway. Both these
lines are now a part OF the Detroit
United system.
The other great disappointment and
the more serious OF the two, was the
death OF Mr.. Randall's only son,
Thomas, by drowning, of Bots Blanc.
some IL years ago. The boy, who had
been idolized by his father, had
grown TO manhood and had just en-,
tered upon "a legal career when this
blow fell so Unexpectedly. Mr.. Ran
dali was utterly crushed and IL Is
said that he never fully recovered
from the schock. For solace and COM
fort he turned to spiritualism and be-
came great student of the cult. To
friends he claimed that he frequent
~ had communication with his sons
spirit and that these communications
helped to appease the yearnlng that
was in his heart for the dead sons
companionship.
In his Investigations I'm the realms
of spiritualism he became a great adj
mirer of the works of Thomas Payne
and kindred souls. His admiration,
ia 1909. took the form OF a pamphlet,
hich he had printed under the title
OF The Life and Character of the
as Payne" In this booklet, Mr.. Ran
dali placed Payne above Washington
in the value of their service TO the
country He commended that the pub
LEGATION and dissemination of such
works as THE Age OF Reason" and
The Crisis" by Payne, did more
than any other one agency to create
the sentiment that made possible the
victory at Trenton and turned the tide
OF victory in favor of the colonists.
Mr.. Randall severely criticised
President Washington for making no
effort TO secure the release of Payne
when the latter was q prisoner in
France, at time when revolutionists
were being gulllotlned by the whole
sale. He accused the father OF the
country" Of base ingratitude and pic
tured him as a cold-blooded. flinty.
hearted man. He even belittled Wash
ipgtons ability as a general, declar-
ing that others were entitled to a
great deal OF credit for the success
of the revolution.
BY strange coincidence, Capt.
Harry Busch secretary of the depart
ment, which Mr.. Randall formerly
served, CHANGED to read the pamphlet
Sunday, the day Mr.. Randall died
In memory OF his son, Mr.. Randall
placed a memorial window I'm his Bots
Blanc island residence. sparing no ex.
pense to make IL as beautiful as the
skill OF the artist was able
Some of the older members OF the
bar recall a bitter dispute In which
Mr.. Randall and the late Col. John At
kinson became involved over the
ownership OF a part OF Bots Blanc.
Out OF respect to the memory Of both,
those who know the circumstances
are loath to discuss the case.
One phase of the case was tried
before me- said Judge Hosmer, Mon.
day, but inasmuch as both parties
10 the controversy have gone to their
reward ! prefer not to discuss the
matter
Mr.. Randall was known as the ia.
Their OF the boulevard from the fact
that II was principally through his In
fiuence In the state senate, of which
he was then a member, that the act
enabling Detroit to construct boule.
ward was passed In 1889. Mr.. Ran
dali was a member of the park, and
boulevard commission, from January
&c June, 1897. serving out the unex.
pired term of c. X. Latham. The
board then consisted of four mem
bers.
Mr.. Randall was born In Paris, Ont,
90 years ago. Before moving there
the family had lived In Detroit and
James was still babe I'm arms when
his parents returned TO this city. Near
the close of the civil war he was CIV
en- commission as major, by the mil
iJary governor OF Tennessee, but he
cid not have an opportunity To take
very active part in the conflict. He
vas then is years of age. On his re.
turn to Detroit, after the war, he
studied In the Office OF Sylvester
Larned and. on his admission to the
bar. engaged i'm practice for himself
with considerable success. His first
public Office was that of circuit court
commissioner
Mr.. Randall founded the Buffalo
Tin es and the Kansas City News and
is credited with having started the
loom that elected Grover Cleveland
governor of New York state and paw
ed the way for his election as presi.
dent He declined an appointment
from Mr.. Cleveland as the territorial
governor OF New Mexico.
The deceased leaves a widow. TR
drowning of his only sou ON POI