Evening star., 1927-10-30
JOHN J. MITCHELL AND WIFE
DIE IN CRASH NEAR CHICAGO
International Banker, 73,
Started Career as Mes
y senger Boy.
Auto Hits Ditch After COL
IiSion-Chauffeur Es-
capes Unhurt.
Rv the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press.
CHICAGO, October 29.--JOhn J.
Mitchell. sr,, head of Chicag second
largest financial institution and inter
nationally known as a banker, and
Mrs. Mitchell were killed in an auto
mobile accident near here today, While
on route from their Summer home at
Lake Geneva TO Chicago to meet a
| funeral train.
In trying to avoid striking cluster
| of automobiles and persons who had
halted on State Highway No. II to OBJ
serve two automobiles which had Just
crashed in a dense fog, John Bradley,
the Mitchell chauffeur. locked the
wheels of the big closed car in which
Mr.. and Mrs Mitchell were riding.
The machine spun around and pitched
| into the roadside ditch.
Wife Dies Instantly.
Mrs. Mitchell, formerly Mary Louise
| Jewett of Bristol, II. l., was killed in
stantly. Her neck was broken. Mr..
| Mitchell was believed to be dead when
rescuers relea sed his body from the
wreckage of the automobile. He was
| found still breathing, however, ana
| was rushed to the Libertyville office
| of Dr. Il. L. Taylor, where he died
| TWO nOuTS Ii toI ol ii IIftCluiC Va AllS
| skull and a crushed chest.
Bradley, the chauffeur, was thrown
clear of the wreckage and escaped
with minor cuts and bruises.
In another week the great banker
would have been "a years old. His
appearance belied his years, however
and he had planned for many more
| years of business.
He was one of Chicago'S richest
men in his own right, and, besides
heading the Illinois Merchants Trust
Co., with assets Of $47S, ,i1v.GcG, he
was a director in enterprises having
assets OF more than S1.640 900, 900.
Among them were the Pullman Co.,
International Harvester, Common.
wealth Edison and the Illinois Bell
| Telephone Co.
Held Home First.
With all of his personal financial
| achievements, however, Mr.. Mitchell
was said by his friends to have held
his home of first interest.
He was married at the age of 81. 10
years after he had become one of Chi
cago's youngest bank presidents, and
| became the father of five children,
three sons and two daughters.
Il mean a home, not just house,
| he had said in giving the most impor-
tant requisite for happiness and sue
cess in life. Il never take the bank
home with me. When / finish my
days work in the Office, the office is
! forgotten
Nevertheless, his climb from mes:
Senger boy to bank executive was
rapid, and it was said of him that he
never left work until his desk was
cleared each day.
In his prime, in addition to other
financial interests, Mr.. Mitchell was a
director of the First National of New
York, Manhattan Trust Co., New York
Trust Co., Kansas City Southern Rail
way Co., Chicago, Rock Island & Pa
cific. Chicago & Alton, Western Union,
Chase National Bank, the American
| Telephone & Telegraph Co. and many
other corporations.
Starts as Messenger.
His banking career was begun in
| 1873, when, despite the fact that his
father was a director of the old Illinois
| Trust Co., he took job as messenger.
| By 1878 he was cashier, and his talent
for banking had begun to show itself.
Early in 1880 he became president.
the youngest executive ever placed in
charge of a Chicago institution of
such Importance.
With him today at the end was only
one of his five children, William. The
others were widely separated. John
j., jr., was on a ranch in Texas, and
arrangements for him to fly to Chicago
Immediately were made. Louise, the
| second daughter, who was married
lust a month ago in a colorful cere-
mony at the Mitchell Summer home,
sailed for England September 20.
Relatives sought to communicate with
| her.
The other daughter, Gwendolyn.
| was en- route to Chicago with the body
| of Edward S. Hunter, her father-in-
| law and former Chicago real estate
| operator, which Mr.. and Mrs. Mitchell
were hurrying to meet when death
| overlook them.
The suddenness of Mr.. Mitchell's
| passing shocked La Sale street, the
| financial district, the Chicago Board
| of Trade, of which he long had been
member, and startled the city gen
orally.
Dawes Pays Tribute.
| Charles G. Dawes, Vice President Of
the United States; Mayor Thompson.
! TIE heads of other banks, the Board
of Trade and many others paid him
! tributes.
| DR.. Taylor, who attended Mr..
| Mitchell in his final hours, also is
| coroner of Lake County, in which the
| fatal accident occurred. He said an
inquest would be held next week.
Mrs. Mitchell for many years had
been a leader in Chicago society. That
! she never had aspired to undisputed
! leadership was attributed to her great
| love for her home and five children.
The two who died together always
| had shared everything i'm so far as it
was possible for them to. friends said
She was married to Mr.. Mitchell
| in 1890. She was born in Bath, Me.
Hundreds who did not know Mrs.
Mitchell personally knew her by
sight. Of stately bearing, with beau.
tiful white hair ard dark eyes, Mrs.
Mitchell was figure for admiration
| at each public appearance.
She was a member of the Fort.
| nightly Club and was active in the
interests of the Art Institute.
Relieved i'm Home.
She was a brother of DR.. ]. r
| Jewett of Harvard University. a
| leader in the ranks of students OF
!