From The family of Requa; 1678-1898 by Requa, Amos Conklin, written in 1839:
Isaac L., son of Capt. Jacob, whose picture appears herewith, went to California in 1850, and, with the exception of one year spent in the East, has continued to reside there. Much of the time he has been engaged in mining and milling ores of gold and silver. He is at present President of the Central Pacific R. R. Co.; and, also, of the Oakland Savings Bank. His residence at Piedmont Park, Oakland, overlooks the city and harbor of San Francisco. He married Sarah J. Mower, of Maine, and has a son, Mark L., who married Florence Herrick, and resides in Oak-land; also a daughter, Amy, who married Capt. Oscar Fitz-alan Long, of the U. S. Army, and resides in Oakland.
For more information on the Requas, go here: https://www.historyofpiedmont.com/requa
The mystery of Isaac L Requa’s death, the person who told it and then the sudden death of his own soon after publication.
From Calling All Angels - Discussions with Dr. Robert W. P. Cutler, M.D. On the Murder of Jane Stanford, By Stephen Requa
Stephen had his life rudely interrupted, while working in the family's main business mining. The U.S. shift from a gold-backed currency to Saudi-American petrodollars commenced a consolidation of interests and intrigue. The Requa family had been in mining for generations, Stephen's great-grandfather, Isaac L. Requa made two fortunes in gold, one in California and another in Nevada. He was the president of the Central Pacific Railroad for many years, and related by marriage to Jane Stanford. Isaac's son and Stephen's grandfather, Mark, worked with Stanford alumnus, President Herbert Hoover in collecting the most detailed information on mining, especially gold mining, in the Americas.
His conclusion that Isaac L. Requa, my great-grandfather, then President of the Stanford-originating Central Pacific Railroad was the "obvious second victim" to the poisoning of Jane Stanford (sent in March 2004); Isaac collapsed at lunch at the Pacific Union Club a couple of days after Jane's funeral.
[…]
The very same forces who had been involved in the poisoning of Jane Stanford and Isaac Requa later organized for Isaac's son Mark, my grandfather, and Herbert Hoover to collect the Requa/Hoover Files. From the early 1930s "they" organized the funding of over a hundred of million dollars for Herbert Hoover, Mark Requa, and my father, Lawrence Requa to amass the exclusive Requa/Hoover Files, which covered thousands of mining properties throughout the Western Hemisphere.
The Sacramento Bee, October 11, 2003:
Was he poisoned? Leading up to his death these are what some news articles were saying:
From The Oakland Tribune, March 28, 1905:
Isaac L. Requa, president of the Oakland Bank of Savings, is seriously ill with stomach trouble. The report was about the streets of the city this afternoon to the effect that he was dying.
Inquiry was made at the Requa residence, and the information gained was to the effect that Mr. Requa's condition was slightly improved, and in fact he was able to take a short ride in his carriage. Mr. Requa was stricken several days ago, and because he was unable to assimilate his food, he grew very weak and at one time serious fears were felt for his immediate recovery. Dr. Larkey is attending Mr. Requa at the family residence at Highland Perre Bonne avenues, Piedmont.
From The San Francisco Call and Post, March 28, 1905:
OAKLAND, March 27.-Isaac L. Requa, president of the Oakland Bank of Savings, is critically ill at his home on Highland and Pierre Bonne avenues, in Piedmont, and grave fears are entertained for his recovery. So serious was his condition yesterday that Dr. A. S. Larkey, who is in charge of the case, feared that a fatal termination of the malady was at hand. During the night, however, the patient rallied and today he is reported much improved.
From San Francisco Chronicle, March 28, 1905:
While the aged millionaire is a very sick man, which fact is freely admitted by his physicians and the members of his family, there is apparently no reason why he should not live for months to come.
His physical condition yesterday was such as to permit of his taking a drive over the picturesque foothills, lasting more than two hours, and when he returned to his home he walked up stairs with little or no assistance. He is, however, almost 80 years of age.
Mr. Requa is suffering from a complication of circumstances and diseases which have more or less bearing upon his vitality, and more particularly upon the heart, and while he may survive for a number of months he may succumb at any hour of the day or night.
The real indisposition of Mr. Requa dates back a number of years to one hot afternoon when he drank a large glass of ice-cold milk when he was in a very heated condition. He had been out in the country on business pertaining to the bank, and walked over the hills in the hot sun. A few minutes before the train which was to take him back to Oakland arrived he said he was thirsty and was given a glass of ice-cold milk to drink. He drank it in a hurry and then jumped into a rig, which drove with considerable speed to the depot.
The sudden cooling of the system by the imbibing of the milk and the cool breeze from the drive had a highly detrimental effect upon Mr. Requa’s system. He suffered a semi-collapse which indisposed him for some weeks.
Following that was the injury which he received in a runaway in this city. He was thrown from his carriage and badly injured. While neither incident alone might have affected an average person in normal health, they had their effect upon Mr. Requa, who, besides having lived the average allotted life, had spent several decades of that existence in and around mining camps.
While it is stated by the members of his family that he has a most rugged constitution and may survive his present indisposition for many weeks, possibly months, there is a feeling that the aged banker, millionaire and pioneer Californian and Virginia (Nev.) mining man may not survive his present condition many weeks. That he will never again take up his official duties at the bank is certain.
The death of Isaac Requa:
From The Oakland Enquirer, March 29, 1905:
Isaac Lawrence Requa, president of the Oakland Bank of Savings, and one of the best known and highly respected citizens of Oakland is dead. The end came a few minutes after twelve last night and it was characteristic of the man who met and faced bravely every difficulty in life. He did not, while living, fear any contingency in the combination of circumstances and in the hour of death the ruling characteristic of his life prevailed.
Suffering as he has been for a month past from a sort of nervous collapse he had found it necessary to give up his work at the Oakland Bank of Savings but at the same time he kept in very close touch with the affairs of that institution and daily had conferences with W.W. Garthwaite, who in addition to being the cashier of the bank was the confidential adviser of Mr. Requa.
Soon after publishing the book Stephen Requa was killed.The death of Stephen Requa:
From The Standard in London:
US geologist killed by lorry near Earl's Court Tube station
An “amazing” author was killed as he crossed the road outside a busy Tube station days after the publication of his latest book.
Stephen Herrick Requa, 71, was dragged beneath the wheel of an articulated lorry at a pedestrian crossing in Earl’s Court Road in Kensington at 9.25pm on Friday, September 23.
[...]
The American-born geologist, who studied at Stanford University, was said to be “upbeat” on the day he died following the publication of his fourth book “Calling All Angels”.
The book is a 20th Century conspiracy thriller which traces a path between the “murder” of Jane Stanford, co-founder of the university that bears her name, in 1905 to the assassination of President Kennedy and 9/11.
“It’s very unclear whether he was crossing on the road or if he was finished crossing.”
The lorry did not stop at the scene but the driver, a man in his 40s, was traced after police issued a CCTV image of his white truck.
Was Isaac Requa the "obvious second victim"? We don't know and probably never will. But there must have been enough family suspicion and lore to have Stephen write a book about it.
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