Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1883-03-26
[Republished from Sunday Globe.
A SUDDEN SUMMONS.

Unexpected Death of Captain James r
Hatcher, Manager of the Opera House,
Yesterday Morning A Sketch of His
Career - His Experience on the Missis-
sippi River
This community was greatly shocked al
report which was spread rapidly from
mouth to mouth about o'clock yesterday
morning, that Capt. james R. Hatcher
manager of the Opera house, was dead
But few even of Capt. Hatchers most in
innate friends knew that he was sick, and
of these, those best acquainted with his
condition hadn't q suspicion that he was
dangerously i'll and could hardly
bring their minds to realize that death
had actually oYertaken their friend when
there was no longer a chance to doubt the
fact.
Capt. Hatcher had been confined to his
room in the Opera house block-that for
merIy occupied by Col. Haines and wife
since Sunday last, his trouble being bad
cold and attendant fever. DR.. Dorion was
called to him at once, but could
see no alarming symptoms, while
his treatment seemed to afford
relief to his cold and to check The fever.
Indeed, so we'll was he getting along that
he declined to have any attendance at
night beyond that his little son Benton,
aged thirteen years, could give him.
When DR.. Doriop visited him Friday morn
ing he found the captain in excellent spir-
its and apparently much better, but when
he called about > o'clock in the
afternoon, he was somewhat startled by
the rapid fall of his pulse, which had
taken place since his morning visit, fall
from 104 to eighty with corresponding
weakness OF temperature.
Com. Davidson, who visited Capt. Hat
cher in the morning and again at in the
afternoon, said TO the GLOBE reporter, yes
terday, that he was struck with the won
derful change that had taken place be-
tween the two visits. Just what that
change was the commodore said he could
not explain, but as soon as
he looked into the captains face
he felt that he was IN the presence of a
very sick man, and he Immediately had a
room in his residence prepared for his &C
commodatioE, calculating to have the re-
moval made yesterday forenoon. He also
arranged with L. n. Scott, a clerk in his
Office, to watch with Capt. Hatcher during
the night, and made every arrangement
possible for his comfort and care. At
that time the commodore said he
had no thought of Capt. Hatcher's
death, but somehow the thought was forced
home upon his mind that he was a sicker
man than he appeared, and the impression
thus created followed him through the af-
ternoon and night.
In view of the decline of pulse and fall
of temperature as above noted, DR.. Dorion.
prescribed stimulants, and left instructions
with Mr.. Scott to give him his prescrip-
tions hourly, but should he be sleeping
at the time not to arouse
him. The first part of the evening Capt.
Hatcher reclined upon a sofa in the room,
retiring to the bed about 10 O'Clock, walk
ing from one to the other with scarcely
any assistance from Mr.. Scott, at the time
remarking he felt much better than he had
for several days, and thought he should be
able to be around all right in day or two.
Shortly after he sank away into
an easy and apparently restful
sleep. The last time Mr.. Scott
gave him medicine was at o'clock in the
morning, at which time he sat up in his
bed upon his own effort, remarking as he
laid back after taking the medicine that he
was feeling all right. At about 5 O'Clock
MIR. Scott, who was lying down and in
little doze on the lounge, imagined he
heard Capt. Hatcher move, and got up to
give him his medicine but the captain not
responding, and supposing him asleep, he
returned to the lounge where he went to
aarlv
o'clock, when, upon approaching the bed,
he was Mortified to find that the captain
was dead.
From the appearance of the body it is
evident that Capt. Hatcher died without a
struggle and that be himself was unaware
of the approach Of the messenger of death
his end being sc. noiseless that his little
son sleeping in the bed with his father
knew nothing Of the terrible bereavement
that had befallen him until awoke by Mr..
Scott when he went to the bedside at
o'clock and made the startling discovery.
The captain was then found to be lying
almost straight on his back, his face slight
ly bent to the left, and The fingers of his
hands partly intertwined across his breast.
His face wore a calm and peaceful express
sion, and there was not the slightest indi-
cation that he had suffered any pain.
Though not positively known it is prob
able that death ensued at about O'clock,
the time when Mr. Scott thought he heard
the noise, and went TO the bed to give
him his medicine, but found him.
as he supposed, asleep. The
Immediate cause of death was paralysis of
the heart.
Capt. Hatcher was born in Louisville,
KY, in 1835,an was therefore in tie forty
eighth year of his age. At the early age
of fourteen he took service with Com. w
F. Davidson, who was then engaged in
steamboating on the Ohio river, as assist
ant in the office. he followed the commo-
dore when he transferred his operations
to the Mississippi river in 1856, occupying
the position of clerk OF the steamer Jacob
TRADER, of which the commodore
himself was captain. In 1859 he was
promoted to the captaincy of the steamer
Franklin Steele, the first boat built by
the commodore for the Minnesota river
trade, but then plying between La Crosse
and st. Paul. Afterwards, as the commodore
added to his boats and extended the line
down the river to st. Louis, he was captain
of the Nose Mcclellan, City of st. Pau
and other fayOrite boats.