The Hawaiian gazette., 1908-03-31
DEATH OF CAPTAIN
R. H. HATHAWAY

The following account of the death
of Captain Hathaway of the steamship
Mongolia is from the Shanghai Times
of March IL. 1t seems from this that
he died in the office of the Pacific Mail
Company whittier he had just come
from his vessel in company with B,
Griggs Holt, who is well known here.
What is not mentioned in this article
is the fact that F. T. P. Waterhouse
was talking with Captain Hathaway
at the time he died:
Death, save by the bullet or the
sword. has seldom struck with such ter
rible suddenness in Shanghai as he did
in the Pacific Mail office yesterday
morning, when a splendid, vigorous
man, in the pride and prime of life,
namely, Robert H. Hathaway, COM
mander of the P. C. steamship Mon
golia, who had just come ashore from
his vessel in company with Mr.. B. G.
Holt, the P. NJ. agent, dropped, life
less corpse, on the office floor, Just as
he was in the very act of greeting
friend.
At the American Consulate General
yesterday afternoon, the Hon. C. Den
by, Consul General, opened an official
enquiry into the circumstances con-
nected with the sad occurrence.
DR.. Goode made an affidavit to the
effect that he had examined the body
of R. H. Hathaway within a few min
utes of his death, and was satisfied
to the best of his knowledge that death
was attributable to natural causes and
not to violence. He had naide ''post-
examination of the body and
found death to be due to heart disease
of long standing.
B. G. Holt, agent of the Pacific Mail
Steamship Co., sworn, said that on his
he had extended an invitation to Cap
tain Hathaway to come to Shanghai
on his homeward tri0 and have tifin |
with him. He had gone to the tender |
at the Customs jetty about eleven
o clock and there met Captain Hath |
away. After the usual routine bust |
ness he had remarked to the deceased 4
that as it was only a short distance (
to the office they should walk across. /
When opposite the Shanghai Club the
Captain said, "LoOk here. Holt, you
are sort of a whirlwind. How far /
is it to the office2" Witness replied, /
'You can see the fac right there. 1t |
ism t far The Captain said, "All |
right, and witness remarked, "There's S
nothing wrong with your heart, l /
- ba lnaaaea1 1o,o,ha1 ap1 /
stood for two or three minutes looking |
at the street cars. They then walked .
across to the office, and the deceased !
had stood at the outer counter, pass /
ing greetings with members of the |
staff. Shortly thereafter witness asked |
him to come inside and take chair, /
and he then noticed that the deceased I
took off his hat, resting his head in his ,
hand Having seen him do this before, ,
he thought nothing about it, but al |
most instantly thereafter Captain Hath !
away sank to the floor and seemed to !
be in considerable pain. Both MIR.
and witness loOsened his |
and the latter went to Mac
lavish and Lehmann's to get medical
aid. DR.. Goode was telephoned for,
Wnlle WltHesS SoI d glass VI sIilh uian1
and returned. but as soon as he ar
rived he saw that the Captain was dead.
Dr., Goode arrived shortly thereafter
and pronounced life to be extinct.
Captain Hathaway was only 40 years |
If age. and to all appearance had still |
a long and honored life before him.
In CONSEQUENCE of this terrible oc-
the departure of the Mon
yolia has been delayed for twenty
FOUR hours, and Mr. w. H. Fisher, chief
officer, will assume command when the
boat leaves at 5 O'Clock this after
noon.