Person:William Hakes (2)

COLONEL HAKES IS DEAD
An Indian Finds His Lifeless Body Floating in Port Townsend Bay
Monday afternoon about 4:30 a telegram conveying the startling news of the finding of the dead body of Colonel HAKES, of this city, at Port Townsend, was received by Mr. H. L. DICKINSON. It was signed "KLINGER" and was addressed to Mayor WILSON, but on account of his illness it was not delivered to him, Mr. DICKINSON, the colonel's intimate friend and business associate, being at once appraised of its contents. Soon the sad news became noised about the city and on the street corners and in stores and offices little groups of men congregated, discussing the sad event in low tones and hoping against hope that their might be some mistake. All doubt was dispelled in a little while by the receipt of a message by the Herald, from the Leader, of Port Townsend, stating that the circumstances pointed to foul play and asking information as to the amount of money deceased had with him when he left this city. The messages were answered and particulars were asked for. The colonel attended the meeting of the city council Saturday, and endeavored to secure some definite action in the matter of the Twenty-first street contract, the settlement of which has been long deferred. Sunday forenoon he spent in company with friends, among them Col. HAINES, of Seattle, to whom he had letters of introduction when he first came to the Sound. With him he left on the Eastern Oregon at 1:30 for Port Townsend, intending to go from there to Seattle, after attending to some business matters in connection with road contracts in which he was interested in Jefferson county. He had but little money with him, it is thought not more than ten or fifteen dollars. What he did after landing at Port Townsend, where he must have arrived about 6 o'clock, is now know here.
Following is a special dispatch to the Herald, received from Port Townsend at 1 o'clock this morning, giving all that is known there of his death:
An Indian paddling a canoe in the bay, off Union wharf, this afternoon say a body floating about in the water. After getting it to the foot of Adams street he notified Officer William FURLONG of the discovery and he hastened to the scene, and after the remains had been floated to the beach under the dock in the rear of the Casino saloon, Coroner WYCKOFF was sent for and the remains were identified as those of Colonel W. H. HAKES, late of this city, but now residing at Fairhaven. When found the body presented a horrible sight, the features being swollen and distorted. Over the right eye there is an abrasion, while on the back of the head there is a lump which looks as if it had been inflicted with some heavy instrument. The right temple is also swollen. The colonel may have strayed to the water's edge and accidentally fallen off and the marks on his person may have been caused by coming in contact with piling, as there was a storm sunday night and the tide was very strong. On the other hand, his watch is gone and his collar and tie were not on the body when found. One dollar and seventy-five cents was all the money on his person. He usually wears considerable valuable jewelry, and sometimes carried a considerable amount of ready money on his person. Some are suspicious of foul play, but that theory is not supported by a great deal of evidence. Certainly, his watch may have dropped out of his pocket, and been wrenched off by the force of the tide. The absence of his collar and tie is of course suspicious, but unless the robber, if there was foul play, was after the diamonds which the colonel usually wore on his neck scarf, which it is not certain that he had on when he got into the water, death would seem to have been the result of accidental drowning. A dispatch from Fairhaven states Colonel HAKES had but a small sum of money when he left home, and a considerable portion of this is known to have been spent during the trip to this city. A valuable ring was on one finger when the body was found, and Frank JAGO, from whom the outfit was purchased, says that the chain and charm attached, which was left, are almost as valuable as the watch which is missing. Though somewhat pressed lately, Colonel HAKES is believed to have been thoroughly solvent. This would remove all doubt that the case might have been suicidal. An inquest, and possibly an autopsy, will be held at 10 o'clock tomorrow. Colonel HAKES was a member of Hesperus Commandery, Knights Templar of Fairhaven, and last year was a member of the Jefferson county Republican convention.
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Colonel W. H. HAKES was born in New York about 50 years ago, and was educated at Madison university in that state. Soon after graduating he entered the war, and while still a youth he led the 125th regiment through many of the famous victories of the rebellion. After the war he had a varied and interesting career in his own and in foreign countries. He was a banker in Texas, and a member of the Chicago board of trade, where he lost $40,000 in a day. For some time he resided at Aguascalientes, Mexico, where he was a heavy contractor on the Mexican Central Railroad. It was there that he became acquainted with Captain WASSON, the new collector of the Puget Sound customs district, and they were warm friends until the colonel's death. The colonel was one of the immortal "306" who voted first, last and all the time for GRANT at the Chicago convention in 1880, and received one of the medals distributed among the members of this band of Spartans. Colonel HAKES had resided in Fairhaven a little over a year, and had performed several heavy contracts on street work. He was a member of the Hesperus Commandery K. T., the Cascade club, and the chamber of commerce. He carried into all these organizations a zeal and enthusiasm that made his presence a host. He was a jovial, good natured, great-hearted man, who made friends everywhere, and his presence was the life and inspiration of every social occasion. His genial warm-heartedness will long be missed in the various fraternities to which he belonged. His pre-eminent social qualities made him one of the best known men on the Pacific coast. He probably enjoyed a wider acquaintance, from the East to the West, than any other man in private life in the Northwest.
(Extracted and submitted to Whatcom GenWeb by Susan Irish Nahas)

parents: Jabez Hakes and Hannah Lewis

No. 613 - William H. Hakes, b. at Grafton, N. Y., October 16, 1840; m. Mary D. Lockwood. Was Captain of Company " B," 125th Regiment, New York State Volunteers; two years in the service. War between the States; res. Kansas City, Missouri.