Bailey Gatzert Dies Peacefully Among Loved Ones
Ex-Mayor and civic leader Bailey Gatzert dies at the Rainier Hotel; the city mourns a man who helped build Seattle's foundation.
The last hours of the late Hon. Bailey Gatzert, who died at the Rainier Hotel yesterday morning at 2:30 o'clock, were very peaceful. His condition had been critical for three days following an attack of heart weakness. He was aware that his last hour was at hand and spoke affectionately to his beloved life companion and the dear friends who surrounded him. Those present at the time, besides Mrs. Gatzert, were Mr. and Mrs. Louis Schwabacher, Mr. and Mrs. Julius Kahn, Jacob Furth, E.C. Neufelder, James S. Goldsmith, Major and Mrs. J. R. Hayden and Lieut. J. L. Hayden. After embalming, the remains were placed in a broadcloth-covered casket. The obsequies will be held this afternoon in the parlors of the Rainier hotel, under the auspices of the Masonic fraternity, after which the remains will be taken to the depot for transportation to San Francisco for interment. The honorary pall-bearers include many of Seattle's prominent citizens, such as Arthur A. Denny, John Collins, and Thomas Burke.
“I have never heard a word of condemnation against him; people spoke nothing but praise of him, and he deserved it.”
Bailey Gatzert was a foundational figure in early Seattle's commerce and municipal governance. The Rainier Hotel, where he passed, was one of the city's preeminent social hubs of the era, illustrating how deeply civic life was once tied to a few grand, central buildings.
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