A Midnight Knock, a Hidden Fortune, and a Brutal Beating on Vashon Island

One of the most brutal outrages that has ever occurred in King county was perpetrated at Vashon island Tuesday night. A German rancher named John Hetzel was enticed to the door of his cabin by two men who demanded his money and, on being refused, bound his hands and feet, beat him in a horrible manner and, after robbing the house, left him for dead. One of the men was masked, but the other was not, and on the statement of Hetzel before Prosecuting Attorney Miller yesterday, warrants were sworn out charging Cherubino Simonelli, of 803 Third street, with being one of the assailants. At 1:45 o'clock yesterday afternoon the accused was arrested and is now in the city jail. Further excitement was created at 4:15 by the arrest of Hetzel's wife on suspicion of being connected with the affair.

John Hetzel lives on the north end of Vashon island, about twelve miles from Seattle by water, in a one-story log cabin. For several weeks he has been alone. About two weeks ago he received about $300 from Epli Lander, in payment for some land, and hid it in his cabin. Tuesday night at 10 o'clock some one rapped at the door and called out: 'Can you show us the trail to McDonald's?' The old man went to the door, opened it and looked out. As he did so two revolvers were shoved in his face and the words 'Give us your money' came from one of the men. Hetzel replied, 'I have none,' and as he said so got a good view of the men. One was masked and he could not recognize him; the other, he says, was Cherubino Simonelli. On his refusal to deliver his money, one of the men dealt him a blow between the eyes with the butt of a revolver. Hetzel grabbed for his assailant but was no match for the two men. They clubbed him, threw him down and kicked his prostrate form. They then threw him into a corner and went to the barn, soon returning with two pieces of cord, one a half-inch rope and the other cordage twine. Hetzel was stood up, his arms twisted behind him and securely bound. His feet were next bound and then they threw him on the bed.

The robbers hunted the house thoroughly for the hidden treasure, but could not find it, although several times they were close upon it. They were evidently disgusted at this and determined to clean out the ranch to make up for their disappointment, for they took a silver watch and chain from a nail on the wall, a single muzzle-loading shotgun, a cartridge case containing .45-caliber Winchester shells, a sack of flour, pail of lard, sack of wheat and some other smaller articles. While they were collecting the booty they would frequently go over to the bed and feel their victim's pulse. Hetzel lay like a log and they evidently considered him unconscious or dead. He says that once the masked man dropped a remark to the effect that he was the brother of Hetzel's wife.

After they had gotten all the goods they wanted they gave Hetzel a few parting kicks, took the lantern and carried the booty to the shore. They returned and went to the chicken house and during their absence the old man got the ropes on his legs loosened and rolled off the bed. He crept out of the house, through the orchard and hid himself in a pile of brush. The burglars went from the barn back to the house and evidently became alarmed at Hetzel's escape because they came out, looked hurriedly about the yard and went away. When they were gone, he crept or rather 'hitched' along the trail to McDonald's, his nearest neighbor, a half mile north. He reached the house in an exhausted condition about 1 o'clock. His cries awakened the family and he was taken into the house, his bonds cut and his story heard.

McDonald was indignant and would have followed the desperadoes single-handed, but his wife entreated him to get assistance. He went to the house of William Kruger, and together they started for Hetzel's cabin. John Stier, an old companion of Hetzel's, was notified and joined the party. The trail to the cabin was marked by the blood from Hetzel's wounds, and the cabin itself was in great disorder. The floor was covered with blood and the covering of the bed saturated. A lantern was still burning in the yard under a tree. The henyard presented a strange appearance. The fowls had been tied in pairs with cloth strings torn from some sheet or cotton cloth, and were piled up as if ready for shipment. Tracks of two persons led down to the beach, where everything indicated plainly that a boat had been drawn up on the shore. Two or three rollers, such as are used in boathouses, had been left. The tracks on the shore were measured so that they might be used as evidence.

After finding that the men had escaped the pursuers returned to Hetzel and continued to come to Seattle and make complaint against his assailants. Hetzel was weak from loss of blood, and suffered from pains in the chest, but made the trip on the steamer Glide all right, and went direct to Prosecuting Attorney Miller's office, where he swore to the facts of the assault substantially as given. He said he was sure it was Simonelli, because he came for his (Hetzel's) wife's trunk when she left him about July 13, and he could not mistake the face. The only reason he had for thinking the masked man was his wife's brother was the statement he made while beating him. On the strength of this statement, reinforced by the supplementary knowledge of Kruger and Stier, three warrants were sworn out before Justice Von Tobel, the first for robbery, the second for burglary and the third for assault with a deadly weapon. The warrants were turned over to the police and at 1:45 o'clock Simonelli was arrested at his home on Third street by Detective Cave. He readily accompanied the officer, and said there must be some mistake. A search warrant was placed in Detective Cave's hands and the house was ransacked from top to bottom, but not a trace of any of the stolen property was found.

About 4:15 o'clock in the afternoon Detective Roberts came into headquarters accompanied by Mrs. Emily Hetzel. After a short consultation between Chief Jackson, Captain P. K. Sims and Detective Roberts it was decided to hold her. The exact nature of the interview was not made public, but the domestic troubles of the couple, between whom divorce proceedings commenced within sixty days of their marriage, may have some connection with the affair.

About four months ago a woman named Emily Hetzel went to work for J. M. Lander, a neighbor of Hetzel, who is a blacksmith. She had not been there long before she came to Hetzel's and made his acquaintance. On a second visit some time later she told the old man that she loved him and asked him if he did not love her. She told him they would make a good couple, and as a result of the 'leap year' proposal they went and were married. She lived with him, according to report, ten days, then returned to Lander's. At the end of that time she commenced proceedings for divorce on the ground of impotency, and the case is awaiting decision. Mrs. Hetzel sent Cherubino Simonelli, proprietor of the Simonelli house, to her husband's ranch for her trunk on July 13 or 15, the time Hetzel first saw the man he has accused.

Simonelli was seen in his cell last evening and is the last man in the world one would take for a desperate character. He talked freely with a reporter and said that his arrest must be the outcome of his visit to the ranch after the trunk of Mrs. Hetzel, who had taken a room at his house. He continued: 'I never was on Vashon Island but once, at the time mentioned. I was at home at the hour when the affair is supposed to have taken place and can easily prove it by a half dozen persons.' Asked whether he had ever heard of Mrs. Hetzel having a brother in Tacoma, he said: 'I heard her mention a brother who was in San Francisco, not Tacoma.' Asked what he knew of the woman, he said: 'Nothing more than that she has lived at the house on and off for a year and a half. So far as I know she has never done anything wrong.'

Simonelli's statement that he was in Seattle at the time of the affair is verified by Miss Annie O'Donnell and M. L. O'Rourke, who say that both Mr. and Mrs. Simonelli were in the millinery store on the ground floor of the lodging-house, twelve miles by water from Hetzel's ranch, at 10:05 Tuesday night. Mr. O'Rourke says he is positive about the time because, as Simonelli was going out, he asked him what time it was, and the watch showed 10:05. Mr. O'Rourke's watch had stopped. Judge Orange Jacobs has been employed by the accused, and in speaking of the case said that allowing Hetzel to be an honest man, it was simply a case of mistaken identity. An unsuccessful attempt was made to procure Simonelli's release on bail. John Hetzel's injuries were attended to yesterday afternoon, and he was taken to a friend's house on Madison street for the night. Should there be no internal injuries in his chest he will be physically all right before very long.