New Year's Eve Terror at the Brunswick

On New Year's night, E. Scalet, head cook at the Brunswick Restaurant, went to his lodgings at the corner of Second and Cherry streets. Upon entering the room, he placed his hand in his pocket to get a match. At this juncture, he received a blow on the back of the head with some hard instrument. Surprised at such treatment, he turned on his assailant, when he received a blow on the forehead which felled him to the floor. His cries frightened the assailant, who fled. He was seen to enter the 'Dew Drop Inn' beer hall, and afterwards, when a stranger stepped in and commenced telling of what had happened, this fellow had disappeared. He is described as a hard-looking citizen, with black hair and a heavy black mustache. At that time he wore a stiff brown hat. He is quite a good-sized man, and will weigh upwards of 180 pounds. On leaving the room, this would-be assassin left a lather's hatchet, the instrument used upon his victim. Scalet has been confined to his room since the occurrence, but it is thought he will be able to be out today. No cause can be assigned for this cowardly and unprovoked assault. Later—At 10 o'clock last night, Officer Pinckney arrested M.S. Burns, a plasterer, husband of Anna Foster, whose parents reside on Lake Union, and lodged him in the county jail. Burns rooms directly across the hall from Scalet, and he had written a note to his wife saying he would probably not be home that night. It seems he had been in Victoria for some time and, failing to find work, came back to Seattle. Being out of money, he became desperate and resolved to resort to robbery, and if necessary murder, in order to better his financial condition. Scalet is a very thrifty man, and Burns evidently supposed he had received his month's wages on the 1st and probably had considerable money in his possession.