The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-04-26
TACOMA srABBING AFFRAY.
Ben Everett, Politician and saloon
keeper, slashed by a BusInes. Rival.

Keeper slashed by n Business Rival.
TACOMA, April 25.-fSpecial. Ben Il.
Everett, proprietor of the Nevada saloon
and prominent Republican politician,
was stabbed nine times tonight by Frank
r. Davidson, one OF the proprietors of the
Paragon saloon. The stabbing was prob
ably done with a heavy-bladed pocket
knife, which cannot be found. Everett's
coat was badly slashed, there being
four Sits in the left sleeve and four holes
in the breast. The most dangerous cut in
tlicted is in the temple. 1t is nearly two
inches long and over half an INCH deep.
The end of the blade must have scraped
the skull, and had the cut been a trihe
lower would no doubt have been fatal.
Another deep cut was in the left arm near
the shoulder, four inches long and ranging
from quarter to nearly three-quarters of
an inch deep.
Everett did not know he was cut in the
head until the blood began to blind him,
then he dealt Davidson a sledge-hammer
blow with his right fist which landed him
in the middle of the alley. or Court A, be-
tween Pacific avenue and A street where the
scrap occurred. Everett began whalloping
Davidson, and the latter shouted murder,
attracting big crowd. Even then Everett
was composed enough to hand Davidson
his hat. The latter disappeared and
subsequently appeared at the rear of his
saloon near by with a revolver in his hand.
Everett meanwhile was being cared for in
his saloon, and Davidson returned to his
place and put the revolver in drawer in
side the room. Half an hour later ne took
the cable car for home, accompanied by
one of his partners, Robertson. Everett
was washed and sewed up, but refused the
requests of his friends to arrest Davidson.
Davidson's knife was intended for use
on ex-Mayor Handle, whom he black
guarded in front of Everetts saloon, ac-
cusing him of preventing a liquor license
being granted to the Paragon. HANDLE
said he had no voice in the matter.
Davidson followed him into Eyerett's sa-
loon, and flung a handful of coin into his
face. 1t was noticed that he kept his right
hand in the pocket of his sack coat.
He continued abusing Handle, who
said to Everett that Davidson must
be put out or he would leave.
Everett led Davidson to the alley to quiet
him, and the scuffle was followed by the
stabbing. The projectors of the two new
brick blocks on the south side of the block
between Tenth and Eleventh streets on
Pacific avenue refuse to allow more than
three saloons in the block after next May,
and the Paragon was one of those refused
license. Davidson accused Handle of in
terfering and then accused Everett with
being in league with the ex-mayor. Half
a dozen murders would not have created a
greater sensation.
Davidson is a California man, was for
merry barkeeper at the Paragon, and
promised to throw Handle in the bay if he
ever went to San Francisco. His lam
guage was exceedingly vile in trying TO
precipitate an assault on Handle He is
a big fellow, but Everett could have
knocked him out after the first stab in the
head if he had known that he had knife.
When Everett learned that Davidson would
leave town by the midnight train he sent
word to him not to flee as he would not
prosecute. Besides a deep cut in the head
there is scratch from nose to ear on
Everett's face. The knife must have had
razor edge to cut Everett's coat as it did.
Davidson evidently thought Everett was in
league with Handle in compelling the clos
ing of the Paragon by the Withholding of
the license.