Jim Kershner’s This Day in History

From our archives, 100 years ago

W.J. Harris was making plans to convert the barroom of the Victoria Hotel into an “up-to-date grill.” The state’s prohibition law was scheduled to go into effect at the end of the year.

“There is no use grumbling about the inevitable,” Harris said. “Now that there seems to be absolute assurance of the state going dry, the next best thing is to engage in some other line of business in place of the one that is being legislated out of existence.”

From the snake beat: An alarming report was phoned into Spokane police headquarters: A snake was coiled on a sleeping baby’s breast, ready to strike.

Police raced to the house and found a sleeping baby, but no snake. Two children excitedly told the officers that they were positive they had seen the snake on the baby, but the snake “had slipped out the door after a battle with a dog.” Their mother said she had heard a commotion but had no idea it involved a snake. Police gave the house a “comprehensive ransacking” but found no snake.

From the murder beat: A coroner’s jury ruled John Knicesky’s death to be murder by poison.

His young wife, in custody for the murder, told the jury a story somewhat different from her original story, in which she said he simply got sick and died. Now, she testified he had locked himself in his room for almost two months and said he was going to kill himself.