100 years ago in Spokane: Warrant issued for ‘Bluebeard’ Huirt; guards drink wine with Walla Walla inmates

A warrant was formally issued for Harry M. Lewis, alias James “Bluebeard” Huirt, on charges of bigamy.

The warrant came after the Los Angeles district attorney met with two of his Spokane wives, Kathryn Wombacher and Elizabeth Williamson.

“Bluebeard,” meanwhile, was able to sit up in his Los Angeles hospital bed for the first time since he tried to kill himself by slashing his wrists and throat upon his arrest.

By the way, the nickname “Bluebeard,” given to him by the press, comes from a French folktale by Charles Perrault about a bigamist and murderer of that name.

From the wine beat: Walla Walla is famous today for its wine – and apparently wine was popular there in 1920, at least in the county jail.

Several prisoners filed affidavits charging that wine “flowed freely” for guards, trustys and even prisoners at the jail.

It said that wine seized in raids was stored in the prisoners’ visiting room. The guards routinely tapped the barrels and filled a 2-gallon pitcher. Sometimes they held card parties with prisoners and passed around the pitcher. Sometimes they gave wine to any of the prisoners who desired it.

In some of these card parties, the guards drank so much wine they abandoned their caution. The affidavit said that when some outsiders arrived at the jail, hoping to get in and have a drink, one guard “turned his gun and keys over to the prisoner” and told him to go find out “who it is and what they want.”