100 years ago in Spokane: A tale of jazz juice, jazz babies and (of course) jazz music

A wild night of “jazz juice” (liquor), “jazz babies” (flappers) and plain old jazz music ended in jail for two Eastern traveling salesmen.

The men, 26 and 27, said they bought a jug of jazz juice and went to a cafe where they met a pair of dreamy jazz babies.

When the cafe closed, one of the jazz babies suggested they go to the Motor Inn, on Moran Prairie, where a “colored jazz band” played after hours.

“The girls told us the Motor Inn was the peppiest place in the West, and there was plenty of jazz there, all right,” one of the salesman said.

Afterwards, the men said they were invited to ride back into town by a group of people in a seven-passenger Paige auto.

However, several witnesses said that’s not what happened at all.

They said the salesmen found the car, started it themselves and drove away with the girls.

The car was later reported stolen and found abandoned downtown.

The two salesmen were arrested at the Davenport Hotel for car theft the next morning. Their pleas of innocence were somewhat undercut when they gave false names to the police.

“Such camouflage as giving the wrong name cannot get by,” a stern police captain said.