100 years ago in Spokane: Lumberjacks, a bootlegging hostess and a chandelier mishap, all at one post-Christmas party

The wildest post-Christmas party in Spokane resulted in the arrest of 11 lumberjacks, one of whom attempted to swing from a hotel chandelier, “a la Douglas Fairbanks.”

This bit of derring-do resulted in a mighty crash and a broken chandelier, which, in turn, resulted in a dark ballroom full of drunks.

“Give us some light,” they howled. “We haven’t done nothing to put us in the dungeon for.”

The party’s hostess was Jennie Sparby, 45, the landlady of the Roosevelt Hotel on Riverside Avenue. When officers arrived, they found Sparby rushing down the hall, clutching $23 in cash.

The officers, “knowing Jennie of old,” suspected that the cash was for bootleg liquor. The jail matron knew exactly where to search, and found “a bottle of whisky in the bosom of her dress.”

From the condition of nearly 30 lumberjacks at the party, it was obvious that more than one bottle of whisky had been involved, and the party had been going on for a long time.

Police herded all of the drunks into one big room, which is where one of them was inspired to perform acrobatics from the chandelier. Once the lights were restored, police let about 15 lumberjacks go, but booked 11 of the most intoxicated.

They also booked Sparby. A search later revealed 19 bottles of booze under a loose board in the hotel.

From the New Year’s beat: Meanwhile, Spokane’s commissioner of public safety warned that “liquor and drunkenness will not be tolerated” on New Year’s Eve.

“Every place where the public is apt to congregate will be watched,” he promised.