100 years ago in Spokane: Airedale slows confiscation of booze

The Spokane police dry squad raided a Trent Avenue garage, but was held at bay for 30 minutes – by an Airedale terrier.

“In the far corner of the place we discovered an old automobile and when we approached it the Airedale arose from the tonneau ( an open -air rear seating area) and challenged us,” said the leader of the squad. “He was fastened by a long chain to the top of the car and he strained at his chain to reach us. … I approached the car with an auto cushion for armor and the dog leaped at the cushion, tearing at it. Keenan then managed to unhook the chain from the car top and I was able to shove him (the dog) out of the machine with the auto cushion.”

When they finally searched the car, they found four pints of moonshine and a quart of Old Hermitage whiskey.

The dry squad raided the garage because the proprietor had been arrested earlier in the week for drunken driving.

From the church beat: The crisis at The Church at Spokane came to a head when a regional official of the Portland-based denomination announced that it had withdrawn all support for the Spokane church, “leaving it an isolated church body.”

It was the culmination of factional quarrels at the church, following charges of financial irregularities.

“The charges and counter-charges were made in rapid succession today,” said the Spokane Daily Chronicle.

The regional official had suspended two Spokane ministers and a bishop the day before, but “the congregation last night refused to recognize the suspensions.” Two men were arrested for disorderly conduct in a fight over the church keys.