100 years ago in Spokane: Police chief warns against Halloween hijinks

A headline in the Spokane Daily Chronicle warned, “Have Fun, But Don’t Get Gay.”

The term was being used in its old-fashioned sense, and the entire phrase meant, more or less: Have fun but don’t have too much fun.

The paper was quoting the Spokane police chief, who used that “much frayed and time-worn admonition” as a warning to Halloween pranksters.

“We are going to have the city adequately patrolled to prevent damage being done on Halloween,” the chief promised. “Innocent fun will be OK and will not be interfered with, but the destruction of property will not be allowed. It will certainly result in the arrest of those perpetrating any such ‘jokes.’ ”

Past Halloweens had seen an alarming amount of damage, and police had been working hard to cut down on the mayhem.

Did the chief’s warning make a difference? Check this space in a few days to see what happened on Halloween 1917.

From the political beat: D.C. Coates laid out his platform for re-election for city council. First, he said he would do everything he could to ease the high cost of living in wartime Spokane.

Second, he was “opposed to all forms of commercial vice.”

Third, he was “for America, first, last and all the time.”