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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

100 years ago in Washington D.C.: Sen. Miles Poindexter, of Spokane, helps lead fight against League of Nation

U.S. Sen. Miles Poindexter of Spokane took to the Senate floor to rail against the proposed League of Nations and the peace treaty in Europe, the Spokane Daily Chronicle reported on Feb. 19, 2019. The newspaper also ran coverage of an assassination attempt on French primier George Clemenceau. (Spokesman-Review archive)

U.S. Sen. Miles Poindexter of Spokane took to the Senate floor to rail against the proposed League of Nations and the peace treaty in Europe.

Poindexter had emerged as a leader of the opposition to the treaty in the Senate. He said that joining the League of Nations would be a violation of the U.S. Constitution, an abandonment of the Monroe Doctrine, and a surrender of American rights, privileges and sovereignty.

Poindexter’s speech was the “first prepared criticism in the Senate” since President Woodrow Wilson’s proposed league was announced.

From the police beat: Here’s an attention-grabbing headline: “Pantless Sleeper Races Burglar; Wins Trousers and Forty Dollars.”

The Spokane Daily Chronicle story described how A. Miller was asleep at the Great Northern Hotel, “unquestionably minus his trousers,” when he woke up to find a burglar snatching his pants.

Miller had stashed $40 in cash in his pants pockets, so he was not going to take this lying down.

He jumped up and started running after the burglar, who led him on a chase down Main Avenue at 5 a.m. After several blocks, the burglar saw that Miller was gaining on him, so he dropped the trousers and raced away.

The escapade ended with Miller standing at Main and Lincoln, “much embarrassed but in possession of his cash and trousers.”