Green’s Dictionary of Slang

a euph. for drunk.

1881		Besant & Rice Chaplain of Fleet I 158: Those evenings of riot from which Sir Miles was so often carried home speechless.
1903		Bulletin (Sydney) 16 July 16/2: Apropos – the drunk [...] charged with ‘bein’ spacheless, yorr Washup, an’ dishorrdly,’ can now plead ankylostomiasis.
1910		Sporting Times 1 Jan. 1/3: Ornythollogists reckernises ony 78 varietys, thus—27 owls (Chalmers Mitchell pocket edition) 15 ditto (large illustrated) 35 ditto (plain) and the mowser (Macbeth), but every Satiddy fortnight durin’ the fancy-ball season Coven Garden addes 1 ditto (boiled) bringing the total of the speechless up to 79.
c.1940–5		‘Myles na gCopaleen’ Best of Myles (1968) 338: Drunk; jarred; [...] blind; spaychless; blotto.