“What happened when the barman died?”/“The police held an inn-quest.”

A barman riddle is:
 
Q: What happened when the barman died?
A: The police held an inn-quest.
 
The joke has been cited in print since at least 2002.
 
   
Google Books
Goofy Jokes & Giggles
By Charles Keller
Illustrated by Dave Garbot
New York, NY: Sterling Publishing Company, Inc.
2002
Pg. 72:
What happened when the hotel owner died under mysterious circumstances?
The police held an inn-quest.
 
funnyjoke.com.au
Category:Bar jokes beer booze and fun
Date Added:11/10/2007
Joke:What happened when the barman died?The police held an inn-quest
   
Twitter
Bollywood Sargam
‏@bollywoodsargam
Bar jokes, beer, booze and fun! - 1274 Joke: What happened when the barman died? The police held an inn-quest .. http://tinyurl.com/l4fxkl
9:19 PM - 10 Jul 2009
 
Twitter
vina_vagle24
‏@vina_vagle24
What happened when the barman died? The police held an inn-quest
9:33 AM - 20 Sep 2009
 
17 June 2011, Evening News (Edinburgh, Scotland), “Joke of the day,” pg. 19:
What happened when the barman died?The police decided to hold an inn-quest.
Matt Jarvis, Leith
 
Twitter
LivingLearningLoving
‏@learning_loving
What happened when the barman died? The police held an inn-quest.
12:01 AM - 27 Jan 2017