Soapy Smith's Soap Box

2012-02-01T09:27:00.000-08:00

Soapy Smith and the print on the wall

I have always found the decor inside Jeff Smith's Parlor in Skagway, Alaska of great interest. Each picture hung on the walls had meaning and where there for a reason. The ones on the west wall, behind the front bar are the most telling, patriotic propaganda during the Spanish-American War. Soapy was a very patriotic man, every known photograph of his saloons in Colorado and Alaska have American flags and red, white, and blue bunting. In Skagway the various pictures behind the bar changed with each photo session. Surely they served Soapy's end of signing up volunteers for his private army, the Skaguay Military Company. But what about the pictures on the side and back walls? Was there any meaning in them, or were they simply hung for the purpose of decor?

One framed picture has been of interest to me, and that is the one that hung on the east wall, opposite the front bar wall. In the photograph above you can see it directly behind Soapy's head. The details are lacking but it appeared to me to be some nudes, which naturally interested me even more. I searched and compared thousands of artworks in online art shops hoping to find a match but could not. I had pretty much given up, thinking that the photograph perhaps was showing shadow and light glare and what I perceived as a nude, was in reality, a shadow streak or light reflection in the frame glass.

Saloon nude?

The other day I stumbled, completely by accident, onto the painting and today I am happy to publish that find, thanks to eBay. One day while searching through my daily eBay saved searches I came across a postcard of what appeared to look like a typical saloon painting of a reclining nude female. In fact, it was Russian art from the 1890s. I love saloon nudes so I noted that the postcard was in the category of "risque art." There are over 10,000 works to look at and thus far I have found nearly 60 pieces that look very much like saloon nudes, much like the one just above.

As I was looking through the thousands of "risque" works I landed on one that immediately looked familiar. It did not take but a second to realize that I had found the missing artwork I had been searching for.

Nymph in a Web
by Le Quesue

"Welcome to my parlor," said the spider to the fly.

I found the painting but the information about it is sketchy. The painting is either called Nude Nymph in Net or Nude Nymph in Spider Web, by Russian artist Le Quesue or Le Queysen. This information comes from the two eBay dealers who are selling the postcard copies of the print. I used every bit of information they had and could not find anything about the artist or the painting online. Is it pure coincidence that the painting shows victims caught in a web, just as victims to Soapy's swindles were caught? Perhaps someone who knows the answers to this mysterious painting and artist can help?

FEBRUARY 1

1886: Jefferson Randolph Smith II and Mary Eva Noonan exchange wedding vows.

Jeff Smith

Film footage of the White Pass Trail and the building of the railroad

2012-01-27T19:01:00.000-08:00

Friends of Bad Man Soapy Smith member Steve sent me the following YouTube video about the building of the White Pass and Yukon Railway. There is film footage of stampeders using the trails before and during the railroad construction. I have never seen most of this before so I thought some of you might enjoy it.

JANUARY 27

1896: George McAttee, alias “Jimmy Blaine” member of the Denver Soap Gang, collapses and dies in a Cripple Creek, Colorado restaurant.
1899: A granite memorial is completed replacing the wooden grave marker for Frank H. Reid, mortally wounded by Soapy Smith in the shootout on Juneau wharf.

Jeff Smith

He Died To Save Skagway (part 2): A review.

2012-01-26T12:18:00.000-08:00

Jeff Smith's private Soapy Smith museum

Back on January 20, 2012 I posted part one of my article review, He Died To Save Skagway. I do this thanks to Bob "Buckshot" Bradley who has supplied me with the pdf format pages from his personal collection. I have to admit that this article has been the 2nd most pleasurable article to review. Author, Cy Martin published several books on the White Pass & Yukon Railway and Skagway so he had pretty good access to some of the older books on that history and nearly all of them included something on Soapy Smith. Please enjoy part two.

He Died to Save Skagway (Part 2) Real West April 1968

Page 38

(Text above photograph) "Frank Reid is forgotten but his headstone is still unblemished. That tiny stone marker is the only reminder of a man who sacrificed his life to save Skagway." With all the books and articles that author Cy Martin has written on Skagway I find it hard to believe that he never paid the cemetery a visit, if not the town. Anyone who has been to that cemetery since 1900 will see that Frank Reid's memorial (see page 41 in this article above) is huge!
Paragraph 1: Cy writes that Soapy was a "small-time bad man from Colorado mining camps." Soapy was definitely not small-time. My book, Alias Soapy Smith: The Life and Death of a Scoundrel, gives a ton of provenance that Soapy was big-time. In fact, another post on this blog (January 23, 2012) shows that Soapy was more well known than Wyatt Earp while the two men were alive. I know of no small-time bad men, or good men for that matter, that can claim the same!
Paragraph 3: There is no provenance that the man was a member of the Soap Gang.

Page 39

Paragraph 9: I would like to credit Cy for correctly naming Soapy's opposing organization to the 101, as the 317. So many early biography's made the common mistake of calling it the 303 (exactly three times larger than the 101). This article was written in 1968 but even the well researched 1961 biography, Soapy Smith: King of the Frontier Con Men by Frank Robertson and Beth Harris made the 303 mistake. As a side note, the number 317 is the address of Jeff Smith's Parlor, one of Soapy's saloons.
Paragraph 11: The July 4 parade is still somewhat of a mystery as there are no known newspapers existing that cover the event. Many old residents said that Soapy led the parade as grand marshal. Newspapers previous to the parade list him as grand-marshal of the 4th division. There are no accounts from old-timers stating Soapy was at the end of the parade and there are several theories that he made his way to the front, but that is a post for another day. No matter, in the parade he was followed by the volunteers of his private army, the Skaguay Military Company, as well as a float containing a caged live eagle named "Gen. Lee Fitzhugh" after the famed Spanish-American War general.
Paragraph 15: John Douglas Stewart, the man robbed by the Soap Gang had $2,600 in gold dust, according to the court trial records. That amount is the equivalent of $84,832.79 in today's market!
Paragraph 16: The two gang members who befriended Stewart were John L. Bowers and "Slim Jim" Foster. They took Stewart towards Jeff Smith's Parlor where they met up with gang member Van B. Triplett who introduced the three-card monte game that was played and lost by Stewart previous to having his gold poke stolen away from him.
Paragraph 17: The robbery actually took place outside the Parlor in an adjacent alley.

Page 40

(Photograph of Soapy's grave marker) This marker shown was metal and hideous. In 1997 I had a reproduction of the original grave marker (in my possession) made and placed on Soapy's grave.
Paragraph 1-9: The details that Cy wrote differ a little, but not my much, to what actually occurred. What actually took place can be found, with plenty of provenance, inside the pages of my book.
Paragraph 10: There is no other mention anywhere that I've seen that Frank Reid went to Jeff Smith's Parlor to see Soapy. Reid was only a guard the night of the shootout. He was not a leader of the vigilante organization as many old versions like to portray.
Paragraph 14: The "I've got 500 men behind me" speech is actually credited to the incident five months previous when bartender John Fay shot the deputy U.S. marshal (another great story).
Paragraph 16: Soapy was not a "rare drinker." There are numerous accounts in Colorado in which he indulged a little too much and caused a little hilarity and sometimes trouble.
Paragraph 19: Although Samuel Graves added interesting facts to the shootout on Juneau Wharf (Wikipedia page about the fight) his words are far from "the most accurate and factual account..."
Paragraph 25: "Reid was the only man Soapy Smith ever feared." Not one piece of provenance covers this statement.
Paragraph 26: Reid and Tanner were not known as the leaders of the vigilante movement, except in later published articles and books.

Page 41

Paragraph 10: Soapy's partner, John Clancy also was at Soapy's grave. There is no information on "Soapy's mistress" as this is the only mention of her.
Paragraph 11: The amount missing from Stewart's gold was $600, believed to have been the amount paid to Deputy U.S. Taylor as graft, not to take action in regards to the robbery.
Paragraph 12: There is no accounting as to how much Soapy had on his corpse when he died. He was obviously robbed of that amount. What is reported is that his assets were worth $148.60 after subtraction of inquest fees. There is numerous information that Soapy had made millions in Skagway during his reign, most of it being robbed by those he had keeping it in Skagway, Seattle, and San Francisco.
Paragraph 13-14: Although his marker gives the age of 38 Soapy was born November 2, 1860 which makes him 37 at the time of his death.
Paragraph 20: Soapy has had a total of 5 markers over his grave. The history of those markers can be viewed on the main website here.

JANUARY 26

1883: “Big Ed” Burns, member of the Soap Gang, is arrested in Denver. Burns eventually followed Soapy to Alaska in 1897-98.

Jeff Smith

Was Soapy Smith more well known than Wyatt Earp? Comparison #2

2012-01-23T20:47:00.000-08:00

Was Soapy Smith more well known than Wyatt Earp?

I first posed that question, backed with graphs from Google newspaper archives, here in October 2010. The answer is that while the two men were both alive Soapy was indeed more well known across the nation than Wyatt Earp.

Recently, while researching with Gale Primary Source Media and Archival Solutions and their huge western states nineteenth century newspaper archives I decided to do the comparison again, using the same method to compare the number of newspaper articles that mentioned Wyatt Earp to those that mentioned Soapy Smith, between the dates 01/01/1860 - 12/31/1899. Once again Soapy beat out Wyatt, by 210% Wyatt's score is 164 while Soapy won with 345. This being the second comparison, and with such a large difference, I feel it is safe to make the comment. Just don't do so in front of hard-core Wyatt Earp fans.

Jeff Smith

He Died To Save Skagway (part 1): A review.

2012-01-20T10:35:00.000-08:00

He Died To Save Skagway

Today I'd like to bring you another article review from an old issue of Real West magazine. I can do this thanks to Bob "Buckshot" Bradley who has supplied me with the pdf format pages from his personal collection. I have to admit that this article has been the 2nd most pleasurable article to review. Author, Cy Martin published several books on the White Pass & Yukon Railway and Skagway so he had pretty good access to some of the older books on that history and nearly all of them included something on Soapy Smith. Following the article is my review. I hope you enjoy both.

He Died to Save Skagway (Part 1) Real West Jan 1968

Page 16

Comment above photograph: Mr. Martin writes that the photograph was taken in April 1898. The fact is that although some of the photographs have been etched with the date of July 4, 1898, we do not know for certain the exact dates of the three inside photographs taken inside Soapy's saloon, Jeff Smith's Parlor. We do know all three were taken on different dates as the pictures and decor hanging on the walls differ. Being that May 1 and July 4, 1898 were huge celebrations for Soapy it is a good guess that at least one of the photographs was taken on May 1 and at least one was taken on July 4, 1898.
Paragraph 3: Mr. Martin incorrectly dates the robbery of John Stewart as July 6. The correct date is July 8, 1898.
Paragraph 4: Martin incorrectly lists the weapons Soapy had on his person. He mentions a dagger but there is no evidence he had a knife of any kind on his person. Martin writes of a .45 Colt revolver. There is a photograph of Soapy's corpse in the morgue with a double-action revolver which appears to be a model 1892 .41 DA Army revolver. Martin writes that the Winchester Soapy carried to the shootout on Juneau Wharf was a .30-30 when in reality it was a .44-40. That rifle is still in the possession of the Smith family. At the end of the paragraph he talks about running into some citizens on his walk to the Juneau Wharf and how Soapy told them to chase themselves "home to bed." This confrontation actually happened earlier in the evening. There is no evidence that Soapy confronted any citizens during his walk towards the wharf.
Paragraph 6: Martin states that a "dozen or so" of the gang followed behind Soapy. The number is closer to 7 or 8.
Paragraph 7: Martin is correct in his reporting of this supposed meeting. However, I do not believe it took place. There was a cover-up involving the Clancy brothers, John and Frank and I believe this was just one of the contrived fables to make it appear that John was nor privy to what was going on. The whole story is found in my book, Alias Soapy Smith: The Life and Death of a Scoundrel.

Page 17

Paragraph 4: Martin states that Frank Reid was standing "100 feet from the dock." Frank Reid was actually about 60 feet into the wharf.
Paragraph 5-6: Martin copies what many of the older biographies published as to what Smith and Reid said to one another, but the truth of the matter is that none of the 3 other guards present could fully hear the discussion and none could agree as to what was said.
Paragraph 9-10: Soapy could not have shot Reid in the groin in his first shot. Once Reid was hit in the groin he fell and most likely could not have possibly fired another shot intentionally. At least five wounds were received by both men. The debate continues as to what order those wounds were received.
Paragraph 13: Martin follows the well worn legend of the gunfight. In 1968 when Martin wrote this article there were very few people who knew what actually occurred. Even in Skagway many of the residents only knew of the story that another man had possibly shot Soapy but few knew his name. My book covers this story in great detail, including the account that Jesse Murphy, one of the four guards on the wharf was the killer of Smith.
Paragraph 14-16: Martin correctly includes the comment of Samuel Graves, taken from his book, On the White Pass Payroll (1908).

Page 49

Paragraph 1-8: The continuation of comments taken from Samuel Graves' book, On the White Pass Payroll. Interesting to note that Graves is one of the few published works that includes Jesse Murphy's actions during the shootout, but stops just short of mentioning that Murphy pointed the rifle at Soapy and shot him dead. Again my book covers this in detail, including Murphy's actions to gain credit for the killing as well as correspondence from J. M. Tanner, one of the four guards on the wharf, naming Murphy as the killer and not Reid.
Paragraph 20: Martin writes that Soapy was proud of his alias ("Soapy"). This is not true. It might have amused him when it was first used but it quickly became synonymous with "criminal" and Soapy did not like to be referred to as one who was against society. His friends called him "Jeff." In a few rare instances he signed a letter or two with "Soapy," to instill fear.
Paragraph 21: Martin writes that Soapy arrived in the "fall of 1897." Soapy actually arrived in Skagway August 22, 1897 (summer).

Page 50

Paragraph 1: Martin states that the name of Soapy's saloon was Jeff's Place or Jeff Smith's Oyster Parlor. That one saloon was named Jeff. Smith's Parlor. The period after "Jeff" meant that it was short for "Jefferson." I guess to be 100% one would call it Jefferson Smith's Parlor. It should be noted that Soapy had at least 2 other saloons that were considered under his operation. Those details are in my book.
Paragraph 3: Martin gives Soapy credit for the terms "sure-thing" and "sure-thing men." I can't verify this.
Paragraph 4: There is no other contemporary works that state that Soapy's men were known as "tigers" or "lambs."
Paragraph 14-15: There is no evidence Soapy or his men "played a joke" or robbed any of the men of cloth that came to Skagway.

Page 51

Paragraph 1-7: The continuation of the supposed "jokes" or robbery of Skagway ministers. There is no contemporary evidence.
Paragraph 8-9: These two paragraphs can actually be attributed to much of Soapy's adult life not just in Skagway.
Paragraph 10: Martin writes that Soapy's private army was the "national guard." Actually, his army was named the Skagway Military Company.

End of part 1. (watch for part 2 coming soon!)

Jeff Smith

Same old bogus lottery swindle.

2012-01-19T15:59:00.000-08:00

"Where there's a bill, there's a way"

Pensioners fall victim to bogus lottery "win"

The following comes from the East Grinstead Courier and Observer, January 19, 2012 and was post on Sussex.

AN elderly couple were tricked into believing they had won £12,000 – but instead were conned out of £1,750.

Pensioners Michael and Jane Haigh have been left struggling financially since they were stung by the overseas scam.

Michael and Jane Haigh

The couple, of Shepherds Grove Road in Hammerwood, were fooled into parting with their hard-earned cash to release the "winnings" in November.

But after weeks of daring demands and persistent phone calls from people claiming they were from the "Euro World Lotto Corporation", the pair realised they had fallen victim to a cold-calling lottery fraud.

Mrs Haigh, 69, said: "It was just awful. It was absolutely traumatic. Michael got phone calls for weeks afterwards. They absolutely hounded him.

"One day, he got this phone call out of the blue, saying he had won. He thought it must be right, because it was the same firm that he has used before.

"They gave him instructions to go down to the bank and get money out. They then said the money had not gone through and he had to do it again.This carried on going until we realised what was going on. It was just a nightmare from then on."

Mr Haigh, 70, had used the lottery firm, which no longer exists, more than a year ago, which led him to believe the fraudulent phone call was legitimate.

He explained: "They said I had won e14,000, or £12,000. I couldn't believe it at first. Then all the phone calls came. The problem was I had to pay them the VAT, which they said I would immediately get back with the winnings.

"I realise in retrospect that I was fooled, but being of an older generation I had tended to trust people more than I should, especially when the initial contact seemed bona fide.

"I thought it was worth going for, but I ended up losing £1,750.

"I don't feel bitter about it, because in one sense it's my own fault. But I feel betrayed by the people who are constantly telling me I'm a very lucky person. I feel it doesn't speak very highly of human nature.

"I'm left now picking up the pieces to restore my own bank balance."

Sussex Police has issued a warning following further reports of people in the area, particularly the elderly and vulnerable, being targeted by individuals claiming to be from foreign lotteries.

PC Kate Buckler said: "There might have been other victims. If you are contacted in this way about an alleged lottery win, please remember – if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

"Keep your personal details and finances safe and never agree to any financial transaction over the phone with someone you don't know."

I responded with the following...

I am sorry for their loss. They are not alone. This bunco swindle has changed little in 150 years, minus the technology used. Human nature has not changed nor have the methods used by the gangs of con men to separate the unwary from their cash.

My great-grandfather was an American confidence man of the old west. Those interested in history might recognize the name "Soapy" Smith. Many of the same games he operated in the 1880s are still used today. Besides displaying the very interesting history of Soapy Smith, my websites also serve to educate people about the various methods employed by those who use their wits to rob their prey.

Jeff Smith

Firing the 1892 Colt double action revolver

2012-01-17T20:16:00.000-08:00

Colt double action
Much like the one Soapy owned.

What did it feel like to face the wrath of Soapy Smith's anger? Would he punch you or knife you? Or would he shoot you with his Colt double action revolver? I found the following Youtube video of a gentleman firing his Colt. It's a very short video but it packs a wallop.

May 5, 2011, Jan. 10, 2011,

Jeff Smith

Did Soapy Smith go to Dawson? (Artifact #44)

2012-01-17T00:28:00.000-08:00

The above scan is of artifact #44 from my private collection. A wonderful hand-written letter on lined paper from Soapy Smith (Skagway) to his wife Mary (St. Louis). Someone in the family possibly Soapy or Mary taped a rip. Soapy wrote to Mary telling her of sent money and to share his travel plans. Postmarks show the letter took nearly a month to reach St. Louis. Following is the deciphered contents of the letter.

Skaguay Apr. 4th 1898
Dear Mollie

I send 100 more today by express making $400 all told. Tell Kirk, there is nothing here for him or anyone in Skaguay now. There may be this fall. I am going to Dawson as every tin horn that went there have got rich. I hate the trip, 800 miles in a little canoe and sleep out at night. It is hell but I am going to tackle it. Will write you who goes with me and when I start. About June 1st you better sell in Denver or go at once and fix it up as it is due in May. Love to all Your husband Jeff. Skaguay

The letter appears in my book, Alias Soapy Smith on page 495. I have the understanding from my father that Soapy sometimes called Mary by the name of Mollie, but why, I do not know. The $400 Soapy sent to Mary is the equivalent of $12,798.26 in today's market. Kirk mentioned in the letter is probably a family friend. It is possible that Kirk was not a bunco man and Soapy had no honest work available. There may have been no bunco work available either. Before the Klondike gold rush began the United States had been suffering from a depression known as the Panic of 1893. Once the rush began and Soapy became the camps underworld boss, confidence men from all over the U.S. applied to work with him. There can be only so many bunco steerers in a gang so that the profits are good. They need to be housed and fed and if there is not enough work for all of them then the left over's are just draining the profits unless they can work elsewhere in between swindles.

There is no evidence that Soapy ever went to Dawson. Perhaps after writing the letter he thought better of attempting to cross the border as Mounties supposedly knew who he was and were prepared to turn him back. Surprising, is that Jeff still owned property in Denver at this time in his career. Perhaps he had held on to some in the hope that he might one day return as he had done in 1892 when he left Creede.

The envelope comes from the Kentucky House, a saloon according to Marlene McClusky of the Skagway Historical Society. It is addressed to Mary E. Smith at 917 Locust Street, St. Louis which was the address of Mary's mother's home.

Interesting to note that the day before Soapy wrote this letter, disaster struck two miles above Sheep Camp at a tent city about eighteen miles from Dyea. It was Palm Sunday, April 3, 1898, at 2 a.m. when from the mountain 2,500 feet above, a heavy snow pack gave way, came roaring down, and buried everything before it to a depth of thirty feet. 70 known lives were lost. Legend has it that Soapy rushed to the slide area and set himself up as "coroner" so that he and his men could rob the corpses.

Dawson: Sept. 25, 2011, Aug. 17, 2011, Aug. 7, 2011

Dawson: 432, 441, 449, 451, 456, 466, 472-73, 479, 483, 493, 495, 498, 508, 512-13, 524, 552, 583-84, 586-87, 590-91.
Sheep Camp: 440, 450, 477, 495-96, 566.
Panic of 1893: 247, 270, 281, 294, 312, 329, 355.

Jeff Smith

Frank Herbert Whiting and the White Pass and Yukon Railway

2012-01-15T23:22:00.000-08:00

The Whiting graves
Fairmont Cemetery, Denver, Colo.

Over on The Skagway Historical Society there is a tribute to White Pass & Yukon Railway Superintendent Frank H. Whiting. Don't confuse him with Dr. Fenton B. Whiting. One was Dr. Whiting and the other, engineer and foreman. Today's Whiting was from Denver which means that it seems likely that he would have heard of “Soapy” Smith, but if not, he would when he arrived in Skagway. Following is the contents of the post with "new" information on Whiting.

Born in 1857 in Mt. Pleasant Iowa, Frank Herbert Whiting came to Skagway on Friday, May 27, 1898 as Superintendent of the new White Pass & Yukon Railway. He is a background character in the Soapy shooting, having been busy on another dock unloading rails and sleepers with Mr. Graves at the time. After the shooting the Citizen's Committee appointed the "Committee of Safety" to determine what the fate would be of the many Soapy conspirators, alleged friends and miscellaneous suspicious characters. The "Committee of Safety" consisted of eleven men. Four of these men managed transportation companies, two owned hotels, one blacksmith, two lawmen and of course the two White Pass managers, Graves and Frank Whiting. These eleven men selected the prisoners and forced them to sign over their money and agree to be handed over to the legal authorities.

Some of these men that were accused of vague crimes said that the "Committee" used their temporary and arbitrary power to get rid of business competitors in the witch hunt. Certainly in the volatile atmosphere, few Skagway residents questioned the doings of the most powerful men in Skagway. A total of fifteen men and one woman were deported but no doubt others left rather than be subjected to the "Committee" or possibly lynching.

Jeff Smith points out that when these deportees arrived in Seattle on the Steamship Tartar there is no evidence that any were ever taken into custody.

But back to Frank Whiting. He and his wife Martha and their 6 kids left Skagway in 1903. They probably returned to Denver, where they had lived before. Frank died on this day, January 3, 1936 in Seattle on a visit to his son. He was buried in Denver in the Fairmont Cemetery. One other note was that he was the great grandson of Timothy Whiting who fought in the Revolutionary War, and so was a compatriot SAR.

NPS website; Archives Canada; Alias Soapy Smith by Jeff Smith; Findagrave.com; familysearch.

According to Samuel Graves in his book, On The White Pass Payroll, he and Whiting were on the adjoining wharf when the shootout on Juneau Wharf took place and witnessed the gunfight that killed Soapy and Frank Reid.

Frank Herbert Whiting: page 517, 539, 548, 571.

January 15

1891: Bascomb Smith fined $110 in Denver for being intoxicated, disturbing the peace, and carrying concealed weapons.

Jeff Smith

Soapy Smith plaque: Memorial or souvenir?

2012-01-14T17:59:00.000-08:00

Soapy Smith plaque?

Back about 2004 when I made my first introduction to eBay I found the plaque above at auction. It was in pretty back condition with chips and missing pieces, including letters and one of the shells. The composition appears to be some sort of plaster. The seller wanted a ridiculous starting bid of $600 but could not give any information about it, or even where he got it. Needless to say I did not bid and the item did not sell. I copied the photograph and never saw the item for sale again. On my digital copy I did my best to "repair" the damages so that we can see what it possibly looked like in good form.

I am in hopes that someone out there has some information about this item. Is it a one-of-a-kind item, was it part of a Soapy memorial, or was it produced as a souvenir item, perhaps in Colorado or Alaska?

Jeff Smith

Top and bottom: Dice swindle game.

2012-01-13T20:18:00.000-08:00

Possibly a Top and Bottom game

One piece of gambling equipment Soapy and the Soap Gang utilized but rarely mentioned is dice. The most common swindle game using dice is top and bottom. My book has only three pages mentioning the game and only one with an explanation. The following is from Alias Soapy Smith.

... the News reported that about thirty bunco men were headed for Boulder and the fireman’s tournament: “There are pickpockets and soap men and shell men, eight die men, top and bottom men, flim-flamers and the smiler with the shells, and all the rest of the boys.” Associating “the boys” with the robberies was an easy link for readers. Did the robbery of Lewis raise the profile of Soapy and the bunco brotherhood? The answer seems clear. Why else would “the brotherhood’s” travel to Boulder be newsworthy?

The “eight die men” mentioned in the story ran a game called “Top and Bottom.” It was a short con with gaffed, or altered, dice in which the victim bets that the top and bottom faces of three tossed dice either will or will not add up to twenty-one. It is based on the principal that players cannot see around corners. If they could see more than three sides of the cubes at once, they would notice not only that the tops do not come close to adding up to seven on opposite sides but also that some numbers are missing entirely while other numbers appear twice. The operator of “Top and Bottom” is a skilled sleight-of-hand artist who can switch sets of dice at any given moment.

Recently I read the book, Fools of Fortune or Gambling and Gamblers published in 1890 by John Philip Quinn which contains a great description of top and bottom.

This game of dice-if it may properly be called a game-is a swindling device, pure and simple. It is, in effect, nothing but a scheme of fraud, for the successful operation of which are required two sharpers, who act as confederates, a dice box, three ordinary dice, a "ringer" and a "sucker." The place commonly selected for working it is a saloon, and the method in which it is operated is as follows:

The victim having been selected and located in a saloon, the first sharper scrapes an acquaintance with him and induces him to throw dice for the drinks or cigars. While the dice are being handled, the gambler calls the attention of the dupe to the fact that the number of spots on the faces of the three dice added to the number on the three reverse sides is always equal to twenty-one. This fact necessarily follows from the construction of all fair dice; on the reverse face from the ace is a 6; opposite to 3 is 4; and directly opposite to 5 is 2. There are, however, many persons, who not having had their attention directed to this circumstance, are ignorant of the fact. The "sucker" usually satisfies himself of the correctness of the statement made by his newly formed acquaintance through throwing the dice several times in succession, until he becomes convinced that the sum of the six numbers is always equal to twenty-one. At this point sharper number two makes his appearance. He strolls up to the pair and offers to join in throwing dice for refreshments. The first swindler proposes that they guess as to the number of spots on the upper and under sides of the three dice. To this sharper number two assents, and guesses, say, 25. As a matter of course, the greenhorn guesses 21 and wins. The second confederate thereupon remarks that he is a "pretty good guesser." To this the first swindler replies that "the gentlemen can tell the number every time." The confederate demurs to this statement, saying that it is impossible. He offers to bet the price of a box of cigars that the dupe cannot do it. His accomplice retorts that he would be willing to bet $I,000-that he can, and offers to lend the dupe money to add to whatever sum the latter may wish to bet for the purpose of laying a stake against his confederate. The bet having been made, the attention of the victim is momentarily diverted and the "ringer"-either a loaded dice or one prepared after the manner described in the paragraph upon the game of "crap"-is substituted for one of the fair dice. The throw is cast, and when the spots are added together their sum is inevitably found to be either greater or less than 21. Sharper number two thereupon demands and takes the stakes.

Ordinarily the dupe is too bewildered at the moment to understand the precise nature of the game which has been played upon him until after the two confederates have left the house. Should he, however, remonstrate and undertake to raise a disturbance, it is usually found an easy matter to quiet him by summoning the town marshal or some other police officer. In fact, I have known an officer actually summoned, who insisted upon the dupe keeping quiet, for which service he received a bonus from the pair of swindlers.

The last paragraph mentioning the summoning of the marshal or police is interesting. Before joining the Soap Gang "Big Ed" Burns ran a top and bottom gang in the Tucson area. It was there that Morgan Earp, serving as his brother Virgil's deputy, was accused in the Tucson Citizen (August 28, 1881) of being in league with the bunco gang. Casey Tefertiller in his book Wyatt Earp: The Life Behind the Legend, gives the defense that the accusation could not be true because Morgan later arrested Burns. Students of bunco gang history know that arrests by policemen receiving graft payments is part of the routine, and often are orchestrated in order to be taken to a "safe" police headquarters where personal protection and possibly a quick release can be had. Much the same way when the Earp brothers were "arrested" in Colorado on trumped-up charges by friends in order to keep them from being extradited back to Arizona on charges of murder.

Top and bottom: page 78, 99, 262.

January 13

1929: Wyatt Earp dies. Soap Gang member Wilson Mizner is chosen as a pallbearer.

Jeff Smith

Soapy Smith and the Better Business Bureau.

2012-01-11T00:02:00.000-08:00

Of all the places to read about Soapy Smith...the Better Business Bureau? Our friends at the Days of 98 Show with Soapy Smith in Skagway, Alaska and on Facebook, alerted me to an article by Holly Doering of the BBB entitled, Top Scams of 1912: Nothing New in 100 Years. I thought Holly did a nice job on the story and wanted to share it with you. I hope you enjoy it.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Recently the BBB issued a press release containing the Top Ten Scams of the past year. As we celebrate the 100th anniversary of the BBB, let’s look back in time to early 20th Century scams.

Reading the comic novels of P.G. Wodehouse, first published in 1902, you encounter a recurring character named “Soapy.” He’s an American con man who tricks gullible British peers into dubious U.S. investments. Or, as Wikipedia puts it, “who is an expert in selling fake oil stocks to those even less mentally gifted than himself.”

I always wondered if this character were based on a real life scammer. Maybe: according to List Verse, Jefferson Randolph “Soapy” Smith was an Old West bunko man—and gangster—who operated out 0f Denver and Skagway, Alaska around the turn of the century.

SOP: Stacking up ordinary soap bars, Smith would draw a crowd, then pull out his wallet. Ostentatiously, he’d wrap paper money—sometimes $100 bills—around a few. He covered them with plain paper. Then he mixed up the cash-wrapped soap with the regular and sold to the crowd for a dollar a bar. Soon, Soapy’s plant in the crowd would buy one, tear it open, and wave around his “winnings.”

I hope the soap was fantastic, because in today’s money $1.00 is an approximate value of more than $25. The scam: Through masterful sleight-of-hand, the money-wrapped bars were hidden and replaced with cashless packages.

But it gets worse: Midway through the sale, Smith would announce that the $100 bill remained in the pile and would auction off the remaining soap bars to the highest bidders. Con artists today still lure the unsuspecting with promises that are too good to be true. Here are some additional flim-flams (scams) prevalent around 1912.

Landmarks For Sale
For most of his life, con man George Parker sold New York’s public landmarks to unwary tourists. (And he wasn’t the only one.) According to List Verse, Parker’s favorite object for sale was the Brooklyn Bridge, “which he sold twice a week for years. He convinced his marks that they could make a fortune by controlling access to the roadway. More than once police had to remove naive buyers from the bridge as they tried to erect toll barriers.” Grant’s Tomb, the Statue of Liberty, and Madison Square Gardens were also “sold” repeatedly by Parker. He was sentanced to life in Sing Sing in 1928.

While it would be hard for someone to pull off this particular scam today, tourists often become victims. Know before you go.

Fake Mediums
During the Spiritualist Movement of the 19th Century, many people, primarily women, managed to convince others that they could talk with ghosts through a system of rapping sounds. One trio, the Fox sisters, earned an international reputation as ghost-talkers, bilking the gullible out of their money for almost 40 years. According to www.cracked.com, the siblings defrauded their customers by cracking their toes.

Unfortunately there are a million ways for the unscrupulous to take advantage of the grieving. A more recent scam is for a con artist to contact a recent widow or widower with a fictitious debt owed by their spouse.

Money-Printing Boxes
Not interested in purchasing the Eiffel Tower? Not to worry. Count Victor Lustig would show you a money box instead. The contraption “printed” a $100 dollar bill, but alas, it took more than six hours to produce each one.

“If only I could make it work faster,” Lustig would lament. Thinking they were clever, the marks would purchase the box for a large sum, only to realize twelve hours later that, now, after producing two more $100s, the box was only good for blank paper. Bait-and-switch schemes of one variety or another continue to this day.

Three-Card Monte
Three-Card Monte has parted many a mark from his money. It’s basically a shell game using cards. The victim thinks he can find a specific face-down card; the dealer knows he can’t. The dealer may use confederates in the crowd to accomplish this, but sleight-of-hand is always employed. (A person’s first clue that this isn’t a good deal would be the schill “looking out” for the police. This is the equivalent of today’s “lottery winner” being told not to tell anyone—a big red flag.)

She’s Wealthy: But After You Meet Her, You’re Not
Online dating scheme? “Big Bertha” Heyman didn’t need a computer. She could con money out of men face-to-face by pretending to be a wealthy woman who was unable to access her fortune. According to Wikipedia, Big Bertha was one of the most successful women con artists in America. She stayed at the best hotels and employed both a maid and a manservant. Even after she was sent to prison, she still managed to trick men out of their money, including her own attorney!

The “Pump and Dump” Stock Scheme
This fraud was probably invented in the early 1900s by Joseph “Yellow Kid” Weil and is still with us today. How it works: The scammer buys stock in a small company with small profits or creates a non-existent shell company that has no profits. Using sales staff who follow a phone script and may not even know they’re perpetrating a scam, large numbers of people are convinced to buy.

When the flurry of buying activity inflates stock prices, the scammer sells all his stock. Since the company isn’t profitable, the stock quickly plummets.

It gets worse: When victims complain, the scammer assures them that it was just bad luck–they lost their money fairly, the stock exchange is risky, etc. Sometimes they even manage to separate victims from more money at this time. Victims of such a scheme should contact the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

The Bottom Line
Outwardly, many things have changed since the beginnings of the BBB in 1912. But the tendency of some humans to prey on the greedy, the vulnerable, and the naive will never change. So please, investigate before you invest. Start with Trust by using your Better Business Bureau as a resource. It’s why we were created.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Source: BBB; Consumer News and Opinion Blog

* Thank you Holly!

Jeff Smith

A sucker born every minute!

2012-01-10T16:12:00.000-08:00

There's a sucker born every minute...

...and two to take 'em!

P. T. Barnum

Don't believe Barnum? Take a look at the following link!

JANUARY 10

1893: Soap Gang member, John L. "Reverend" Bowers assaults Denver Deputy Hanson.

Jeff Smith

Tivola: Swindle game with an elegant name.

2012-01-08T17:21:00.000-08:00

Fig. 1: "The table"

In my book, Alias Soapy Smith, I published a letter to Soapy Smith from George Mason of the Denver office of George Mason and Company. The firm sold gambling gear and furniture to sporting houses like Soapy's Tivoli Club. The response letter was penned to Soapy in Spokane, Washington, August 10, 1896 indicates that Jeff was running games of chance in Spokane. Below is the complete text of that letter.

From the Bob and Jonathan Shikes collection
Reproduced from Denver's Larimer Street
by Thomas J. Noel

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

GEO. MASON and CO.
Playing Cards and Ivory Goods,
1413 Eighteenth Street.

Denver, Colo. Aug. 10, 1896
Friend Jeff:

Yours at hand and will say am glad to hear from you and you are still on earth. We have a new small Tivola. We made a few weeks ago a New Orleans Belt with 50 spaces [—] there is [sic] 2 prizes and 3 blanks. It is a good deal larger, that is, the basket, than the old style and makes a better showing. We made it for one of you x lieutenants Power and the gang and think they are doing well with it, as they were running at Fisks Gardens and done well. Since then I see in paper they were arrested at Colo Spring and fined 50.00 and a few hours to get out of town. Since then I have heard nothing from them or seen them. There is nothing going on here at all and it seems worse than ever. We will soon make some drop cases, that is as soon as we can get at them [i.e., get to making them]. Ed Chase sent over a note for that machin[e] saying it belonged to him and he paid what charges was on it. The machine we put the celluloid on and fixed up. But your jewelry spindle is still here. Jeff wishing you success we remain yours

Resp.
GEO. MASON and CO.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Larimer Street, Denver
From the R. Ronzio collection, reproduced
from Silver Images of Coloradoby Richard A. Ronzio

Jeff was known to purchase gaming equipment from this company, which was located literally next door to Soapy's Midway saloon and just around the corner from his Tivoli Club previous to Soapy's escape from the Denver courts in 1895. Gambling reforms had hit Denver hard since 1892 and the George Mason Company moved to another location just around the corner at 1413 Eighteenth Street where the above letter was written.

Fig. 2: "The cloth"

The "Tivola" game described to Soapy by Mason was almost a total mystery to me at the time of publishing my book. What little I could find was published in the footnotes for the letter, as follows.

Notes: Tivola: probably tavola, the Italian word for “table, plank, board.” New Orleans Belt … 3 blanks…: an imprint on the table for some sort of gambling game containing a belt of 50+ spaces, presumably for bets. the basket: may refer to a “bird-cage” dice rolling basket device such as used in “chuck-a-luck.”

Recently I came across a detailed description and drawings of the game. I found it under 3 names, Tivoli and Tivolia as named by author, John Philip Quinn and then Tivola as named by George Mason. I have every reason to believe that all 3 names are referring to the same device. John Quinn is the author of Fools of Fortune or Gambling and Gamblers (1890) which I just finished reading. Below is the text from Quinn's book, complete with spelling errors. I believe it to be the definitive answer I was looking for.

Tivoli or Tivolia, the game

This game is at once one of the most seductive and the most deceptive in the outfit of the peripatetic gambler. In some minor respects it resembles the children's game of the same name, inasmuch as both are played upon a board containing a number of pins and having numbered compartments at the lower end. At this point, however, the resemblance ceases.

The gambling device known by this name is shown in the accompanying illustrations, figures 1 and 2. Figure 1 represents the table and figure 2 the cloth which always hangs behind it, and forms an indispensable feature of the game. In explaining the diagrams, the construction of the table will be first described. It is made of wood usually about 3-1/2 to 4 feet in length and 2 feet broad, and when in use the upper end rests upon a wooden framework, giving the board an inclination of some 30 degrees.

Running lengthwise through the centre [sic] of the table is a wooden partition, dividing it into two equal parts, At the lower end of each division are ten compartments, open at the top, each set being numbered 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 0. At the upper end of each division is a gate, lettered on the diagram c.c. Between the gates and the numbered compartments are placed metal pins or pegs, arranged substantially as shown by the dots on the diagram. Directly below the lower row of pins and extending over the upper ends of the compartments is a board, which runs entirely across the table, but only one-half of which is shown in the illustration.

Before describing the mode of play, an explanation of the cloth (as shown in fig. I) is necessary. This cloth is generally three feet in length by two in breadth, and is divided into 100 squares, arranged and divided as shown in the cut. The figures―$I.00, $5. 00, etc.―in the squares indicate the prizes which may be won by the players. The abbreviation "bl'k." stands for "blank," and indicates the losing numbers, on which no prize is paid. The letters "rep." are an abbreviation for "represent," and show that the player who happens to make the number in that square must, if he does not wish to lose his stake, double it and play again.

Those who wish to play, pay the proprietor a certain sum for the privilege of dropping two marbles down the board, one rolling through each of the gates C.C. The little spheres (d.d.) roll down the inclined plane, their course being deflected from point to point, by the metal pins until they finally come to rest in the compartments at the lower end, one on each side of the centre [sic] board. The operator then looks to see the numbers into which they have fallen. If the left hand marble has rolled into "0," the number of the right hand one only is taken. If the latter rolls into “0,” and the left hand one, into some compartment bearing a significant number, the entire amount is read as IO, 20, 30, 40, etc. If both numbers roll into the numbered compartments, both figures are read, as e. g. 56, 79, 84, etc.

The number made by the player having been thus learned, the cloth is inspected with a view to ascertaining the result of his play. If the number which he has made calls for a prize, the same is handed to him. If he has "drawn a blank," he has to content himself with his loss. If his number corresponds to a square containing the abbreviation "rep.," he may either lose the sum paid or double his stake and try again.

To show how utterly impossible it is for a chance player to win, it is only necessary to explain the very simple secret mechanism which enables the operator to send the marble into a losing compartment at his own will. If the reader will look at the diagram, 1, he will see a slender line running from the right hand set of numbered compartments along the entire length of the board, on its right hand side, and terminating near the gate (c.), its course being indicated by the line (b.b.). This line represents a stiff wire lever, placed below the board and entirely under the control of the manipulator. By working this lever he can raise a row of ten triangular metal points, marked a,a,a, all of which are covered by the board at the lower end of the table, and which are so arranged that one shall stand in front of each alternate compartment. When the marble strikes one of these points, as a matter of course, it inevitably glances off into one of the adjacent divisions. The peculiar beauty of the contrivance, as viewed from a gambler's standpoint, is the fact that the compartments in front of which the points are placed are inscribed with the winning numbers. The divisions into which the marbles are forced to roll invariably correspond to those numbers on the cloth which contain those words (so ominous to the greenhorn) "blank" or "represent."

In this, as in all similar games, the assistance of "cappers" is indispensable. The dupes who stake their money in good faith are never permitted to win, but unless somebody occasionally draws a prize, interest is certain to be supplanted by a sense of discouragement. It follows that confederates must be at hand. One of these will approach the table and after being recognized by the operator will buy a chance. At once the metal points are so placed that he has an even chance of winning and he perseveres until he draws a handsome prize. Ordinarily, however, the "capper" resorts to stratagem. Approaching a countryman, he offers to "divide risks" with him; i. e., to advance half the money and share equally in the gains or losses. As long as the "capper" and the "sucker" play together, they invariably lose. Should the dupe become disgusted with his "run of hard luck," the "capper" continues to play alone. The operator works the lever and his confederate soon wins a prize; the greenhorn (who always stands near, to await the issue) at once feels encouraged, and it usually requires little persuasion on the "capper's" part to induce him to make another venture.

Tivola: page 419.
George Mason and Co.: pages 123, 419-20, 451.

Jeff Smith

Hollywood is missing some good Alaska stories.

2012-01-05T23:37:00.000-08:00

Clark Gable as Soapy, and Frank Morgan as
reformed judge who once belonged to Soapy's gang
in the 1941 MGM film Honky Tonk.

An article in the Anchorage Daily News caught my eye today. The title, Hollywood is missing some good Alaska stories, would include the story of Soapy Smith and it surely did. The newspaper staff looked over a list of Alaska-based films and TV shows helped along by state subsidies and combined their efforts into another list of "films about Alaska that Hollywood ought to make." Scott Christiansen decided to write about the possibility of Soapy Smith as an idea for a film. Here is what he had to say.

Paint Skagway red

It's difficult to suss out truth from legend when it comes to Jefferson "Soapy" Randolph Smith, the famous con man and gang leader who arrived in Skagway in 1896 to seek-or fleece from his dupes-a small fortune during the Klondike gold rush. Smith's is a short, but complex Alaska story. He was shot dead July 8, 1898, just four days after being grand marshal in Skagway's Independence Day parade. It's a perfect tale for a dark spaghetti western treatment, but only for producers who can stomach adding more dark deeds to an already bizarre true story.

This gangster was beloved by some and hated by others, specifically a group of vigilantes who papered Skagway with handbills headlined "Warning!" and advising "All Confidence, Bunco and Sure-thing Men" to leave town-immediately. Some believe the vigilante troupe were promised, or at least expected, job security from the just-incorporated White Pass and Yukon Route railroad.

Skagway was full of desperate people in 1898, many were sick and tired of traveling and prospecting, and hoped for steady income in a safer town. A $10 million construction project was coming their way. That's the sort of thing that to this day makes some Alaskans spittin' mad at anyone who might get in the way. Smith and his gang were in the way, but Smith decided they would stay. Tensions boiled until he was shot dead in a town with no law.

But who pulled the trigger on the killing shot? Frank Reid? That's the man the newspapers gave credit to, but Reid also died in the shootout. (Elevating Soapy from con man to killer on his final day.)

A man named Jessee Murphy was also on Skagway's Third Wharf that day. He was one of the vigilantes who, along with Reid and two others, guarded the door at a meeting Smith's gang was to be kept out of. One history maintained by Jeff Smith, a Californian who claims to be Soapy's great-grandson, suggests Murphy may have killed the gang boss.

More importantly for our movie's purpose is this: There's nothing quite like a three-way shootout in the final act. If there are too many questions for a Hollywood writer to sort out, they could take their traditional way out and make a fiction of the whole thing. Leave Smith, Murphy and Reid's names out of it, and throw in some disloyal thugs and back stabbing swindlers. The film gets extra points if there's a vengeance subplot and if the script includes an ambitiously evil railroad boss with mutton chops and a craggy face. Leave no one innocent. Paint the wharf red with blood.

GENRE: Spaghetti Western

I am thrilled that people are seeing the exciting adventures of Soapy Smith as movie material but I honestly admit I was a little annoyed at what Scott had written. I can't blame the man for not knowing about my book, or the true history of Soapy. Hell, he even mentioned Jesse Murphy and ME! With on-line newspaper articles you have to act and write fast while people are still reading today's news. Tomorrow it will be old news. With that in mind here is what I wrote in response.

S.C., the person who wrote the idea about making a film based on Soapy Smith, While I thank you for including Soapy's story for film there are a few things I'd like to add.

1) I am indeed a great-grandson of Soapy Smith, there's no questioning the genealogy. One of Soapy's 3 children was Jefferson Randolph Smith III (Soapy was actually the "II"). Jeff Smith III had a son, named John Randolph Smith, who fathered me.

2) You wrote, "It's difficult to suss out truth from legend when it comes to Jefferson 'Soapy' Randolph Smith..." Please read my book, Alias Soapy Smith: The Life and Death of a Scoundrel, published by Klondike Research (http://www.klondikeresearch.com) in Juneau. It is 628 pages of well sourced and fully footnoted information and the life and death of "Alaska's outlaw," that I spent 25-years researching. You also mentioned that producers will need to add more dark deeds. In reading my book you will find more than enough for one film.

3) You wrote, "But who pulled the trigger on the killing shot? Frank Reid? That's the man the newspapers gave credit to, but Reid also died in the shootout. (Elevating Soapy from con man to killer on his final day.)" Actually, Soapy's history contains more than this one shooting. His Colorado and stateside history is massive.

4) Thank you very much for mentioning Jesse Murphy, although you wrote that I merely "suggest" Murphy killed Soapy. My book, through contemporary letters and witnesses pretty much proves that Jesse Murphy not only shot Soapy, but that it was technically murder. This is not fantasy thinking on my part. My book has enough documented evidence to change minds at the Skagway Historical Society and the Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park.

5) Shame on you for proposing that Hollywood make Soapy Smith's great story into fiction! Truth is stranger than fiction, it is said, and Soapy's story is dead-on proof. You wrote, "The film gets extra points if there's a vengeance subplot and if the script includes an ambitiously evil railroad boss with mutton chops and a craggy face. Leave no one innocent. Paint the wharf red with blood." You really need to read my book. Soapy's partners in Skagway, John and Frank Clancy, fit the bill perfectly as the "vengeance subplot." The railroad backed the vigilantes and considering Jesse Murphy worked for the railroad, I think it safe to say they had a hand in Soapy's death.

Three hours later, after calming down a bit, I posted the following underneath my original comments.

Scott, I apologize if I came off a little strong in my original post. When it comes to Soapy I tend to get a tad bit excited (who can blame me?). Thank you very much for including me in the article. Your work is appreciated.

JANUARY 5

1895: Bascomb Smith, younger brother to Soapy, is arrested in Denver, Colorado for malicious mischief. He smashed furniture in a house (bordello) on Market Street during a quarrel and slashed the arm of Georgie Roe, a resident prostitute, with his knife.

Jeff Smith

The Corona prize racket game.

2012-01-04T08:25:00.000-08:00

In my book on page 101 I published a letter from confidence man F. H. Anderson to Soapy Smith on November 21, 1885. In the letter, Anderson is attempting to sell Soapy on the idea of a new prize game, an "improvement on the Corona." The following comes from my book.

In the same month, an old friend wrote Jeff of his hope that Jeff would not only encourage him to come to Denver but also want to buy in with him as a partner.

Friend Jeff R. Smith

Thinking you would like to hear from an old friend I thought I would drop you a line informing you of my whereabouts.

I left New Orleans last March for California, where I remained long enough to work all the fairs, but I only got in 3 weeks graft at Santa Rosa, Petaluma, and Oakland, [—] Sacramento, Stockton, San Jose, and Salinas were queer. 5 weeks throwed away. Taylor was there but did not make any money. Tim Parker was there also, so was “Jew Ned,” Sam Nathan and Big Burns, nobody made anything [—] absolutely nothing went in Stockton, and Sacramento. They even arrested them for playing poker at Sacramento. You never saw the like. The gang all disgusted. Tim Parker brought a young wife out from Boston … and settled down in S. F. how is that for high?

I have a new fake, … a great improvement on the Corona. …[O]ne man can run it and the numbers can all be shown up, nothing to hide, when the Boosters win they can call out the number and show it to the suckers and the number that wins this time may lose the next and visa versa. Do you think I could get to open it up in Chase’s this winter? It took better in Santa Rosa, Petaluma & Oakland … than any other game in Sherman Tex. I … took off more stuff [in] one night than all the rest of the games in the house at the J. T. Saloon in Sherman and the beauty of it is that nobody can get on to the fake, nobody has yet either in California or here. Write soon and tell me just what you think can be done or any other place in Colorado that I might go and work for a month or so. I got a partner now because it is too hard work for one man…, but if I can go to work in Colorado, I might buy him out and let you buy in. It will cost you $150.00 for half interest, which you can make in a week if there is anything at all doing, and I would rather have you for a partner than the one I got now because he is more of a gambler than a sure thing man and pays too much attention to gambling to suit me. Answer at your earliest convenience & oblige.

Your friend,
F. H. Anderson
Texarkana, Ark.

The book goes into who the gangsters mentioned in the letter are, but after as much research as I could muster, I could not explain the Corona by publication time.

Recently I had the pleasure of reading Fools of Fortune or Gambling and Gamblers, by John Philip Quinn, 1890, which not only explained the game in detail, but also had a drawing (see top illustration). The explanation from the book follows.

This game is of recent date as compared with the needle wheel and squeeze spindle, of which it is, in effect, but a modification. I first saw it in the autumn of 1884, while I was traveling with "Mexican Cortenas' Wild West Show."

To operate the machine two men are necessary, in addition to a number of "cappers." The apparatus consists of a circular piece of wood, usually some 2-1/2 feet in diameter, at the outer rim of which are painted numbers from 1 to 60. Inside this is placed a round plate of heavy glass, on which is painted either an arrow or a small pointer. This inner plate revolves upon a central pivot. Prizes of money or jewelry are placed upon the numbers. Those who wish to win any of them buy tickets, on each of which is inscribed a number, the purchaser selecting his ticket at random, from a large number which are placed in a box. At the right of the ostensible proprietor sits his confederate, who poses as "book-keeper." In order that no "sucker" may, by any chance, win a prize of any value, a lever, similar to that used in the squeeze spindle is sunk into the table and concealed by the cloth cover. The "book-keeper," by pressing on the end of the wire rod, which is directly underneath his book, can apply friction to the pivot and cause the wheel to stop at any number which he may choose. It is hardly necessary to say that the box from which the purchaser takes his ticket contains none bearing the number which would call for a valuable prize. In order, however, to keep up the interest of the dupes and stimulate their spirit of gaming, the "book-keeper” occasionally brings the glass to a stand still at a point where the arrow indicates a money prize. Instantly a "capper" steps forward from among the crowd, presents a ticket and claims the prize. The ticket is carelessly thrown on one side and the money handed over to the confederate, who takes his departure. The unsuspecting fools who are not in the secret pursue the play with fresh zest, each one fancying that he has some chance of winning a large stake “next time," but unfortunately for the victim the moment for his winning never comes.

In case any of the players should become suspicious, and demand a sight of the tickets remaining in the box, in order to satisfy himself that the numbers corresponding to the money prizes are actually there, the proprietor cheerfully assents, readily producing the box, into which he has surreptitiously transferred the necessary cards from his pocket.

The Corona: page 101.

Jeff Smith

Soapy Smith in San Francisco 1883-84.

2012-01-03T11:15:00.000-08:00

On this day: January 3, 1884, Soapy Smith was arrested a second time in 3 days for operating his prize package soap sell racket on the streets of San Francisco. The following comes from my book, Alias Soapy Smith: The Life and Death of a Scoundrel.

On December 26, 1883, he paid $4 for a vendor’s license in Phoenix, Arizona. Six days later, on New Year’s Day, he was arrested in San Francisco for operating the “soap racket.” The Daily Evening Bulletin gave a detailed description of his methods.

Jeff Smith’s “Soap Racket.”

A sharp young man, Jeff Smith by name, who has been working the “soap racket,” as it is called, to large crowds on the street corners in the business part of the city for several weeks, was obligated to suspend operations at the corner of California and Front streets this morning at the request of Detectives Ross, Whittaker and Colby. They compelled him to fold up his camp-stool, strap his valise and go with them to the city prison, where he was charged on the register with conducting a lottery game. He appeared a trifle disturbed at the interruption, for it is not probable that he will gull simple countrymen for some time to come. For some time past complaints have come to the police regarding certain swindling soap vendors, whose plan of operations have been … about the same as Moses’ plaint to the Vicar of Wakefield after his return from the fair. Smith it seems has been in the habit of setting up his stock by opening his valise containing small packages of soap wherever he thought he could attract a crowd. His soap sold for fifty cents a package or three for one dollar, but the attraction was that he rolled greenbacks, one dollar and five dollars, in the packages before the eyes of the crowd, but by skillful manipulation the purchasers never obtained a lucky package. About a month ago another vendor was arrested, but allowed to go on his promising to leave the city. Smith was arrested at the ocean beach on New Year’s day, but as he also promised to leave, was allowed to go.

That was just the day before, so this time Jeff was detained for seven days before release “by Police Judge Lawler, who held that the offense charged did not come under the provisions of the ordinance.” According to the newspaper, Jeff had been in San Francisco for several weeks, but seven days prior he was in Arizona. It is possible, then, that the soap peddler from a month previous had also been Jeff, that he had come from Iowa to San Francisco and on to Phoenix and returned.

The police court ordered Jeff to vacate San Francisco. He disobeyed and was again arrested on St. Valentine’s Day for once more engaging in the soap sell racket. He was not in jail very long, though, as evidence of violating any city ordinance was lacking. The San Francisco Call reported that once again “Judge Lawler sustained the motion to dismiss, on grounds that the facts did not bring the case within the law.” Possibly Jeff escaped prosecution through bribery, but more probable is that San Francisco in 1884 had few regulations that pertained to bunco men and their games.

San Francisco: pages 40-41, 60, 82, 85, 109-10, 118-19, 152, 242, 361, 409, 411-12, 418, 425, 428-29, 432-33, 450, 463-65, 472, 492, 504, 527, 545, 574, 587.

Jeff Smith

Did Soapy Smith visit the mining camp of Randsburg, California

2012-01-02T15:40:00.000-08:00

Testing the water hoses
Butte Avenue, Randsburg
courtesy of Rand Desert Museum

Did Soapy Smith visit and possibly operate in the gold mining camp of Randsburg, California? As of this writing I still do not know for certain. The only clue comes from a letter written to Soapy by Bat Masterson. Below is the contents of that letter as quoted from my book.

In early 1897 Jeff wrote to Masterson in Denver from Los Angeles. The content of Jeff’s letter is unknown, but Masterson’s reply survived.

Friend Jeff:

Your letter from Los Angeles received. Glad to hear from you.

I suppose you were in the new camp of Randsburg. I believe you are a little like myself—“let the new camps run for other people.” I do not intend to ever again go to a new camp: at least until it has demonstrated that there is something in it besides wind.

Everything is running open here, but the play is spotted. It has got to be a piking game all over town. A decent change … will attract a crowd of sufficient size to obstruct a view of the table.

“Plunk” has got the police department “buffaloed.” … The mayor will not permit his being railroaded in the police court, and the newspapers have tendered him all the space he wants in which to air his grievances. I enclose you the chief’s left lead and “Plunk’s right hand cross counter. “Plunk” invites more of the game and threatens to bawl the police department out in the papers. .... I hope the war goes on. I have promised to do the press work for “Plunk” and incidentally furnish a few facts.

I am against the department for the reason that it is in with the gambling trust headed by Ed Chase and they would get me killed if they could. You might furnish me a little ammunition for a future use if it should be needed. Your name will never appear directly or indirectly under any circumstances. … Hope you are well and prospering.

Yours W. B. Masterson.

Newspapers in Los Angeles where Soapy was staying, boasted of Randsburg.

“CALIFORNIAS NEW CAMP — Los Angeles Lays Claim to the Promising District – As mentioned before in these columns Randsburg on the edge of Death Valley in California 40 or 50 miles from Vanderbilt is making rapid strides to the front as a progressive and growing camp and it is stated that Los Angeles now has what it has long craved for, big gold camp, from which to derive revenue and trade, A California exchange in speaking of Randsburg says the stampede to the desert mining camp Randsburg in California continues. It is said there are fully 5000 people there now and by April there will be 7000 or 8000. Up to date some 4300 mining claims have been located. There are only four rough wooden buildings there now called hotels and about 700 tents. There are five restaurants and 24 saloons and dance halls. One keno and three faro games are running. Rough lumber sells in Randsburg for$35 to $40 a thousand, hay from $20 to $22 a ton, wood from $8 to $10 a cord, coal from Gallup N. M. at $15 per ton and water at $2 per barrel of 40 gallons for human drinking purposes or $1.50 per barrel for stock. Town lots are held from $50 to $1,000 the higher figure being asked for Casey’s lot near the new post office site. In three months Randsburg has changed from one of the most dreary remorseless desert wastes to as lively a mining town as there is in the world and has grown faster than ever Tombstone in 1879 or the Comstock in 1S69 for in those days there was no railroad communication to aid in the rapid growth of mining towns Whether Randsburg will ever grow to the importance of either Cripple Creek or Leadville depends upon the continued of the newly found success prospects there and the finding of water in sufficient quantity to operate the nines economically.”
– The Salt Lake Herald, January 21, 1897.

Randsburg 1896
Looking east to west
courtesy of Rand Desert Museum

Gold was discovered in Randsburg in April 1895.... "It was after the summer heat of 1896 had waned that the real boom occurred and Randsburg started to take on the look of a real town. By September of 1896 the boom was so intense, that according to a visitor in the camp from Los Angeles, there were stages arriving on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. A correspondent from Garlock Stated that there were three stages a day from Mojave to the camps of Garlock and Randsburg."

"Water, lack of capital, and lawlessness were problems in the early days of the camp. In the early years of the camp, water was hauled from Garlock at a cost of $2.00 per barrel. This led to the early mills and many of the business houses being established in Garlock. However the gold and the work were in Randsburg so development of the town continued despite the shortage of water. There was, however, no shortage of liquid refreshment in the early camp. In 1896 approximately twenty-one different saloonkeepers were in business at one time or another. These thirst emporiums and gambling halls attracted a rowdy crowd. Amongst this crowd was a group called the “Dirty Dozen” who were involved in some lot “jumping” incidents and shooting scrapes.19 the first shooting in Randsburg that resulted in a murder was the shooting of Charley Richards who, in partnership with Ed Starkey, was a saloonkeeper. This shooting occurred in September of 1896. In the latter part of October of that year another shooting occurred as a result of a fight over a card game. The shooting, which occurred in the Thompson’s Saloon;, ended the life of an innocent bystander several blocks away when a bullet passed through the wall of the building and struck the man as he was walking up the street. A third and fourth shootings occurred within a day of each other in December. The third shooting occurred in the Elite Theater when Frank Stevens a member of the “Dirty Dozen” shot and killed J. F. Davis, a gambler, who became the first man buried in the local cemetery. The fourth shooting was the result of a tragic accident, which resulted in the death of A. J. Klein. Mr. Klein was sitting in front of the Capital Saloon when Constable Bohannon accidentally knocked his 44 Winchester off the back of the bar, causing it to discharge when it hit the floor, with the bullet passing through the wall and hitting the victim."

"These shootings led to newspaper headlines such as 'A man for supper' and 'Another man for dinner.'"

Randsburg today
Photo by gamersincepong

Sources:
The Rand Desert Museum

Randsburg: page 423.

Jeff Smith

Soapy Smith says "HAPPY NEW YEAR!"

2012-01-01T00:01:00.000-08:00

May happiness, health, and wealth be our lot in the new year!

JANUARY 1

1884: Soapy is arrested in San Francisco for operating the prize package soap racket.

Jeff Smith

Big mit: A Soapy Smith rigged poker game story from 1894.

2011-12-31T08:41:00.000-08:00

"Big mit" in action

Big mit/big hand: A crooked poker game set up by the Soap Gang.

Looking through the thousands of xerox copies made from rolls of microfilmed newspapers I came across the following in the Denver Rocky Mountain News March 28, 1894.

LOOKING AFTER HIS PELT.
——————
L. A. Varner claims to have won $360 in a gambling house over the Niagara saloon at Seventeenth and Market streets, and when he asked the proprietor to cash his chips he refused. Jeff Smith says that Varner has cost $4,000 in the last week and he doesn't propose to leave any shorn lambs around unprotected during the cold spell.
——————

What does this exactly mean?

The facts:
Interesting that the newspaper calls the Tivoli saloon, the Niagara saloon. Was there a name change? Did Soapy sell the saloon part of his business (again) and/or put "new management" in control of it? Was the sale real or just on paper as in other "sales." The upstairs gambling house, unnamed, is under Soapy's proprietorship.

The $360 won by Varner is the equivalent of winning $11,051.66 today. Soapy states that Varner "cost $4,000 in the last week...," the equivalent of $122,796.23 today.

It's the last statement statement made by Soapy that has me stumped.

Jeff Smith says that Varner has cost $4,000 in the last week and he doesn't propose to leave any shorn lambs around unprotected during the cold spell.

PLEASE, any suggestions as to the meaning?

Sources:
Rocky Mountain News
Tom's Inflation Calculator

ADDITIONAL NEWS!

Keith Cobb, professional magician and big fan of Soapy Smith wrote me to let me know that plans are going forward with the first annual Soapy Smith wake in Chicago set for July 2012. This event will mark the third official Soapy Smith event set for July to coincide with the families annual wake. Keith is such a big fan of Soapy's that he traveled from Chicago to Hollywood just for the Soapy Smith Night event held annually at the Magic Castle. We here at the Soapy Smith Preservation Trust are very proud of Keith's accomplishments in his personal business ventures as well as his honoring Soapy in such a grand way. If you have not done so yet I think some encouragement and thanks are due him! — J.S.

Big mit: pages 87, 197, 248, 483, 505.

Jeff Smith

Soapy Smith's eye exam

2011-12-30T00:02:00.000-08:00

The confessions of a con man as told to Will Irwin (1909)

2011-12-29T19:57:00.000-08:00

Artwork from the book Confessions...

I ran across a book from 1909 that contains a little about Soapy Smith and his time in Skagway. The book is titled The confessions of a con man as told to Will Irwin. I had actually heard about the book some years ago but could not find out if it had anything on Soapy or not until recently. The author, Will Irwin, does not disclose the name of the con man the book details. Following is the complete text of the section regarding Soapy and Skagway. I hope you enjoy it.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

On Saturday, no one had ever heard of Dawson City. On Sunday morning the papers were full of it, and the overland trains were jammed with mushers hurrying to Alaska. At the time, Jeff Steers and I were working about Chicago, playing mainly for the truck-farmers. We hadn't been doing very well, and we decided that a mining country with a strike was just about the place for us. Steers was a friend of Soapy Smith. He figured that you couldn't keep Soapy away with a twenty-mule team. We got him on the wire. He answered: "Meet me in Seattle."

AN ALLIANCE WITH SOAPY SMITH

At the time we were just about broke, but we hooked a German truck-farmer, beat him out of six hundred dollars, left two hundred of it behind with our families, and started. Soapy met us at the train. He had Just money enough to get himself to Skaguay. The police of Seattle were pretty strict, and we couldn't find anything to do. However, Steers and I proceeded to a lumber town near by, caught a sucker, and, by playing the card game which we call "giving him the best of it," we raised three hundred dollars―enough, with what we had, to take us into Skaguay.

A lot of foolishness has been written about Soapy Smith. As a grafter, he was nothing more than a poor fool. He couldn't manipulate, he couldn't steer, he couldn't do anything. But he had a lot of nerve and fight, and he was just conceited enough to pose as a bad man. That made him valuable wherever the grafters needed a head and protector. When we reached Skaguay we found a job for Soapy at once. The town was only a transportation point, a stopping place for the mushers who were going on into Dawson. They all had money; and most of them were reckless with it. There was hardly any city government, and the permanent citizens, who were living off the mushers themselves, didn't particularly object to our game. I played three-card monte myself, picking up my steerers from two or three excellent ones who had come up independently. Even as early as that I was acting the innocent Texan; and though I hadn't worked my spiel up to perfection yet, it was pretty entertaining. Well, I've had a gang of twenty or thirty Skaguay business men stand around and watch me work, just for the fun of the thing!

Still, there was always a Purity Brigade which wanted to stop us. Soapy's job was to act, as protector for the whole gang, bribing official who would take money, and intimidating those who wouldn't. For that he charged a sixth of our profits, after the nut was taken out. Many kicked at the price. A gang of shell-workers struck out on the train toward Dawson and worked independently. I've heard that they made twenty thousand dollars while the graft lasted. I started once to try Dawson on my own hook. I was half-way up the pass when some Northwest Mounted Police told me that a man couldn't get out of Dawson all winter. No town for me where I couldn't make a quick getaway! I doubled back to Skaguay.

I found trouble in the air. The official who was most troublesome to us was the surveyor-general. He warned Soapy to quit, and Soapy warned him to look out for bullets. Business men who had been my friends began to cut me on the streets. Every day you heard rumors of a vigilance committee.

I stopped one morning for breakfast at the restaurant of a Jap who stood in with us. As he laid down my ham and eggs he made a circle around his neck with his finger and pointed heavenward.

"The deuce you say," said I. "When?''

"Yesterday,'' said the Jap.

"How many?" said I. He counted on four fingers.

"What for?" said I.

He imitated the motion of a man manipulating the shells. And the grin of the simple-minded Oriental showed that he thought I was in bad.

I went out on the street. The people looked at me crosswise. Every one had heard that the four shell-workers who worked on the Dawson trail had been lynched. As a matter of fact, they had only been run off the trail; but Skaguay didn't know any different as long as I lingered.

I hunted up Soapy, and told him that we were overdue in Seattle.

"You ain't got no nerve," said Soapy.

"No," said I, "maybe not. But neither do I want to secrete a parcel of bullets in my inside from somebody's shooting- pistol.'' I took passage on a steamer which left that afternoon.

Two days later Soapy got his. The vigilantes were meeting on a wharf. Soapy walked straight up to them with his gun―he surely had nerve, that fellow. The surveyor-general was the man he wanted. They drew simultaneously. The surveyor-general dropped, but he shot Soapy from the ground. Both died that day.

Alaska people have talked like a dime novel about the Soapy Smith gang in Skaguay. Only lately, a paper said that our "coffee and doughnut men'' used to rob and kill people, and drop their bodies into the bay. That is rank foolishness. Grafters don't work that way. Soapy wouldn't have protected any man who did. The straight money from three-card monte and the shells came so easy that we would have been crazy to take such risks, even if we had been thugs and murderers. A man who knows anything about graft realizes the rattle-headedness of such talk. And I know better than any one else, because I was on the inside.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The only clue there is in regards to the identity of the con man is his partner's name, Jeff Steers. I checked the Skagway name list from the historical society and found no Steers or anything similar. I check the internet and found only references to this book.

If author Will Irwin wrote down the story exactly as the anonymous con man told it then for some reason he places Soapy pretty far down the ladder of importance, obviously to make himself out to be the more important person in the telling of his story. It is possible this con man never knew Soapy but if he indeed spoke the truth and had actually traveled to Skagway with Soapy then I believe he was not on the best of terms with Soapy to begin with and certainly not a friend or regular member of the Soap Gang. The first time Soapy went to Skagway he went with two other men. They stayed for one month and brought home around $30,000. If this con man had actually gone to Skagway with Soapy then it was most likely not on Soapy's first trip. The man's comments about Soapy's abilities teeter towards the ludicrous. If he knew Soapy he did not like him. I believe he may have been one of the many independent bunco men who flooded Alaska in the hopes of finding easy money and work in general. He may have worked for Soapy or he may not have, there is no way to know for certain. He admits at one point ("... and though I hadn't worked my spiel up to perfection yet, it was pretty entertaining.") that he is new in the field and because of this I believe he was rejected by Soapy, who was already over-loaded with men wanting to work for him, and this is where the loathsome comments stem from. Further into the story the con man mentions that Soapy "charged a sixth of our profits" leaving me leaning more towards the idea that this man was an independent operator. Another comment that got me to thinking was when he said that a "gang of shell-workers struck out on the train toward Dawson and worked independently." This is odd as the first passenger carrying train left Skagway on July 21, 1898, which is after Soapy was killed and the train only went four miles outside of the city. According to the con man he had left two days before Soapy had been killed.

The one comment made by the anonymous con man that I believe was made at the end of his story on Soapy.

Only lately, a paper said that our "coffee and doughnut men'' used to rob and kill people, and drop their bodies into the bay. That is rank foolishness. Grafters don't work that way. Soapy wouldn't have protected any man who did. The straight money from three-card monte and the shells came so easy that we would have been crazy to take such risks, even if we had been thugs and murderers. A man who knows anything about graft realizes the rattle-headedness of such talk.

Source: The confessions of a con man as told to Will Irwin (1909)
California Digital Library:

Will Irwin, The Confessions of a Con Man: pages 531, 599.

Jeff Smith

Whit "Pop" Haydn's collection of videos

2011-12-26T23:33:00.000-08:00

A monte gang snags their prey.

My very good friend, Whit "Pop" Haydn is not only a first-class magician and the sponsor of the annual Soapy Smith nights at the Magic Castle in Hollywood, but is also an educated historian on nineteenth century swindles. He has created some YouTube channels that I'd like to introduce to you. Often times I place YouTube videos people have made on this site. The YouTube channels are nice because people can place good videos into a collection so that others don't have to waste time looking all over for them. One of the channels Whit created is called Soapy Smith Night. It began as a collection of video filmed at the annual event at the Magic Castle. There you will find great footage from the 2007-2011 parties. Whit has recently started adding all interesting Soapy Smith videos he can locate. I have shown all these videos here on this site in the past but it is a sure thing more videos will be added to his channel. Do visit Whit's channel: Soapy Smith Night.

Another one of his I like is his Scams channel. Periodically I'll find and post a nice little video, usually through Whit, of a modern shell and pea operator or three-card monte tosser. Whit is now collecting all these great videos into one spot for all to enjoy and learn from. At this posting Whit has posted 40 shell game and monte videos. I had no idea that there were that many out there! All of these are real operators taking in good money, except for one video, which is the one Whit was a part of producing.

The Tetleys

The Tetlleys is a recreation of the Cracker Parker mob script for three-card monte. This was a London mob that worked from 1950-1970 on Oxford Street. If you watch this video and then proceed to closely watch Whit's other videos in his collection of operators in action you will notice that they all follow the same methods. It's a great education into the world of bunco gangs.

Trivia: In the above video, the victim (sucker) is played by none other than Whit "Pop" Haydn myself. The man can add "acting" to his resume. Be sure to visit Whit's Scams channel.

Whit "Pop" Haydn: page 10.

December 27

1883: Soapy purchases a street vendors license in Phoenix, Arizona.

Jeff Smith

Artifact #43: A letter to Soapy Smith's wife 1895

2011-12-25T21:19:00.000-08:00

Today I post another item from my collection. Artifact #43 is a letter from Hi Ki and "Yank Fewclothes" in Denver and addressed to Mary Eva Smith, Soapy's wife, in St. Louis, Missouri. It is a handwritten letter on stationary from the Brown Palace Hotel in Denver, which still proudly resides as a historical landmark. The next time I visit Denver I plan to stay there. Having the stationary does not mean that Hi Ki and Yank were staying or living in the hotel. It was common practice to use stationary where one could find it. I would venture to guess that since they were staying in the Smith home the stationary may have come from there. "Yank" wrote to Soapy in August using Brown Palace stationary again. This letter is dated October 15, 1895. The envelope, also from the Brown Palace, is postmarked in Denver on the 15th at 9:30 a.m. and postmarked again in St. Louis on the 16th at 8:00 p.m. Below is the deciphered contents of the letter and then further down I explain some of the content.

Mrs. Mary E. Smith
Dear Friend:

Your welcome letter of the 12th inst., was received by due course of mail, and I am very sorry to hear of Jimmies accident; but am pleased to learn that it was not any serious affair and that he may come out in good shape in a short time. Tell him that Hi Ki and Yank send him their warmest sympathies, and hope that he will soon be able to get up, and go out to Elitch's Garden, and see the bears and monkeys and then take me out boat riding at City Park. Am pleased to know that the other children are well and attending school. Would like very much to see you all, and hope you will come back soon, even lf you do not remain only for a short time. Met Mrs. Chase the other day, she was pleased to hear from you, and sends her kind regards and would like to see you when you return. Wished you would send her a card and she will call on you. Forwarded your letter last week to Texas. Things here are just as you left them. Hoping this will find you in good health and spirits, and that you will be here soon, with kind regards and best wishes to all family friends we remain as ever

Hi Ki and Fewclothes

(Click on image to enlarge)

Hi Ki is the wife or lover of "Yank Fewclothes" whose real name is Henry Edwards, a member (steerer) of the Soap Gang. I know very little of Hi Ki. Certainly that can't be her real name. Yank's history is detailed in my book, Alias Soapy Smith: The Life and Death of a Scoundrel.

(Click image to enlarge)

When Mary had to leave Denver Soapy did not stay in their home. He preferred to stay downtown near his businesses and the action of the saloons and gaming houses. Hi Ki and "Yank" were invited to live in the home and take care of it surely with the hope that one day Soapy would let Mary return to Denver.

Mary had been living in St. Louis, Missouri since 1889 when Soapy sent her to live with her mother after the mention of her and the children in the Rocky Mountain News and Soapy's subsequent beating of the newspapers general manager, John Arkins for mentioning them. The letter is written six years after the fact and a later letter makes mention that Mary had been to Denver previous to December 5, 1894. We know she went to Creede, Colorado for a visit when Soapy was there in 1892 so it is easy to imagine she made a trip to Denver to check on her house and see old friends like Hi Ki, "Yank" and Mrs. Chase whose husband "Big Ed" was a partner of Soapy's in the Tivoli Club (and probably other ventures as well).

(Click image to enlarge)

Ever since the April 20, 1895 beating of Arcade saloon manager John Hughes Soapy had been staying away from Denver for fear of going to prison. In August Mary and her husband spent time in Galveston, Texas.In this letter there is mention that Hi Ki had forwarded Mary's letter to Texas, which most likely was addressed to Soapy.

Hi Ki mention's "Jimmies accident," Jimmie being Soapy and Mary's youngest child, James Luther Smith, born November 27, 1889 making him one month shy of 6-years-old. There is no information on what happened to him but a another letter at the end of December has him still recuperating. Elitch Gardens mentioned in the letter as a planned trip is a famous amusement park in Denver which opened in 1890 as a zoo, which explains the mention of bears and monkeys. It was the first zoo west of Chicago. The zoo is no longer there but the park is still open as a thrill ride and water park today.

Hi Ki wrote Mary another letter, using Brown Palace stationary on December 14, 1895 (see artifact #6)

Henry "Yank V. Fewclothes" Edwards: May 29, 2011, April 11, 2010
James Luther Smith: Sept. 19, 2010
Ed Chase: Sept. 3, 2010

Henry "Yank V. Fewclothes"Creede: pages 50, 52-53, 80, 92, 111-12, 172, 232, 243, 258, 386, 388-89, 395-96, 422, 582, 589, 592, 595.
Brown Palace Hotel: pages 368, 404.

DECEMBER 25
1907: Soap Gang member, Joe Palmer, is placed in the county insane ward, imagining old enemies, alive and dead, were coming back to shoot him.

Jeff Smith

eBay photo IS NOT Soapy Smith

2011-12-23T14:45:00.000-08:00

NNOTE: The seller contacted me and has removed the item from eBay. I applaud his honesty!N

The 3rd man from the right is marked as "Soapee Smith"

Close-up of "Soapee"

Today I received my eBay searches as usual. The above photograph is being offered as that of Soapy Smith. Taking a quick look at the close-up on the left and you will see that it is not him. The seller writes the following in the description.

These three original photographs were taken in and near Skagway, Alaska in 1898 during the Klondike Gold Rush. The photographer was George Max Esterly. He came to the gold rush as a miner, did make it to Dawson, but then returned to Alaska and ran various transient businesses until leaving for Oregon where he continued mining. He was not a "photographer", but apparently just a miner who took several pictures. The Yale University Library has a photo album of his, and some other papers. These three photos survive outside his library holding. In trying to gather a bio on him, I think he was a member entrepreneur of the storied Soapy Smith's gang in 1898, before Soapy was killed on July 8, 1898.

The first picture [the one at the top of this page] measures 5x7 inches, and shows 14 men on the street in Skagway. There is a written notation in the top right, "Soapee Smith", with an arrow pointing to the third man from the right. On the bottom, in the same hand, is written "at Skaguay, Klondyke stampeede 98".

According to Skagway records Esterly was a mining engineer. There is nothing linking him to Soapy Smith and the gang.

The man in the lite-colored hat is identified as "Soapee Smith"

The eBay seller writes the following about the above photograph showing a man, most likely a confidence man, playing a game, most likely the shell and pea game. He identifies the man as being Soapy but the close-up I posted clearly shows that the man is beardless. It is not Soapy Smith.

Beardless "Soapee"

The second picture measures 6 1/4 by 4 3/4 inches, and shows several men participating at a small table game in the snow. The same hand has a written notation above, with an arrow to the man on the right, "Soapee Smith working at his game". On the bottom of the photo is "Skaguay 98". This must have been early in Soapy Smith's adventure, because out in the snow on the trail was not where Soapy Smith usually worked after being established.

I have never seen these reprinted anywhere. The first picture has corner creasing. On the back of two is some black album paper, and the third still is on a black album page. There is a stamp on the back of each picture, "George M. Esterly / Lano De Oro Mines / Waldo, Oregon." They are nice and very interesting photographs.

It was another eBay sale of another copy of the very top photograph that was the direct cause of my meeting my publisher Art Petersen. That photograph did not have the "Soapee Smith" claim, but did claim that it was part of the Soap Gang. He was interested in purchasing the photograph but I warned him that none of the men are known members of the gang, let alone identified. Odd, that the photograph (see in link below) is a far better copy than the one marked with "Soapee." Naturally, I wrote to the seller. I have yet to hear back from him.

The ebay auction can be viewed HERE.

June 21, 2011

Jeff Smith

1930s video of Skagway, Alaska

2011-12-23T10:52:00.000-08:00

Skagway T-Shirt

I was sent a wonderful link to a Youtube video showing Skagway, Alaska from the 1930s. For those that are younger, it means that the video is in black and white and silent. Enjoy!

SKAGWAY, ALASKA 1930s

Skagway, a gold rush town from 1897-1898 sort of froze after the rush was over. This video shows many original buildings left over from the stampede days. Some are gone now but many shown in the film have not only remained but have been expertly and properly restored. The footage of the White Pass and Yukon Railway traveling up the middle of Broadway and along the White Pass gold trail of 1898 is breathtaking.

Embedded into the film is a counter/timer and using it you can see the following Soapy Smith related items.

01:01:08.00: Martin Itjen's original "streetcar" tour bus drive by.
01:01:45.01: Martin Itjen's "new" bus goes by and in the rear of the bus you see an effigy of the infamous Soapy Smith saluting the crowds (Soapy is my great-grandfather).

Martin Itjen: April 8, 2011, Feb. 16, 2011,

ALSO IN THE NEWS!

Kristen Alberda, a Facebook fan from Alaska is considering starting a website called Soapyslist.com which focuses on helping people find pet-friendly rentals/sublets/services in New York City. We applaud her humanity, as well as her choice in names.

DECEMBER 23

1898: For the robbery of John D. Stewart; John Bowers is sentenced to one year for larceny and six months for assault and battery. “Slim Jim” Foster is sentenced to one year and fined $1,000 for larceny, and six months for assault and battery. Van B. “Old Man” Triplett is sentenced to one year for larceny.

Jeff Smith

The Sins of Soapy Smith: A review

2011-12-22T13:47:00.000-08:00

A fantasy card I made for Soapy's Orleans Club in Creede, Colorado

In the fall of 1997 Old West magazine published an article by Jon Kirchoff entitled, The Sins of Soapy Smith. My friend Bob "Buckshot" Bradley sent me the article in pdf format so that I might share it with you today. Below the article I review the article's facts.

The Sins of Soapy Smith

The article is about Soapy Smith but the author, Mr. Kirchoff, spends the first 7 paragraphs writing about Bob Ford. Purely in regards to the facts Mr. Kirchoff, makes a mistake in his first sentence. He spells the name of Bob Ford's killer as Edward O. Kelly. Ever since Judith Ries, a descendant of O'Kelley's, wrote the biography in 1992 the debate ended as to the correct name. We know now that his real name was Edward Capehart O'Kelley. This oversight can be forgiven as Ries' book was not mass produced, however, a search on the internet might have turned up something on her book.

Mr. Kirchoff does mention the two possible reasons O'Kelley murdered Ford. The first being that "Kelly [sic] killed Ford to avenge James' (Jesse James) death ten years prior." Although many Jesse James fans like to believe this there is simply no evidence to support the claim. O'Kelley did not know or have any connection to the James gang except for the fact that he was born in Missouri. The known facts are that Ford and O'Kelley knew one another and had a serious falling out. Mr. Kirchoff does imply that Soapy Smith hired O'Kelley to kill Ford in a power struggle for control of Creede. Although this theory is plausible there is no evidence. There are no records showing that Ford was any sort of political or underworld power in Creede, let alone any competition to the Smith regime.

The author does a nice job of describing Creede's beginnings but gives no sources for stating that the camp "averaged three killings a day." In reality, the Creede newspapers reported the first and second killing in the camp as major news, not occurring everyday. Kirchoff describes Ford's Exchange, a "combination gambling hall and brothel located in the Bachelor Camp." This is the first time I have ever read of a location mentioned outside of the Creede business district for Ford's place. Although the author does not list any sources for his statements it may be correct, the reason being that in all my research I have yet to come across a single mention of Ford's business in Creede before the fire of June 5, 1892 in any contemporary newspapers or writings. It is known that he opened a tent saloon directly after the fire. Other authors have written that Ford ran a dance hall rather than a brothel.

Kirchoff finally gets to describing Soapy and publishes the following quote from the Rocky Mountain News of 1878.

Lured by Smith's pleasing baritone, the gullible buy the cakes in hopes of winning the twenty dollar bills Soapy minutes before seemingly slips inside the wrappings of the cakes.

The problem I have with this is that according to records and Soapy's own word, he did not appear in Denver until 1879. I read the Rocky Mountain News page by page for 1878 and did not find anything relating to Soapy. I am left wishing that Mr. Kirchoff would have listed his sources and exact dates.

Kirchoff explains the story of the infamous bandit barbers which is detailed in The Reign of Soapy Smith (1935). Unfortunately I have yet to uncover any facts about the barbers and whether Soapy had any connection.

Next the story of how Soapy fooled a judge is fictionalized. Soapy did indeed go before a judge, but he did not show the court his soap sell racket. What he actually did was show the judge some of his knives he gave away as prizes in another swindle, naturally showing the judge good quality products over that of what he actually gave away to his victims.

Kirchoff messes up the chronological order of events and uses that mix-up as the reason Soapy left Denver to go to Creede. First, Soapy and the gang went to Creede in 1892, not 1891. The move was indeed due to city anti-gambling reforms but not because of Soapy's "caning" of the Rocky Mountain News general manager (not owner) John Arkins, mainly because that attack took place in 1889 not 1891 as implied by the author.

The author's story about Soapy undercutting Ford and the latter's rumblings about it, are all fiction from the author's imagination. So is the part about the Creede Chronicle writing about Ford's Exchange. I researched all the Creede newspapers and a Ford's Exchange, let alone any other business he may have owned is never mentioned. Kirchoff's quote from Ford about "killing off the entire Chronicle force" did not actually come from Ford, but rather from a female distraught over his killing.

Kirchoff does correctly talk about Ford's banishment from Creede for shooting up the town in April of 1892 but it was only for ten days not "several weeks" and Ford's partner in the rampage was Joe Palmer not "Jim" Palmer. By the way, Joe Palmer was a member of the Soap Gang and manager of the Orleans Club for a time.

Kirchoff gets into Ed O'Kelley again, stating wrongly that O'Kelley claimed to be related to Cole Younger, a crime partner of Jesse James, and that he considered himself kin to Jesse James. In reality O'Kelley never mentioned Jesse James or Cole Younger, at least not in public. Another mistake made by Kirchoff is not entirely his fault. He writes that both Soapy and O'Kelley lived in the Zang's Hotel which still stands in Creede and boasts that the two men stayed there. The problem with this is that Zang's was built after the June 5, 1892 fire. Soapy left Creede in April, at least two months before the hotel was constructed. O'Kelley killed Ford on June 8, 1892, three days after the big fire so it is highly unlikely he stayed there unless they were able to build the place in two days.

There is no evidence that O'Kelley ever played poker with Soapy, let alone ever entered the Orleans Club. Bat Masterson was not a marshal of Creede. Ford's new tent saloon erected after the fire was not called The Leadville, which was next door to Ford's tent. There is no evidence that Frenchy Duval was a member of Soapy's gang in Denver. The remaining article pertaining to Ford and O'Kelley is filled with fiction and I strongly advise not using it as historically accurate material.

Ford:
July 26, 2022, Feb. 7, 2010, Sept. 20, 2009,

O'Kelley:
Dec. 29, 2009, Oct. 14, 2008,

Ford: pages 216, 218-21, 246, 273.
O'Kelley: pages 246.

December 22

1887: ”Big Ed” Burns is the defendant in the first recorded court case of the shell game in Los Angeles, California.

Jeff Smith

Three-card monte: Dia Vernon and Soapy Smith

2011-12-14T11:04:00.000-08:00

Three-card monte

Today's video is of magician Dai Vernon explaining three-card monte, the short con used by Soap Gang members, Bowers, Triplett, and Foster to rob the gold poke of John Stewart, which resulted in Soapy Smith's death.

Dai Vernon was a huge fan of Soapy. In fact, Dai came to visit my father, John Randolph "Randy" Smith in Anaheim, California in the 1980s. Dai Vernon and the Magic Castle in Hollywood now holds an annual Soapy Smith night honoring the date of Soapy's death.

THREE-CARD MONTE

Play an honest version of three-card monte

Click to play

April 12, 2011, January 4, 2009

Three-card monte: pages 8, 10, 15, 27, 51, 53-55, 59, 69, 75, 80, 91, 121, 141, 248, 360, 467, 472, 526.

Jeff Smith

SALE ENDS DECEMBER 31, 2011

Vaudeville and Burlesque of 1898-1910

2011-12-13T17:44:00.000-08:00

Actresses?

What sort of entertainment could Soapy enjoy in Denver of the late 1890s besides his usual daily regiment of saloons and gambling houses? Vaudeville, variety theaters, hurdy-gurdy houses, and even burlesque dens filled the void between staring at the paintings and prints on the walls of the local saloon and dressing up nice for an evening at the concert theater. Below are two videos of early entertainment between 1898 -1910. I prefer "part two" myself.

Part one1898-1910

Part two1898-1910

Jeff Smith

20% off: ALIAS SOAPY SMITH: THE LIFE AND DEATH OF A SCOUNDREL

2011-12-10T02:28:00.000-08:00

20% OFF

Alias Soapy Smith:

The Life and Death of a Scoundrel

www.biblio.com/books/328560072.html

DECEMBER 10

1898: Deputy US Marshal Sylvester Taylor of Skagway is acquitted of the charge of negligence of duty for his lack of performance after the robbery of John Stewart.

Jeff Smith

In loving memory: Sydney Genevra French

2011-12-04T11:17:00.000-08:00

It is with great sadness that I pass on the news of the passing of Sydney Genevra French, November 9, 2011. Sydney was 93. She will be missed.

Sydney Genevra French is the daughter of Emma Rubie Light and Albert Sydney George French. A granddaughter of William Sydney "Cap" Light and Eva Katherine Smith. A grandchild of the sister of Jefferson Randolph Smith II, alias "Soapy" Smith.

Soapy Smith action figure fantasy piece

2011-12-02T08:01:00.000-08:00

Soapy Smith action figure
(fantasy piece)

For Christmas I want the Soapy Smith action figure and the accessory package that comes with everything you see here!

1:18 figure
Deck of playing cards
10 bars of Sapolio soap
$100 in paper currency
Tripe and keister
Satchel with working switch compartment
Winchester rifle
Revolver

*WARNING: CHOKING HAZARD-Small parts. Not For Children Under 3 Years.

I only wish this toy figure was really for sale. You can find western icon dolls of the more well known characters but thus far Soapy Smith is not in that category. A major motion picture could change that.

Jeff Smith

Edwin Smith seeks Soapy Smith, 1893: Artifact #41

2011-12-01T11:54:00.000-08:00

(Click image to enlarge)

In October 1893 Soapy Smith's cousin, Edwin Bobo Smith was looking for him. At the time Soapy was probably in Chicago with his wife Mary, visiting the Colombian World Exposition according to a letter dated October 10, 1893 (see March 9, 2010). Artifact #41 is the letter and envelope Edwin sent to George Waterbury, the Denver Post-office Inspector, in hopes that a message would be given to Soapy to contact his cousin. Most likely Edwin had sent a letter or two to Denver without a reply. This is one of the numerous letters that did not make it into my book due to space.

Edwin wrote the letter on stationary of the House of Representatives in Washington D.C. and mentioned a positive article about Denver with the intention of convincing Waterbury to act on the request. He address Waterbury as "Capt." on the envelope. I could not find any such title for Waterbury so perhaps this was also an extra nicety in the hopes that Waterbury would search for Soapy.

The envelope is addressed to “Capt George Waterbury, Denver, Colo.” it is postmark: “Washington D.C., Oct. 23, 1893.” The letter was hand-written on stationary of the House of Representatives, Washington D.C., and is dated October. 21, 1893. It reads as follows.

Mr. George Waterbury
Denver, Colo.
Dear Sir:

(Click image to enlarge)
You may remember meeting me at the time I was doing work for the Washington post, and I think I got up a little interview with you about the way Denver kept her streets in such good shape. I write to ask if you will do me the favor to ascertain the present address of my cousin Jeff Smith ("Soapy") as I want to telegraph to come to Washington on business of importance. By so doing you will confer a favor that will be appreciated highly. Truly yours, E.B. Smith. Address E.B. Smith Ass't Doorkeeper, House of Reps.

Interesting that he actually calls his cousin "Soapy" to aid Waterbury with the search. There were numerous Jeff Smith's but only one Soapy Smith.

(Click image to enlarge)

George Hobart Waterbury worked as the Denver Post-office Inspector since at least 1885. He died sometime in 1909. Although the work of a postal inspector does not ring of excitement there is at least one known event in which Waterbury showed skills and determination not normally found or needed in such a position. In 1897 Waterbury received due fame for his help in capturing a gang of post office burglars who had been successfully robbing post offices all across the country and had netted approximately $153,000 before they were rounded up. In the December 4, 1897 edition of the New York Times it reveals that Waterbury had been working with detectives for several months tracking down the gang of robbers. Waterbury was able to link Denver resident W. S. Hostetter to the gang but before he could be arrested he fled. With a warrant for Hostetter's arrest, Waterbury tracked the man's escape route all the way to the mining districts of Canada (The Klondike?) before catching, arresting, and bringing him back to Denver. Waterbury was then sent to New York to assist detectives there where it was believed the rest of the gang took refuge. Waterbury is the man who arrested the gangs leader, C. E. Morson, but not without a fight. The exciting details can be read at the New York Times Archives link below.

SOURCES

Family genealogy: Geni.com
New York Times Archives

Jeff Smith

Frank Reid's monument: Then and now.

2011-11-30T18:50:00.000-08:00

"Erected to the memory of Skagway hero
Frank H. Reid"
(photo taken in 1902)

2009 (107-years)
The memorial has survived vandals, floods and Soapy Smith wakes.
(Note the rocks wedged under the surrounding wall to level it out.)

The Frank Reid is showing its age. I wonder how long it will last without proper shoring of the surrounding wall.

September 16, 2009,

NOVEMBER 30

1897: The Rocky Mountain News reports that Soapy is “in New York organizing a Klondyke expedition to start from the East in February (1898).”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

ADDITIONAL NEWS

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Soapy's Denver attorney Judge Belford published a book in 1897, entitled The Writings and Speeches of Hon. James B. Belford. According to my research Soapy first utilized Belford's services in August of 1889 for the assault on Rocky Mountain News editor John Arkins. He used him numerous times for the next 7 years, his services ending with Soapy's assault on saloon keeper John Hughes in 1895 and the court proceedings lasting into 1896 before Soapy was officially designated a fugitive of Denver's court.

The following comes from my book:

Judge Belford, a popular Republican Denverite, in 1870 had been appointed an associate justice of the Colorado Supreme Court. Upon admission of Colorado as a State, he was elected as a Republican to Congress and re-elected to several terms. He moved to Denver in 1883 and opened a law firm. Judge Belford was known as the “Red Rooster of the Rockies” because of his flaming red hair and “magnificently roseate beard.” In August 1891 he began writing for the News a series of controversial articles on modern spiritualism, evolution, materialism, miracles, ghosts, and the after-life.

Belford's book can be viewed and read at Archive.org here: http://www.archive.org/stream/writingsspeeches00belf#page/n7/mode/2up

Jeff Smith

Think Christmas: Alias Soapy Smith: The Life and Death of a Scoundrel

2011-11-27T22:37:00.000-08:00

The perfect economical Christmas gift for those on your list who like the following...

The 19th century old west
famous saloons
famous silver and gold rush towns
famous bunco men and gangs
infamous swindles
gambling
political corruption
social corruption
vigilantes
lawmen, the good and the bad
police, the good and the bad
Colorado history
Klondike gold rush
Alaska history
gunfights and other violent altercations
and so much more!

Over 650 pages of authentic, well sourced history of one of the most famous American confidence men of the nineteenth century west. 54 photographs, many never before published. Many never before published personal and business letters and documents from to to Soapy Smith. Many new stories and facts

all for the fantastic price of

$26.00

NOVEMBER 27

1894: A gambler’s petition signed by Denver businessmen starts losing signers when it is learned that Soapy is behind the petition. His response To the Rocky Mountain News is to state that “I beg to state that I am no gambler. A gambler takes chances with his money, I don’t. I had nothing to do with the businessmen’s petition, and under no circumstances would I sign such a document. Hoping that the clergy will kindly leave me out of that 'class'…”

Jeff Smith

A little inspiration... Soapy wise

2011-11-26T20:12:00.000-08:00

Inspiration: Soapy wise

NOVEMBER 26

1853: Good friend of Soapy’s, William Barclay “Bat” Masterson is born. 1898: In a series of editorials titled “Unpunished Denver Murders,” The Denver Evening Post places Bascomb Smith’s shooting of Harry Smith on the list at number 10. To this day it remains on the list.

Jeff Smith

Pictures of Skaguay Bay: 1897-98

2011-11-25T22:16:00.001-08:00

Following are some of the early photographs I have found of Skaguay Bay in 1897-98 at the time Soapy ruled the underworld. Click the photos you would like to enlarge for a better view.

1897
Small craft owners made small fortunes
rowing out to meet larger steamships and
transferring passengers and cargo to the beach head

August 27, 1897

1897
Dyea River heading towards Skaguay Bay

1897
A floating wharf for unloading ships

1897

1898
The wharves start appearing making unloading a whole lot easier

1900s
Four massive wharves and the city of Skagway


1898 Previous to May and the building of the railroad

1897

January 1898

After the gold rush
The wharves slowly die

1898
Better times

1898
Photographs from the beach

1898

1897
Colorized photograph

1897
Unloading stampeders onto the rocking east side

1897
One of the many transportation boats in Skaguay Bay.
This one heading to Haines 33 miles away

August 1897

Jeff Smith

I spy your little game: a poem

2011-11-24T13:18:00.000-08:00

A friend of mine, Sanders, sent me the above piece of poetry. It was obviously published long ago, but is as relevant today as Thanksgiving (happy one by-the-way). My favorite lines are below.

~~~~~~~~~~

I've something now to tell you, and you'll own that it is true,

We meet so many kinds of men, we scarce know who is who,

Then of a kind advice I give, I think I'm not to blame,

Whoever you meet. be sure, at first to see their little game.

Fol de rol, &c.

The other day, I met a man, his name, he said, was Brown,

Says he: as you're a stranger, I will show you round the town,

Of course, you'll stand espenses, next week I'll do the same,

Says I: excuse me Mr. B— I spy your little game.

While at the races, lately, around I chanced to stray,

A man, at three card-monte was shuffling away,

Says one to me: I bet you fifty the next card you cannot name,

Says I: sir, I'm not quite green enough, I spy your little game.

The other day, going down Broadway, at a Faro-bank I stopped,

Where on the red and black cards the men their dollars popped;

Says one to me: I bet a V.— now, you do just the same,

Says I: my friend, excuse me, but I spy your little game.

~~~~~~~~~~

I received some nice comments from Facebook friends, Roger Smith and Christina Kelley Marshall today.

Roger writes,

"The more I read about Soapy the more it holds that 'truth is often stranger than fiction.' What a complex person he was. The King of the Frontier Con Artist, but at the same time the most generous man in Skagway."

Christina writes,

"The book is awesome and you can tell a lot of work went into it. It's a great read!!"

Thank you very much Roger and Christina.

Jeff Smith

Bishop Rowe Hospital: Skagway, Alaska.

2011-11-23T15:12:00.000-08:00

Early photo of the Skaguay Hospital
February 1898
Later renamed the (Bishop) Rowe Hospital
(W. L. Whitaker Collection, Alaska State Library)

The Rowe Hospital has been a footnote in the history of Soapy Smith, being the place where Frank H. Reid was taken and where he died after the shootout on Juneau Wharf where he was shot by Soapy. Besides what little information was published in The Skaguay News and The Daily Alaskan, my first education about the hospital came from Martin Itjen's book, The Story of the Tour On the Skagway, Alaska Street Car (1934) in which Martin wrote,

This was Bishop Rowe Hospital, which by the way, is the place where they took Reid when he was shot by "Soapy'' Smith. It was our hospital for a number of years, but after the people quit getting sick he had to close the place on March 31st, 1905.

The Bishop Rowe Hospital
1898-1900

The history of the once Bishop Rowe Hospital in Skagway is almost coincident with that of the town itself. The same was founded by a group of townspeople on Feb. 19th, 1898 to meet the emergency of the great epidemic of spinal meningitis which then swept the region. The largest log cabin in town — 16 by 24 was purchased with funds raised by subscription, a nurse secured. So great was the emergency that not even beds were provided, and patients were cared for lying side by side on the floor. Men died unknown and uncured for in their tents and cabins.

Primitive as the hospital arrangements were, it proved an incalculable good in that time of scourge. April 16th 1898 Bishop Rowe was asked to assume charge and ownership. They made over to him the cabin and lot on which it stood, stipulating that he should make an immediate outlay of $1000 in building. The old books show that he laid out $3000. The two story frame building on the south was added.

The ground that was once tilled by the patients, now yields gorgeous tulip poppies and luscious red raspberries, and is the home of Mrs. Stanton Yeomans.

Hospital patient Frank Reid
July 9 - July 22, 1898

From Glenda J. Choate's book, Skagway, Alaska Gold Rush Cemetery we read that the,

first hospital in Skagway opened in February 1898, when the spinal meningitis epidemic ravaged the local community. Money was raised to rent and furnish a hospital building on the corner of McBride Avenue and Ivy Street. On February 23, 1898 the Morning Alaskan reported that "the lot is 50'x100', house is 1.5 story log, 18'x24', with a cellar, stable and a large quantity of wood for $600.'' The paper also reported the following admissions to the hospital that week. Ten patients were cared for with these ailments:

1- frozen toes amputated 2 - cerebral spinal meningitis
2 - pneumonia
2 - grippe
1 - bronchitis
1 - influenza
1 - inflammation of the bowel
1 - death

In April [1898] the hospital became the Bishop Rowe Hospital, named for Episcopal Bishop Peter Trimble Rowe, its benefactor, who made frequent trips to Skagway. Women of Skagway decided the hospital needed a women's ward, and funds were soon raised for the ward. The Bishop Rowe Hospital advertised on April 15, 1899 that "its location was high and healthy, accommodations for 30 patients, clean, well ventilated, with own dispensary with full stock of medicines and three doctors on staff ."

Our neighbor, Skagway Folklore posted (April 6, 2010) the text of a letter dated April 15, 1898 from the Right Reverend Peter Rowe, Bishop of Alaska in which "he described the desperate situation in Skagway and the need for the hospital."

"...the people of Skaguay have been forced to start an emergency hospital. The need of it beggars description. It has relieved many cases of great distress. The people have responded to appeals to their humanity nobly. Impressed with the importance of the institution, representatives of the public have asked me to take charge of it, and I have done so. They have transferred it all into our hands.

"The emergency hospital is a low cabin 30 feet long and 18 feet wide. One room on the ground floor answers for kitchen and cots; one room above is but half-story or attic. In this room I found 12 cots, and 10 of them were occupied with men in all stages of pneumonia and meningitis. Yesterday while visiting it a young man was brought in from the summit, 18 miles, on a sled, tied on to keep him from falling off, having been dragged over rocks and through mud all that distance.

"Last night I was with a young man who died in my arms, from New Brunswick, telling me what to say to his father and mother and sisters. It was most sad, most pitiful. Sickness is ging to increase. The appeals to our humanity cannot be ignored. The sick are absolutely friendless, helpless, and without the hospital would simply die by the wayside. We have one woman nurse, two men, and a cook. Skaguay doctors are attending for little or nothing as expenses permit. We must build an addition if only of an inexpensive and temporary character.

"I am going to begin this immediately. Present accommodations are totally inadequate and unsuitable. We have assumed great responsibility."

White Pass and Yukon Railway hospital
(Probably similar to the inside of Rowe Hospital)

It is known that Soapy was one of the first contributors to the hospital. The following is from my book (Alias Soapy Smith).

The Daily Alaskan published another subscription list, this time of those who had contributed to the community hospital site and building that had been purchased from Packer Joe Brooks. “Jeff R. Smith” was fourth from the top with a $25 donation. Previously, when the Union Church adopted the idea, as reported in Sinclair’s Mission: Klondike, “a board of three trustees was named with Reverend R. M. Dickey as chairman.” A committee was formed to canvass Skaguay for contributions, and one night as canvassing lists were being reviewed, Dickey’s Gold Fever narrator, Quebec, tells of coming “to one entry that read, “Jefferson Smith $25.” The person who collected that donation said,

“…I was passing Jeff’s place, and he came to the sidewalk and said, ‘I understand you’re collecting money to build a hospital. That’s something any of us may need sometime—I’d like to help.’ And he handed me $25.”

After a debate about not accepting tainted money, Rev. Dickey (named “Dominie” in Gold Fever) said, “If Soapy wants to contribute to a good cause, we have no right to prevent him.” When asked what was thought “of the stories being circulated about Soapy’s benevolences,” Dickey replied, “I believe some of them are true….”

Soapy's involvement with the hospital did not end there, again from my book:

Dr. W. T. Barrett wrote of his having observed Jeff look after some of his men when they were afflicted by disease.

I met Soapy Smith many times during our ten days stay in and near Skagway through D. Moore, a resident physician who was attending dozens of cerebrospinal meningitis cases, many of whom were associated with Soapy in gouging the public. Soapy often accompanied us on our daily rounds and seemed rather a delightful fellow to meet, one that would pass in any ordinary community as a successful business man—mild mannered and much interested in the humanities. His record, however, as an outlaw leader was well known to both American and Canadian authorities.

Sept. 16, 2009

Bishop Rowe Hospital: page 537.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

ADDITIONAL NEWS!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Our friends over at Rocky Mountain Profiles have some photographs of how Sunrise, Alaska looks today. Hope is one of the camps Soapy visited on his first trip to Alaska in 1896. A diary notation confirms that he swindled miners with the prize package soap sell racket.

Jeff Smith

Jeff Smith's Parlor study: Klondike Gold Rush National Historic Park.

2011-11-20T11:37:00.000-08:00

Newspaper ad for Soapy Smith's saloon
Skagway, Alaska
Daily Alaskan July 2, 1898

The PDF version of the Klondike Gold Rush National Historic Park study of Jeff Smith's Parlor has been released. I was lucky enough to have received a hard copy but below you can now view the full study. I found it very interesting!

Back in the 1980s I made business card size copies of the Jeff Smith's Parlor ad (see photo at top). Purchasers of my book that asked for my to autograph the book received one of the cards. It's not meant as a reward for asking for an autograph, but merely the fact that my publisher does not have the cards, I do.

Palor Museum Hsr

NOVEMBER 20

1892: “Chief” Soapy presents his fraternity, the Improved Order of Red Men with a war bonnet that came directly off the battlefield of Wounded Knee.

~~~~~~~~~~

ADDITIONAL NEWS!

Our friends over at Rocky Mountain Profiles have some photographs of how Hope, Alaska looks today. Hope is one of the camps Soapy visited on his first trip to Alaska in 1896. A diary notation confirms that he swindled miners with the prize package soap sell racket.

~~~~~~~~~~

Jeff Smith

Soapy Smith and the World's Industrial & Cotton Centennial Exposition, 1884-85

2011-11-19T21:48:00.000-08:00

(source: nola.com)

In my book there is a newspaper writeup in which Soapy Smith states he and some of his men attended the 1884-85 World's Industrial and Cotton Centennial Exposition in New Orleans, Louisiana. Investigating the massive size and constant incoming and outgoing traffic via the railroad and steamship it is a sure-thing he and his gang plucked easy cash from the crowds with various short cons such as three-card monte or the shell and pea racket. It's even possible he auctioned off his infamous cash laden prize soap.

The following comes from my book.

Jeff's name was absent from the Denver newspapers for much of 1884 and for the first five months of 1885. He seems to have kept an extremely low profile as he established himself in the city. During this period, he might still have been traveling, and one trip might have led to a stay of many months. Eight years later, in 1893, the Rocky Mountain News published an uncharacteristically humorous story about Jeff, said to have been told by Jeff himself. The setting is among men aboard a train returning to Denver. Called upon for a story, Jeff told one that occurred on his return from the New Orleans World’s Industrial and Cotton Centennial Exposition, which ran from December 16, 1884, to June 2, 1885.

SOAPY SMITH’S STORY
How His Eyes Were Blinded and How He Was Fooled.

The crowd of “sports” … found perennially partaking of the lavish hospitality of Col. Jefferson R. Smith, better known as “Soapy” Smith, the prince of bunco men, had drifted around to the prevalent bank hold-ups and railroad robberies as a topic of conversation. The party had been entertained with numerous blood-curdling tales of the James and Dalton gangs, interlarded with invitations from Jeff to “have something, boys.” And a lull that succeeded one of the libations was broken by a suggestion that their host had not contributed to the fund of stories. Now, if there is one thing more than another that is characteristic of the Hon. Jefferson, it is his extreme modesty as to himself and his exploits. He blushingly announced that what he knew about robberies and desperadoes wouldn’t hold a candle to the thrilling tales that had just been told, but he was finally induced to impose a severe strain upon his memory, and so began:

“It was several years ago—yes, Ed, before I discovered the ‘petrified man’ at Creede. Don’t interrupt me, or you’ll make me forget. As I was saying, it was several years ago, during the world’s fair at New Orleans. I had been down to take in the sights of the Mardi Gras festival. No, Ed, I said ‘take in the sights.’ I wasn’t there on business, Shut up!

(source: specialcollections.tulane.edu)

“Well, as I was about to remark before you inserted your insinuation, I was on my way back to Memphis after the festival was over. We had passed Little Rock and as I was feeling restless, I had been walking up and down the length of the train, from the smoker to the rear Pullman.

At the first station out of Little Rock I noticed a suspicious looking fellow board the train. At the next station another got on, and when the train station was reached and a third man mounted the car steps, my suspicions were aroused. You know I have quite a reputation as an amateur detective, and this conjunction of the planets incited my sleuthing propensities. I kept my eye on the trio and before long they got together in the smoker and began to hold a whispered conversation. I started to walk up the aisle past them to get a drink of water. Yes, sometimes, when I can’t get anything else. Well, you know I am no sort of a hand to dress up and I looked rather rough in my slouch hat and high boots that day. I looked hard at them as I passed and I noticed that my glance had the effect of disturbing them considerably. I had on a big silver Mardi Gras badge, partially hidden by my coat, and I suppose they caught sight of that and the hump where my gun stuck out of my pocket and took me for a town marshal or a local officer of some kind.

“I went on up the aisle and was filling the cup at the water cooler when one of the trio got up and came forward. The car was nearly empty and I didn’t know but he might attempt violence. But he held out his hand and said, ‘How-d’ye do, friend.’ I was surprised, but I shook hands with him, just to be polite, and was about to tell him he had the advantage of me, when he turned and walked back to his seat without a word.

“When I had recovered from the mild surprise that his behavior had occasioned I felt something crumpled up in the hand he had shaken, and upon looking I found it to be a crisp $100 note. ‘Great Scott! What’s this?’ I thought. ‘These fellows have been up to some mischief and think they can bribe me not to blow on them.’ I happened to have a couple of thousand with me of course. If I’d been dead broke no one would have come near me.

“Did I get off at the next station and telegraph the police? No, you bet I didn’t. I dropped into the nearest seat and spread my handkerchief over my face and the next thing I knew it was morning, and we were putting into Memphis.

“As I walked up the street the news boys were crying ‘All about the big robbery,’ and I bought a paper to see what it was. When I had read about ten lines I hired that boy to kick me … round the city hall park, and then I went down to the Zoological gardens and let the monkeys make faces at me the rest of the day. Three men had broken into the court house of a county back in Mississippi and robbed the safe of the county treasurer of $12,000 in notes and coin! They had been followed to the nearest railroad, where they took the night train and that was the last seen of them. Twelve thousand dollars! And I was tickled over that measly little hundred. If I had only known—”

But here “Soapy” became entangled in his reflections and nobody thought it best to disturb him.

The Cotton Exposition was an event Soapy and bunco men in general yearned for. We know that Soapy purchased "fair lists" while nomading around the west swindling the unwary. Fairs were one thing but an exposition of this size was the golden goose, not to be passed up. Although it is most probable that Soapy did attend and operate at the event, there is no provenance other than his own word. The newspapers of New Orleans only mention a bunco gang problem a full two months before opening day.

Cleaning up the city before the exposition
The Louisiana Democrat
October 14, 1884

Soapy was certainly not the only confidence man to operate at the exposition. Crime related to the event started on the streets once visitors disembarked from the trains and boats, but it did not stop there. Even the organizers and city officials took advantage of the situation. The fair was plagued with corruption and scandals. Even the state treasurer saw the opportunity to run off with almost two million dollars of state money including most of the fair's budget.

Birds-eye view of the
World's Industrial and Cotton Centennial Exposition
(source: nutrias.org)

When he arrived at the exposition is not known. Opening day was December 16, 1884 but where Soapy was is not certain because he was still in his nomad stage. From artifacts in the family collection we know he purchased a vendors license in Del Norte, Colorado on September 13, 1884 but that appears to be the last record I have dating before December 16. He possibly attended the event at the time it opened but he definitely did not stay there in New Orleans the whole time as newspapers in Denver relate his arrest on May 12, 1885, and again on May 22. It is very possible he could have returned to New Orleans and stayed until "after the festival was over" (June 2, 1885) as he stated, then returning to Denver where on June 23 his peddler's license was rescinded by the Denver city council.

Tulane University in New Orleans has a large collection of exposition artifacts. They made the YouTube video below about the remains. Interesting to note is that Tulane University has a connection with Soapy. One of his grand-uncles, Anthony Peniston, a physician was a co-founder of the School of Medicine in New Orleans, which later became the Tulane University. His portrait hangs in Founders Hall, and Peniston Street in New Orleans is named in his honor. (Click here for more information)

Soapy's story included a fanciful meeting with some safe robbers, in which, “Three men had broken into the court house of a county back in Mississippi and robbed the safe of the county treasurer of $12,000 in notes and coin!”

I used the Library of Congress to search newspapers for any robberies that fit Soapy's description. I found not a single robbery in Mississippi remotely resembling a robbery of that nature between 1884-1885. I found similar robberies though.

February 14, 1885 (Galveston, Texas): The county treasurer's safe was robbed by two masked men of $1,000 in cash and $22,000 in State securities.
June 3, 1885 (Kandiyohi County, New Mexico): Treasurer's safe robbed of $7,000 cash

Sources:
Wikipedia: World Cotton Centennial.

World's Industrial and Cotton Centennial Exposition: page 93-94.

Jeff Smith

1908 Denver map: TIVOLI

2011-11-18T09:14:00.000-08:00

DENVER 1908
17th Street by the Union Station train depot
(Red circle shows Tivoli Hotel)

One of the pages I watch on Facebook is Visit Denver. Recently they posted a very large map of Denver in 1908. I zoomed into 17th Street and Market and found a hotel named TIVOLI (see map above). At first glance it crossed my mind that this could be an older map section that was not updated and that the "Tivoli" was Soapy Smith's Tivoli Club saloon and gaming house, or that who ever took over the Tivoli saloon kept the name and that it continued to operate. Upon closer inspection of the map I could see that the south section of the building (Deutsch's building(?)) that held the Tivoli Club had been altered or rebuilt. I believe that most of the original building had been torn down except for the portion containing the hotel in 1908. At least the unique window configuration appears to be the same.

Although the map is dated 1908 many of the old buildings and businesses that Soapy knew, still existed so the map is a great aid.

Soapy Smith's Tivoli Club
The Deutsch building
(Left side of photograph)
Jeff Smith Collection

Full 1908 map

Tivoli Club: Feb. 28, 2011, Aug. 11, 2009, July 23, 2009, June 4, 2009, Dec. 9, 2008.

Tivoli Club: pages 79-81, 89, 120, 124-29, 131-32, 138-39, 171-72, 176, 182-83, 185, 188, 190, 197, 247-48, 256-57, 260-64, 272-78, 283-84, 286-87, 324, 336, 338, 352, 358, 389, 420.

NOVEMBER 18
1887: Soapy acts as timekeeper during a boxing match 18-miles outside of Denver.

Jeff Smith

The term "Cheap John."

2011-11-17T08:25:00.000-08:00

Colorado Governor Waite as a "cheap John"
Rocky Mountain News
January 7, 1894

In Alias Soapy Smith I talk about Soapy Smith starting out, just previous to entering the bunco world, as a "cheap John." This information comes from his cousin Edwin Smith who stated that on a bad day Soapy was netting $20 to $25 a day, which in 1877 was equivalent to making $568 to $710 a day in today's market.

This was the first time I had ever heard the term and at the time I had no luck finding another example except for the above political cartoon on the front page of the Rocky Mountain News. I just now Google the term and found an article in the New York Times (October 29, 1871) about some particular cheap Johns in the Bowery but the author was ignorant of the methods used by the men, in that it's not like a normal salesman pitch. The following is from my book.

A cheap John operation is the predecessor of the jam auction, which Jeff would later operate in Denver. An operator sells, usually under high pressure, practically worthless merchandise at a fraction of its value in order to excite and confuse the audience. Sometimes the items are said to be valuable manufacturers’ promotional items. First, small, practically worthless items are given away to everyone, then unexpectedly slightly more valuable items are sold to bidders for almost nothing. The procedure is conducted in a way that confuses buyers about whether they are putting up money "as a good faith gesture" that they will get back or whether they are tendering payment. When buyers are thoroughly confused, the cheap John adds the final wrinkle: the sale of almost worthless (but apparently valuable) merchandise for what seem like outrageous "bargain" prices.

The political cartoon above shows radical Populist Party Colorado Governor Davis "Bloody Bridles" Waite as a cheap John in 1894 before the infamous Denver City Hall War. The cartoon refers to Waite's plan to have gold dollars made in Mexico for a new currency. Denver's city officials and Republican party leaders are making up the crowd in which Waite is trying to sell his plans to.

~~~~~~~~~~

ADDITIONAL NEWS

A couple of nice comments came in from some recent book sales and I wanted to share them with you.

Jack Croad Carver wrote, “The more I read of your book the more he becomes my hero, lol…for a scoundrel he was great.”
William R. Hunt, author of Distant Justice: Policing the Alaska Frontier (1987) and North of 53: The Wild Days of the Alaska-Yukon Mining Frontier 1870-1914 (1974), both of which I quoted in my book, wrote, “I received Jeff Smith's bio of Soapy and enjoyed it very much, marveling at the extent of his research and ability to organize for effective presentation."

~~~~~~~~~~

March 23, 2011

Cheap John: pages 27, 29-30, 32, 36, 42-43, 58, 131, 137-38, 190.

Jeff Smith

The schooner Janus once belonged to bad man Soapy Smith.

2011-11-16T15:11:00.000-08:00

Jeff. Smith's Parlor.
Probably July 4, 1898
Soapy Smith is believed to be the right of the front door and his gray colored horse,
on the left, is being attended to by a man sitting on the boardwalk.

On the morning of July 8, 1898 the day Soapy Smith was killed. He purchased the Janus, a schooner from Capt. S. E. Bright. It seems pretty clear that Soapy was preparing for a possible exit from Skagway, most likely due to the brewing trouble after the robbery of John Stewart's gold poke. After Soapy's death Bright claimed that although he had given Soapy a bill of sale, he had never been paid. The Janus was returned to Bright on July 23, 1898. Below is a newspaper article sent to me by Gay Mathas. Perhaps one day I will get lucky enough to come across a photograph of the infamous schooner.

The Oregonian
August 27,1897

FITTING OUT A FISHBOAT.
___

The Little Schooner Janus to start for Alaska.

ASTORIA, Aug. 28. ― A party of 11 San Franciscans has purchased the little schooner Janus, and is fitting her out for a trip to Alaska. The adventurers expect to start within a few days. Some of the party will sale from here on the little vessel, but the majority will go on board of her at Port Townsend. The Janus will be taken as far as Dyea and there sold. E. C. Merwin will have charge. The Janus is but little larger than a fishboat, and the trip will be an extremely hazardous one.

The Janus: pages 530, 545.

Jeff Smith

The Devil's Grin: A review

2011-11-12T07:25:00.000-08:00

The Devil's Grin
by artist Randy Steffen

At least regarding Soapy Smith these older old west magazine articles I am posting need to be considered historical novels, based on a true story. Most of the writers are not historians seeking the truth. Many of them take great literary license to the point of inventing names and events. I began this campaign with the idea of correcting the mistakes in the articles but found myself writing the same thing over and again, such as the fact that Soapy was never a cowboy, etc. So I decided just to publish the articles and let you, the reader, enjoy them knowing they cannot be used for non-fiction reference or source. I hope you enjoy this one as much as I enjoy bringing them to you!

Once again I thank my good friend Bob "Buckshot" Bradley for finding these old articles and putting them on pdf format so that you can view them as they were original published. This one is entitled Devil's Grin and was published in Old West magazine in the spring of 1966. The magazine sold in stores for .50 cents.

Devils Grin

TRIVIA

This same magazine issue contains another Soapy Smith article entitled, They Stole the Parson's Pants, regarding the incident in Creede, Colorado 1892 when Rev. Thomas Uzzell was robbed of his wallet and pants while he slept. The Rev. was a friend of Soapy's in Denver, at least until Gambling was shut down with Uzzell's help. Soapy is the one who gave Uzzell the amount he had lost. Some time later in Denver Rev. Uzzell mysteriously had his wallet returned to him.

__________

ADDITIONAL NEWS!

My good friend, James Wright attended the Texas Gun Collectors Association show in Fort Worth and saw for sale a strongbox filled with original news articles dealing with Soapy, that was supposed to have once belonged to Soapy. Unfortunately, James misplaced the seller's business card. The man also had a copy of the 1907 booklet, The Soapy Smith Tragedy, but other than that there was no provenance.

If anyone knows this dealer I would love to contact him or have him contact me.

__________

Jeff Smith

Happy Birthday Soapy Smith

2011-11-02T06:23:00.000-07:00

From my book.

Jefferson Randolph and Emily [Soapy's father and mother] moved in with Ira [Soapy's grandfather] at Shoal Creek to help care for Ira’s ailing wife, Ellen. Another Ellen, the daughter of Columbus Darwin Smith and the granddaughter of Ira, named Ellen Smith Faver, also moved to Shoal Creek. She came after her mother, Nancy Edmondson, died on October 21, 1860. Two days later Ira’s wife Ellen also died. In a letter, Ellen Faver Smith writes that ten days later, on November 2, 1860, Jefferson Randolph Smith II was born.

So much pain mixed in with the joy.

Jefferson and Emily had five children, of whom four survived. They were Jefferson Randolph, Eva Katherine, Emmie Lou, and Bascomb. Ellen Faver, who lived at the plantation until after the Civil War, came to know the first-born child and had good to say of him as a youngster: “I can truly say that a brighter more manly little boy, I have never known.” This good opinion did not last. Jefferson Randolph Smith II was to become infamously known by the moniker of “Soapy.” Jeff’s future exploits brought so much shame and disgrace to his kin in Coweta County that his name was erased from birth records in the family bible. The eraser marks can be faintly seen to this day.

Jeff Smith

The Soap Game: Fools of Fortune by John P. Quinn, 1890

2011-11-01T13:11:00.000-07:00

Soapy Smith performing
the prize package soap sell racket
From Soapy by Mike Miller

For your enjoyment and education today is the general operation of the prize package soap sell racket from the book, Fools of Fortune, by John Philip Quinn 1890.

THE "SOAP GAME."

This is a trick of confidence operators which often proves exceedingly successful in extracting money from the pockets of men who consider themselves fairly well versed in the knowledge of the world. The outfit is very simple, and by no means expensive. A number of small cakes of soap of no particular value are procured, or sometimes soap is bought in bars, which are cut into pieces of the desired size. A quantity of cheap pasteboard boxes, each having a drawer somewhat larger than is the piece of soap which it is to contain, are procured and soap placed inside of them. In order to work the game, a room-usually one opening off the street-is rented. The "soap man" takes his position on a raised platform, and when a crowd has gathered to see what is going on he takes out a cake of cleansing soap, i.e., a preparation for removing grease and similar substances from cloth. He proceeds to expatiate upon its merits, illustrating his remarks by experimental demonstration. If he is a good talker, and intersperses his remarks with a few interesting anecdotes, he succeeds in attracting and keeping the interest of his audience. When he has proceeded far enough in his remarks he informs his listeners that the manufacturers of this wonderful preparation are seeking to intro- duce it in a somewhat novel way; that they propose to place a given amount of currency in a certain number of boxes together with a cake of soap in each. These boxes, he says, will be thoroughly mixed and every purchaser will be allowed to select any three boxes (the price of which will be $1.00) from the entire number offered. To prove his sincerity and truthfulness he draws from his pocket several bills, of denominations ranging from $1.00 to $20.00, and announces that he will place them inside the boxes in the presence of the crowd. He takes the bills in his hand, one at a time, folds them up carefully, and apparently inserts them in the boxes. Each box, after the bank note has been placed in it, is dropped into a large leather satchel. When he has disposed of all the bills, he takes the satchel in both hands and shakes it, with a view to thoroughly mixing the boxes. He then opens it and offers to allow any one present to select three boxes on the payment of one dollar. It is the easiest thing in the world to sell the soap, but no legitimate purchaser ever succeeds in obtaining more than a single dollar bill. The reason is that the vendor adroitly "palms" off the bills of larger denominations, substituting therefor dollar bills which he has previously rolled up and which he holds in his hand at the time that he apparently inserts the large bills into the boxes in the presence of the spectators. In other words, when the boxes have been dropped into the satchel and mixed none of them contain a note of a larger denomination than one dollar, the confidence man having still in his possession all of the large bills. When it is remembered that not more than one box in ten contains any money whatever, the chances of drawing a prize are readily seen to be exceedingly small. The buyers, however, believe that they have seen the large bills placed in the boxes before their eyes, and part with their money very readily. It may be easily seen that "cappers" are almost indispensable in this as in so many other confidence games. It is not necessary that any signal should pass between the confederates. The "capper" usually places his three boxes in his pocket as soon as he has purchased them. Someone in the crowd is always certain to ask him to open them. At first he objects, but finally yields to persuasion. He takes out three boxes from his pocket and one of them is always found to contain a large bill. The explanation of his apparent good luck is very simple. When he puts the three boxes in his pocket he had there another one, precisely similar in size and appearance, containing the bank note which he exhibits to the crowd. When he drew three boxes from his pocket, he took the one which he previously placed there together with two of those which he had taken from the bag.

Tom Biss as Soapy Smith
Skagway, Alaska
circa 1970s

Prize package soap sell swindle: pages 8, 15, 37-39, 41, 43, 45-56, 48, 51, 55-56, 58, 75, 95-97, 106, 119-120, 149, 159, 163, 410, 464, 485.

Jeff Smith

The Soapy Smith Discussion Forum

2011-10-29T21:47:00.000-07:00

There is some interesting correspondence going on right now on the Soapy Smith Discussion Forum. Come on over and check it out. You are welcome to join in (beginners too). Feel free to ask questions, make comments, etc.

Bits to consider

Matt Deach of Skagway informs me: “Frank Reid's gun is owned by Ryan Rapuzzi of Skagway, who I believe lives in Anchorage now.” At this time I have not been able to locate Ryan Rapuzzi. Anyone with information on this is urged to contact Jeff Smith.

Jeff Smith

More on Soapy Smith's mine claim in Idaho 1897: artifact #7

2011-10-25T08:51:00.000-07:00

$4,000,000 donkey
Wardner, Idaho 1880
(star marks the Bunker Hill mine)

On April 12, 2010 I posted artifact #7, the original 1897 document in my collection in which Soapy won or purchased a 1/8 interest in the silver mine of Phil ORourke in the Bunker and Sullivan Claims in the Slocan District. I published what I knew at the time and this is an update of that information.

The following comes from Alias Soapy Smith, p. 424-25.

For $1.00 Jeff bought from one Martin Murphy his 1/8 interest in a gold mine located about 150 miles north of Spokane. The bill of sale, appearing to be Martin Murphy’s hand, evidences having been written under duress or in something akin to distraction, hurriedness, or inebriation. Words are repeated. The word heirs is misspelled and rewritten, again incorrectly. Punctuation and capital letters appear (or do not appear) in odd places, and the description is not clear, requiring a closing reference to where the claim is recorded. Dictation of the contents could account for confusion and so many anomalies. The document is on stationary from the Grand Hotel, apparently Jeff’s principal residence in Spokane, and is presented as written. Martin began by filling in the date line this way:

Spokane, Wash., Jnury 24th 1897
To all Persons Concerned.

This agreement entered into between Martin Murphy party of the first part and Jeff R Smith party of the second part, For and in consideration of the sum of $1.00 One Dollar, I Martin Murphy do sell transfer assign and sell to Jeff R Smith his heirs heiress assigns and administrators forever. My One eighth interest also the One eighth interest of Phil ORourke’s in the Bunker and Sullivan Claims in the Slocan District more fully described in Dowion and B.B. Records Recorded in the town of Kaslo.
Principal Martin Murphy
Witness Jas. E Walker

Discovering the photo at the top of this post led me to Jim Wardner and his book, Jim Wardner of Wardner, Idaho an autobiography written in 1900 which I found on Google Books.

The book, nor the Bunker Hill Mining Company Records makes any mention of Martin Murphy who owned and handed over his 1/8th ownership in the mine to Soapy. Besides the mining district itself, the only name from artifact #7 that appears in the records is Phil O'Rourke. Jim Wardner wrote the following in his book.

PHIL O'ROURKE: A fitting companion and pardner of Con Sullivan hardy industrious and faithful He had long been a prospector and was thoroughly familiar with the conditions that are necessary to make even a bonanza profitable Such was the outfit that Peck & Cooper grubstaked that discovered the Bunker Hill and Sullivan and began the development of the Coeur d'Alene

Later in the book Wardner writes.

From the evidence of the witnesses this Court is of the opinion that the Bunker Hill mine was discovered by the jackass, Phil O Rourke and NS Kellogg and as the jackass is the property of the plaintiffs Cooper & Peck they are entitled to a half interest in the Bunker Hill and a quarter interest in the Sullivan claims Thus spoke Judge Norman Buck of the District Court of Idaho in his decision of the celebrated case involving the ownership of two claims in the Coeur d'Alene district of Northern Idaho now valued at $4,000,000 and giving direct employment to more than 400 miners.

Rather comical is the first line as it appears that author Jim Wardner is calling Phil O'Rourke a "jackass." However, he actually means a jackass, as in donkey, which is why the photograph at the top has the title, [originally printed on the photo] $4,000,000 donkey.

Map of Coeur D'Alene mine district
Bunker and Sullivan mine
(Click image to enlarge)

Additional information:

Wikipedia: Bunker Hill Mining Company

Guide to the Bunker Hill Mining Company Records: 1887-1984

April 12, 2010

Bunker Hill and Sullivan Mine (artifact #7): pages 424-425.

Jeff Smith

Soapy Smith's Greatest Hoax: A review

2011-10-23T17:56:00.000-07:00

Ashley Smith, a great-great-granddaughter of Soapy Smith
with Sylvester, alias McGinty 1998

I always felt that one of the more interesting stories to come out of my decades of research on Soapy Smith is the information on McGinty the petrified man of Creede, Colorado in 1892. Of that story, perhaps the most important part is that McGinty is still on display in the state where it was last sold in 1895.

Although the old Creede newspapers were pretty detailed about McGinty apparently few of the early biographers were able to find copies of the articles. As so usual, many authors simply made up their own information. A good example of the latter was published in November 1960 in Real West magazine by George Malcom Majors under the title, Soapy Smith's Greatest Hoax.

Soapy Smith's Greatest Hoax

Following is a list of mistakes in chronological order by page.

Page 14

[The photograph on this page is reversed]
Mr. Majors writes that McGinty the petrified man was found on May 14, 1892 but where he sourced this date from is unknown. The Creede Candle clearly reports the discovery on April 9, 1892.
Majors states that Soapy placed Joe Simmons in control of the New Orleans Club and that Soapy claimed he was getting out of the business. Actually, Soapy never made the claim. He also did not (could not) place Joe Simmons in control of the Club because Simmons had passed away on March 18, 1892, a month prior to the discovery of McGinty. Joe Simmons had been manager of the Orleans Club up until the time of his death, after which, Joe Palmer was made manager of the saloon and gaming house.
Majors makes the claim that Soapy had found McGinty on his own silver claim. Indeed, Soapy had several claims around Creede in his name but McGinty was not "found" by Soapy. It was "discovered by J. J. Dore and George W. Lewis and was "purchased" by Soapy for $3,000. This purchase was on paper only as few would have believed McGinty real had Soapy found it himself. Later it is revealed that George Lewis is one of the gang members.

The story of McGinty is a fascinating one and is covered in detail in my book, Alias Soapy Smith. My book includes the theory of the identification of the corpse that became McGinty.

Page 15

The photograph and story indicate that Soapy displayed McGinty inside Bob Ford's tent saloon. There is no accounting for this story. The Creede Herald stated that McGinty was placed into a box and placed on display at the Tortoni tent hotel. The following day, April 15, Soapy left Creede with McGinty and returned to Denver, only retuning to Creede after the June 8, 1892 fire which destroyed the business district.
Majors mentions a couple members of the Soap Gang. He includes "'Reverend' Bowers," which is John L. Bowers, "'Fatty' Gray," which is actually John H. Morris but many early writers mistakenly thought that his alias of "Fatty Gray" meant that Gray was his last name. Majors mention of "Tom Crippen" is probably a mistake. The only connection I could find between Crippen and Soapy was that Crippen was the 'lookout" (faro table guard) during a faro game at the Denver Exchange which Bat Masterson managed in Creede. "Slim Cady" is Thomas P. Cady known as "Sure-shot" and "Troublesome Tom." "Daddy Pete" is fiction
Majors uses the old biographies to record the history of how Soapy was initiated into the world of crime. Records show Soapy was never a cowboy who lost his pay to a shell man. Old biographies list Jeff's first mentor as a man named Taylor. Majors fictitiously gives him the first name of "Bill." Soapy did start out as a cheap John, one who sells cheap goods for high prices, much like today's jam auctions. His mentor in the business was never named, although one of Soapy's early friends who was retiring from his long career was named John Taylor and it is possible he was Soapy's mentor. How the early biographies could have determined this is unknown.

Page 16

Majors describes how McGinty was manufactured, however, like the early biographies he believed that McGinty was man-made. What no one figured out, including myself until a few years ago, is that McGinty was manufactured from a human corpse into a "petrified man." My book goes into great detail about McGinty, including my theory about the original identity of the corpse. Very fascinating stuff.
Majors said that McGinty was found on May 14 on page 14. On page 16 he writes that it was found and reported on July 2. Again, the real date reported on the front page of the newspaper was April 9, 1892.

Page 17

Bob Ford was not involved with the petrified man in any way.
Ford was kicked out of Creede once, not twice. It happened on April 22, 1892. Ford and Joe Palmer, the manager of the Orleans Club, shot up the town and made a quick exit to escape jail-time. Within a few days they were allowed to return with the promise to behave.

Page 47

Majors uses the old biographies name of "Colonel Stone" for the petrified man. No where in contemporary sources is the name "Colonel Stone" mentioned, except in the old biographies.
Majors describes the exhibition of McGinty but it is based on imagination only. He theorizes how Soapy and the gang made money from the exhibition by way of seeing the insides of wallets. Considering that viewing the petrified man in Creede was 25-cents and later, 10-cents in Denver it seems unlikely men would be needing to open their wallets. Change fit into pockets and the hand as it does today. In my book I theorize that Soapy's shell-and-pea men and three-card monte tossers were plying their trade while the customers waited to enter the exhibition. In this way, the victims came to Soapy's men rather than having to go out and steer them in to where the games are being operated.

Page 59 (Trivia): An "In our next issue" ad by the magazine informs readers to watch for a story on the famous Gillette, Colorado bull fight of 1895. It is believed that Soapy had the saloon and gambling concession just outside the bull ring.

October 23

1892: Soapy and five others enter a polling place and forcefully eject the pollsters, placing one of their own in charge, then proceed to allow repeat voters in to cast votes.

Jeff Smith

My gratitude goes out to Bob "Buckshot" Bradley for taking the time

and effort to place these collectible stories from old magazine in his

collection onto PDF format so that my viewers here can read them

exactly as they were published.

THANK YOU BOB!

Con Man's Empire: A review

2011-10-18T22:26:00.000-07:00

The final showdown
Soapy approaches Reid on Juneau Wharf
July 8, 1898

In December 1990 Wild West magazine published an article about Soapy Smith by John Guttman. It was called Con Man's Empire and marks the first time an old west history magazine used the Smith family as a source for information. Since then I have been involved with several authors aiding their publications. One common error made by most of them is that they just can't seem to accept all my research even though I use fantastic sources and provenance. Inevitably these authors end up using outdated and incorrect information, even when there is no source or provenance. I do not understand this, and am only forced to deal with it after the fact, which usually makes for hurt and angry feelings. I actually had one author ask me not to correct him/her publicly, to remain silent. That's not how it works here on this blog. If I make a mistake I'll tell you. I've already done it numerous times. If someone else makes a mistake I'll do the same. By the way, none of this has to do with Jon Guttman's article below. I was just making a point about what I have to deal with. Enjoy the article!

Con Man's Empire

Review

My review centers only on the mistakes for future historical reference. The goal is an attempt to put an end to repeat mistakes. Jon Guttman's mistakes are honest ones. The mistake he made was reading old biographies written about Soapy and trusting them to be accurate. I did help him with this article but that was some 12-years ago. I don't recall if I saw a rough draft or not. Had I seen the mistakes I know I would have brought them to his attention. I have to give Jon the benefit of the doubt. I also have to commend him for contacting me. I'm impressed with his efforts. In the end, anyone who writes about Soapy can't be all bad.

Page 43

Jon writes, "Three of Jeff Junior's other brothers were doctors, one a minister, and one a farmer." Jon should have wrote, "Three of Jeff Senior's other brothers were...." Simple honest mistake.

Page 44

Jon listed Soapy's legal talent as "Judge" Norman Van Horn and Syd Dixon. These name were first published in The Reign of Soapy Smith (1935) and are believed to be fictitious. I have spent 25-years researching and that includes reading the Denver and Alaska newspapers, page-by-page. The family has in possession, thousands of Soapy's personal and business letters and documents and I found no "Syd Dixon" listed anywhere. The only "Van Horn" found was the mayor of Denver. By no means is Jon the first to make this mistake and it has continued many times since his article came out in 1990.
A sentence or two later he writes of "Charles Bowers." Again, another old biography mistake. Bowers name was John L. Bowers.
Further down the paragraph Jon writes of "Ice Box" Murphy. A great character but believed to be fictitious. There is not a single mention of this name. The only "Murphy" in Denver related to the story of Soapy Smith was the one-time owner of Murphy's Exchange. In Alaska, there was a Jesse Murphy, an Irish railroad worker who became famous for ending Soapy's life.

Page 44-45

At the bottom of page 44 Jon writes about Bob Ford and Creede, Colorado. Authors have painted Ford into a big fish in Creede. Descriptions of Ford's Exchange and his control over Creede's underworld of criminals continue to find their way into print. The problem is that there is no provenance. The Creede newspapers make no mention of a saloon named Ford's Exchange. The only saloon known to have been owned by Ford was merely an unnamed tent-saloon, raised after Creede's business district burnt to the ground. As far as Ford being a crime boss of Creede, again, there is nothing in the way of contemporary print or provenance. He had no "gang" in Creede so it seems very unlikely his control of the camp is plausible.

Page 45

A common and debated mistake was the spelling of Bob Ford's killer. Jon wrote the article in 1990 spelling the killer's name as "Ed O. Kelly" a common made mistake. The correct whole name is "Edward Capehart O'Kelley" but this was not known until 1994 when the O'Kelley family published a book putting to rest all the mistakes. This reminds me of a funny story that has nothing to do with Jon Guttman's article but it does show the audacity of some historians. Soon after the O'Kelley family published their book I had the opportunity to correct the author of another article on Bob Ford which incorrectly spelled O'Kelley's name. This correction was published in the "letters to the editor" section of the magazine, with a rebuttal from the author. He actually implied that the O'Kelley family is misspelling their own name! Again, I wish to make it very clear that the latter little story has nothing to do with Jon Guttman or his article here.
Jon writes that after the City Hall War elected officials "who owed nothing to Soapy served him notice that it was time to go." The City Hall War took place in 1894. Soapy left Denver in 1895, not because he was told to, but because he had assaulted John Hughes of the Arcade saloon and was looking at prison time.
Somewhere Jon found mention that Soapy had shot and killed Jack Jolly in Butte Montana. I know there is a book or article out there that started this false story. Jon made the honest mistake of trusting it. In reality, Jack Jolly partnered up with Soapy in 1897 during Soapy's very first visit to Skagway, Alaska. I have been researching this story and will be publishing an article about my findings here on this blog in the near future.
Jon writes that Soapy arrived in Skagway in October 1897 but ship records and passenger lists peg his arrival as August 22, 1897.
Jon reports that Soapy collected $1,500 for the widow of Deputy US Marshal James Rowan. The truth is that the fund drive collected $424. You have to remember that the year was 1898. That $424 is equivalent to $13,405.30 in today's market.

Page 46

The photograph at the top of the page mistakenly reads that the nine gang members were headed to prison. These men were being deported back to the states (Seattle) as there was not enough evidence to convict them of a crime. Seattle newspapers thanked Skagway not to use Seattle as their dumping ground.
Jon writes that Soapy started out in Skagway at John and Frank Clancy's saloon but soon opened two places of his own. Actually, Soapy opened three saloons of his own, plus had a continued partnership with the Clancy brothers in their saloon. In Jon's defense I don't recall if I knew all of Soapy's saloons in 1990. It really doesn't matter who made the mistake. What matters is what's correct.
Jon uses the fictitious gang member, Yeah Mow Hopkins, getting it from old biographies. No such name can be found listed anywhere.
Jon mentions the murder of a Skagway prostitute (Ella Wilson) that occurred on May 28, 1898. He mistakenly mentions Mattie Silks as a colleague but does say that Mattie accused Soapy and his men of orchestrating the murder. This is a great story and there is much more here than meets the eye. It is covered in detail in my book. Jon mixes up the Wilson murder with the creation of the vigilante handbills of the 101. The murder took place on May 28 but the handbills were made on March 4, over two months previous. The handbills came out due to other murders that took place outside of Skagway but placed at Soapy's door-step.
Jon writes Soapy's private army as the "Skagway Guard" when it should read as the "Skaguay Military Company."
Jon wrote that the Secretary of War (by letter) authorized Soapy to drill his army at Fort St. Michael. This is a mistake and it is 100% my fault. I know it is because I'm the only person who could have told him this. There is a letter from Secretary of War Alger giving Soapy permission to use the grounds at Fort St. Michael but it turns out the use was for building a hotel not drilling his army. It's another story that's covered in my book.
Jon writes that Soapy was 38-years-old at the time of death. Actually, he was only 37. At the time no one in Skagway knew what month Soapy was born in. He was born on November 2, 1860, therefore in July 1898 he was 37. This is an honest and common mistake.
Regarding John D. Stewart, the man robbed of his gold, Jon gives one of several mistaken stories. Jon writes that John was attempting to convert his gold into cash and that "Old Man" Triplett led him to Jeff Smith's Parlor. Actually, it was John Bowers and "Slim Jim" Foster who lured John Stewart into the alley beside Jeff Smith's Parlor to meet up with "Old Man" Triplett who was playing three-card monte. They had him win a round but would not pay him unless he could prove he could have paid them had he lost. He went to his hotel and got his gold out of the safe and brought it back. When he showed them Bowers grabbed Stewart's poke and tossed it to Triplett who ran while Bower's held Stewart in place. At one point Stewart actually said he went inside the Parlor but that story was never repeated after several witnesses came forward who witnessed the robbery in the alley. It is my belief that the vigilante's had Stewart say he was robbed on the inside of the Parlor so that they could directly go after Soapy, however, the witnesses recognized Triplett and Bowers so that was enough to show Soapy's involvement.

Page 48

Jon did well with the final gunfight confrontation. In 1990 I was still unclear about who shot and killed Soapy. There were only hints here and there about another shooter and Jon mentions that. It would be years of research before I found the evidence I needed to clearly show that Jesse Murphy was the man who killed Soapy.
Jon states that Jeff Smith's Parlor still stands on Sixth Street. It originally stood on Sixth Street. In 1964 it was moved to Second Street where it now resides.

With all the exciting stories you read here on this blog, can you imagine that author Cathy Spude is hard at work writing a book with the intent of proving that Soapy was nothing but a common tin-horn gambler and criminal? There is absolutely nothing common about Soapy Smith! He is the American version of The Man Who Would be King.

Jeff Smith

Special thanks to Bob "Buckshot" Bradley for putting these magazine articles into pdf format so that they can be shared with all of you!