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| Soapy Smith STAR Notebook Page 22 - Original copy 1884 Courtesy of Geri Murphy |
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oapy Smith's "STAR" notebook, 1883-84, St. Louis, San Francisco, Soapy arrested: Pages #22-23
This post is on page 22 and 23 of the "STAR" notebook. I am combining these two pages as they only account for a total of seven lines. They are not appearing to be a continuation of earlier pages, but appear to be notes Soapy made as two separate, stand-alone notations. Page 22 is not dated. Page 23 is dated twice, December 31, 1883 and January 2, 1884.
This is the continuation of deciphering Soapy Smith's "star" notebook from the Geri Murphy collection. A complete introduction to this notebook can be seen on page 1. These notebook pages have never been published before! They continue to be of revealing interest. The picture that these pages draw is of young 23 year-old Jefferson pursuing "soap sales" over a very wide spread of territory and in a very tenacious, even driven, way.
The notebook(s) are in Soapy's handwriting, and sometimes pretty hard to decipher. A large part of this series of posts is to transcribe the pages, one-at-a-time, and receive help from readers on identifying words I am having trouble with, as well as correcting any of my deciphered words. My long time friend, and publisher, Art Petersen, has been a great help in deciphering and adding additional information.
I will include the original copy, an enhanced copy, and a negative copy of each page. Also included will be a copy with typed out text, as tools to aid in deciphering the notes.
PAGE 22:
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| Soapy Smith STAR Notebook Page 22 - Enhanced copy 1884 Courtesy of Geri Murphy |
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There are a total of 24 pages. This means that there may be upwards of 24 individuals posts for this one notebook. Links to the past and future pages (pages 1, 2, 3, etc.) are added at the bottom of each post for ease of research. When completed there will be a sourced partial record of Soapy's activities and whereabouts for 1882-1884.
Important to note that the pages of the notebook do not appear to be in chronological order, with Soapy making additional notes on a town and topic several pages later.
Although the communication of twenty-three-year-old Jefferson Randolph Smith II is with himself, the writing also communicates with us about him 142 years later (and potentially far beyond today).
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| Soapy Smith STAR Notebook
Page 22 - Negative copy 1884 Courtesy of Geri Murphy |
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| Soapy Smith STAR Notebook Page 22 - Deciphered copy 1884 Courtesy of Geri Murphy (Click image to enlarge) |
The date of this notation is unknown, though it is probably not too far from the dates noted in page 20-21 (1883-1884).
- Line 1: "W. O. Monroe:" I could not find anything in the St. Louis newspapers on “W. O. Monroe.” Was he an associate, a friend of Soapy's, perhaps someone Soapy wanted to meet up with? Could Monroe been an early gang member? Or was he a victim of Soapy's swindles? Maybe a potential target to swindle? He could have been a resident of St. Louis, living at the St. James Hotel, which was common in the 19th century. It is also likely that if he was a visitor to St. Louis, then he could have been a victim.
- Line 2: "St. James Hotel:"
- Line 3: "St. Louis Mo.:" Of note is the fact that St. Louis is not mentioned elsewhere in the STAR notebook, so was Soapy's visit a spur of the moment trip? Was "W. O. Monroe" a target of Soapy's before he even arrived?
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| St. James Hotel St. Louis, Missouri 1880s |
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PAGE 23:
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| Soapy Smith STAR Notebook Page 23 - Original copy 1884 Courtesy of Geri Murphy |
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| Soapy Smith STAR Notebook Page 23 - Enhanced copy 1884 Courtesy of Geri Murphy (Click image to enlarge) |
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| Soapy Smith STAR Notebook Page 23 - Negative copy 1884 Courtesy of Geri Murphy |
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| Soapy Smith STAR Notebook Page 23 - Deciphered copy 1884 Courtesy of Geri Murphy |
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- Line 1: "Dec 31st 1883:" According to Star notebook page #6, Soapy, in his own handwriting, was operating in Tombstone, Arizona between December 17, 1883 and December 22, 1883. Four days later, on December 26, 1883, Soapy paid $4 for a vendor’s license in Phoenix, Arizona. According to a blog post (December 26, 2009) Soapy arrived in San Francisco on December 30, 1883. The following day he wrote “Dec 31st 1883” in this notebook page. On New Year’s Day, January 1, 1884, Soapy is arrested in San Francisco for operating the “soap racket.” It is safe to assume that page 23 was written in San Francisco, between December 31, 1883 and January 2, 1884.
- Line 2: “License 7.50”: He purchased a license in San Francisco, California for $7.50. This is a recuring undertaking by Soapy, in order to have a better defense in court, for the occasional arrest.
- Line 3: “Lawyer Jan 2, 1884.” An arrest that warranted hiring a attorney. This is the first mention of a "lawyer" within the pages of the STAR notebook. it does match what I have published in the blog on his arrest in San Francisco. On the following day, January 3, 1884, Soapy is arrested a second time in 3 days for operating his prize package soap sell racket on the streets of San Francisco.
- Line 4: "Cash $20.00." Is that what he paid upfront for the services of the lawyer?
- The following is published in my book, Alias Soapy Smith: The Life and Death of a Scoundrel.
Page 23 will continue on page 24.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.
Notebook pages
April 24, 2017
Part #1
Part #2
Part #3
Part #4
Part #5
Part #6
Part #7
Part #8
Part #9
Part #10
Part #11
Part #12
Part #13
Part #14
Part #15
Part #16
Part #24 (not published yet)
"He made fortune after fortune and spent it all in riotous living and in good deeds, for it must be ever said of "Soapy" that no hungry man ever asked aid of him and was refused."
——San Francisco Examiner, February 25, 1898
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Thank you for leaving your comment and/or question on my blog. I always read, and will answer all questions asap. Please know that they are greatly appreciated. -Jeff Smith