John Henry "The Kid" Foster, arrested in 1925

John H. "The Kid" Foster
Fort Collins Courier
(Fort Collins, Colorado)
May 18, 1923

(Click image to enlarge)

he "Kid" Foster

In the past I mistook "John Henry Foster" and "W. E. Foster," as being one and the same. Both were members of the Soap Gang, and so many of the confidence men used alias,' some having numerous, some whose real names have yet to be discovered. Luckily, I figured out the puzzle before Alias Soapy Smith: The Life and Death of a Scoundrel was published. [1]
      John Henry Foster, alias "the Kid" (later using the alias of "J. W. Reed"), did belong to the Soap Gang, but his history previous to 1898 in Skagway, Alaska is not known. Was he a member of the Denver bunco brotherhood? Time may reveal the answer.
      In Skagway, Foster ran the Grotto Saloon, one of four saloons opened by August 1898.^[2] Soapy Smith arrived in Skagway on August 20, 1897 and naturally gravitated towards the saloons, so it is likely that if the two men did not know each other previously, then they would have met on or around August 20th. It is known that Soapy, with the help of Frank Clancy, aided Foster's election to become a city counsel member, assisting Soapy's reign in Skagway.

The Grotto Saloon
Holly Street
Skagway, Alaska
(circled in red)
Pre-spring 1898
Courtesy of KGNHP

(Click image to enlarge)

      The above photo shows Holly Street (later changed to 6th Avenue). If Cathy Spude's location map in Archeological Investigations in Skagway, Alaska: Mascot Saloon is correct, then Foster's Grotto Saloon was located in the approximate location shown within the red circle. It is not known if this was the original location from August 1897 when it was opened. Soapy's saloon, Jeff Smith's Parlor, will occupy the First Bank of Skaguay shown in the blue circle, opening in the spring of 1898. In the meantime, Soapy and the gang worked out of numerous saloons, including the Grotto.

The Grotto Saloon
6th Avenue
Skagway, Alaska
Post-spring 1898
Courtesy of University of Washington Library

(Click image to enlarge)

      The above photo shows 6th Avenue (previously Holly Street). Foster's Grotto Saloon, the approximate location, is pointed out, as is Jeff Smith's Parlor (Clancy's in this photo).
      After Soapy was killed, it was first revealed to the town that Foster and others were actually working with the bunco men. Some either fled or were arrested by the vigilantes that took Soapy's empire down.

... two thirds of the city council of six was also under Jeff’s control. At a special meeting, tendered were the resignations of J. H. Foster, Frank E. Burns, and W. F. Lokowitz. Council member J. Allen Hornsby was not there because he was being fired from his position as editor of the Daily Alaskan for complicity with Jeff Smith and was being “asked” to leave town. As Counsel member Spencer could not attend the meeting, the single remaining “member, Chairman Sperry,” had by himself “to make, second, put before the house and vote on a motion to adjourn.” Even “The new school board” that day reported it was “now ‘shy’ a member.” The Citizens’ Committee soon replaced the four counsel members with men of its own and then had control of the city.^[3]

      It is not known if Foster fled, or was detained and forced to leave. Foster went (returned?) to Denver, Colorado where at some point between 1898 and 1922 he became a member of the Blonger Gang, the successors of Soapy's reign in Denver.
      Foster was working with con men, J. K. Ross and Arthur Cooper in extracting $50,000 from C. H. Hubbell, who was arranging to hand over the entire sum when the three con men were arrested [4] on August 24, 1922, Foster was arrested during a monumental raid that netted 33 of the main Blonger gangsters, shutting down Blonger's empire permanently. In 1923, during one of the most publicized trials to that time, the Lou Blonger and his cohorts were convicted and sentenced to prison at Cañon City Penitentiary. Lou Blonger died there just six months after he arrived.
      Foster was released on a $5,000 bond, dropped down from $11,000. He returned to the court on time, one month later (October 28, 1922) and had his trial. Upon being found guilty, Foster attempted to escape hiding in a locker. That information is included in a story on Foster published seven months later, on May 17, 1923 when it was feared that Foster might once again attempt to escape prison by gaining access to a dentist, outside the prison wall. The Fort Collins Courier published the story the following day.

―

Bunko Man, Heavily Guarded, to Visit Dentist-Teeth Hurt

―

DENVER. May 17.—False teeth and jail victuals, according to the officials of the district attorney’s office, are the responsible for a court order issued today permitting J. H. Foster, convicted bunko man, to leave his cell at the county jail.

      Foster is to start visiting a dentist to have a new plate made. He will be the first of the twenty convicted men to appear on the city’s streets since the trial.

      “I’ve got to have a better fit, if I’m going to chew this jail grub,” is Foster’s complaint.

      Foster, alias the Kid, according to Deputy Sheriff Jim Marshall, will be accompanied to the office of a dental specialist in the Metropolis building by an armed guard.

      Special precautions are necessary, according to Marshall, because it was Foster who hid in a small closet the day the twenty bunko men were being led to their cells after the jury verdict had been returned.

      Foster was missed from the line and a search was made for him immediately. He was found hiding in the locker, possibly intending to make a break for freedom before he was missed. Marshall declares that he is determined to keep close watch on the man to prevent any possible attempts at escape in the future.[5]

      On September 15, 1925 Foster was released from the Colorado state prison at Cañon City. He walked right into the hands of federal officers waiting to arrest him for another crime he had committed, and surely believed he had gotten away with. The Ogden Standard Examiner reported the event the following day.

―

BUNCO MAN FACES MAIL FRAUD CHARGE

―

CANON CITY. Colo., Sept 16.
– (AP) – As he stepped from the state penitentiary here Tuesday at the completion of a sentence imposed following his conviction as a member of the Denver “bunco ring.” John H. Foster was arrested by federal officers on a warrant charging him with using the males to defraud, issued at Jacksonville, Fla.
      He will be taken to Denver to await officials from Jacksonville. New, foster entered the prison in June, 1923. To serve a sentence of from three to 10 years.^[6]

John Henry Foster arrested again
Ogden Standard Examiner
September 16, 1925

(Click image to enlarge)

Footnotes
<sup>1. Alias Soapy Smith: The Life and Death of a Scoundrel can be purchased HERE.
2. Archeological Investigations in Skagway, Alaska: Mascot Saloon, by Catherine Holder Spude, p. 18.
3. Alias Soapy Smith: The Life and Death of a Scoundrel, p. 563.
4. Denver Post, September 6, 1922.
5. Fort Collins Courier (Fort Collins, Colorado) May 18, 1923.
6. Ogden Standard Examiner, September 16, 1925.</sup>


For information regarding John H. Foster's time and trial with the Blonger Brothers: Visit Blongerbros.com











December 22, 2014,

John H. Foster: page 80, 518, 563.

"They shot all night. You could hear the shooting and see the flashes in the hills when they were shooting. They weren’t shooting at anything, they were just shooting. The gang was hiding in the hills. One guy hid under our house, until dark, and then he tore out. Mother wouldn’t tell on him. We didn’t want the guy to get shot. He stayed under there until it got dark and then he beat it."

—Royal Pullen, Alias Soapy Smith, p. 563.

DECEMBER 31

1775: The British repulse an attack by Continental Army generals Richard Montgomery and Benedict Arnold at Quebec. Montgomery is killed in the battle.

1841: The state of Alabama enacts the first dental legislation in the U.S.

1852: The richest year of the California gold rush produces $81.3 million in gold.

1862: U.S. President Lincoln signs an act admitting West Virginia to the Union.

1873: Four soldiers of Company B, 25th Infantry are attacked by Indians at Eagle Spring Texas. One Indian is wounded.

1877: U.S. President Rutherford B. Hayes is the first to celebrate his silver (25th) wedding anniversary in the White House.

1879: Thomas Edison gives his first public demonstration of incandescent lighting in Menlo Park, New Jersey.

1891: New York's new Immigration Depot is opened at Ellis Island, to provide improved facilities for the massive numbers of arrivals.

1897: The city of Brooklyn, New York, is absorbed by the city of New York.

Soapy Smith's corrections to the Seattle Daily Times: 03/30/1898

Read the entire text below

(Click image to enlarge)

 am still here in business, and expect to remain. 
Respectfully yours,
JEFF R. SMITH.
Called “SOAPY.”

In February 1898 The early steamship crews and returning miners gave scolding accounts of Skagway and Soapy Smith. The Seattle Daily Times had called Soapy a crook who controlled Skaguay. Although he indeed was a crook and he did control the town, he had no intentions of admitting it or allowing others to talk about it without rebuttal. Things began to pick up for Soapy's reign in March. The vigilante committee of 101 had tried to rebel in early March but were quickly cowed into non-action of their threats, the opening of Jeff Smith's Parlor, the start of the Spanish-American War and Soapy's private militia moved Soapy's popularity high enough among the citizens and merchants that he retained his position. Being settled in Skaguay, he sought to extend his enhanced reputation, towards the newspaper attacks in Seattle and San Francisco. He first sent a rebuttal to Seattle, which the Times published.

HON. JEFF. R. SMITH, ESQ.

_____

Writes From Skaguay Correcting False Impressions.

_____

MAKES A POLITE REQUEST

_____

Which The Times Most Cordially Grants—States That He Is On The Side of Law and Order and Was Never Convicted of Crime.
_____

     “Soapy Smith” of Skaguay sends The Times the following courteous letter, which is cheerfully published:

     SKAGWAY, ALASKA, March 22, 1898.

     Editor The Times—Dear Sir: I have noticed at different times various pieces similar to the one enclosed in regard to myself. I beg leave to state that I have no gang, and that I have not been ordered out of Skaguay, or any other place, and that I expect to live here as long as I see fit to. I have taken the side of law and order here time and time again, and all reports like the one enclosed are base falsehoods. I helped a lot of citizens stop a murderous mob from hanging a man that no one knew whether guilty or not, and thereby caused the dislike of some of the members of the murderous outfit. I acknowledge I have been in the saloon and gambling business for a number of years, and when all games and saloons were placed under strict police surveillance. And I have never had any trouble in my place of business; was never convicted of any crime in my life, and don’t think that I am being treated right. I don’t think you want to hurt me or my business by publishing such stories, as I am sure I [have] never done you or anyone an injury without cause. I am still here in business, and expect to remain. Respectfully yours,

JEFF R. SMITH.

Called “SOAPY.”

_____

When Soapy received a copy of the March 30, 1898 Seattle Daily Times, he clipped out the article for his personal scrapbook. The original clipping (artifact #143) resides in my personal collection.

Newspaper clipping: page 491.

"But it could be set down as a rule, old-time gamblers say, when “Soapy” Smith sat down to play that the dealer folded back his shirtsleeves another notch and the lookout man took up a fresh chew tobacco and moved his chair closer."

—Rocky Mountain News, July 11, 1915

NOVEMBER 19

1794: Britain's King George III signs the Jay Treaty, resolving the issues left over from the American Revolution.

1850: The first life insurance policy for a woman is issued to 36-year-old Carolyn Ingraham, purchasing the policy in Madison, New Jersey.

1856: Lieutenant Walter Jenifer and a detachment of Company B, 2nd Cavalry, are on a scout from Fort Mason, Texas, when they attack a band of Comanche Indians near the Llano River.

1861: An attempt to take Indian Territory by Confederate forces fails in a battle at Round Mountain.

1863: President Lincoln delivers the Gettysburg Address at the dedication of a national battlefield cemetery in Pennsylvania.

1872: Fort McKeen, Dakota Territory, is renamed Fort Abraham Lincoln.

1873: Outlaw James Reed, the first husband of outlaw Belle Starr, and two accomplices, rob the Watt Grayson family of $30,000 in the Choctaw Nation.

1879: Vigilantes force their way into the Leadville, Colorado jail and lynched two prisoners. A note of warning was pinned to one of the corpses.

1880: Corteze D. “Cort” Thomson loses a foot-race in Greelet, Colorado for a $250 side-bet. Thomson is the lover of Denver brothel madame Martha A. “Mattie” Silks. In 1892 Thomson is involved with bad man Soapy Smith in the shooting death of gambler cliff Sparks in Denver. In 1898 Silks accuses Soapy of plotting to murder her.

1881: Virgil Earp testifies at the gunfight behind the O.K. Corral hearings in Tombstone, Arizona Territory.

1887: The Montana Central Railroad line, between Helena and Great Falls Montana, is completed.

1893: The first newspaper color supplement is published in the New York World.

1895: The "paper pencil" is patented by Frederick E. Blaisdell.

Soapy Smith musical

The cast of Stonecliff pose
during the death scene of Soapy Smith.
Is that Jesse Murphy about to shoot Soapy?
(courtesy of Crystal Schick/Yukon News)

(Click image to enlarge)

     Originally, this was to be a post about a play (this one a musical) in which "Soapy" Smith play a part. While that is newsworthy for this blog and Soapy family and fans, I did not take much notice of the photograph of the actors rehearsing until I was ready to publish the post. It appears that (1) Frank Reid (left) is wounded in the lower region, a pistol lays nearby. (2) Soapy (center) is laying down, appearing to be holding his leg (as if wounded), with no rifle nearby, and reaching one arm towards (3) another man (right) who has a rifle, perhaps just grabbing it away from Soapy and now pointing it at him? Could this third man be Jesse Murphy? Is this all just coincidence, or did the writer of the play Stonecliff read Alias Soapy Smith: The Life and Death of a Scoundrel, or perhaps one of my many blog posts? Very interesting.

hite Pass and Yukon Route musical chugs on without director.

The cast and crew of Stonecliff are pushing forward without Conrad Boyce, who went on medical leave.

Jackie Hong Nov. 16, 2017 8:00 a.m.

At the 11th hour, the cast and crew of Stonecliff, an upcoming musical about railway builder Michael James Heney and the construction of the White Pass and Yukon Route, hit an unexpected obstacle that threatened to derail months of preparation and work.

With less than two weeks before Stonecliff was set to debut in Whitehorse, creator, director and producer Conrad Boyce told the company Nov. 5 he’d experienced a medical issue and needed to fly to Ontario for surgery the next day. He wouldn’t be able to return in time for the opening night Nov. 17, or for any other part of the musical’s tour.

“We were shocked. It’s not something you’d expect,” actor Doug Rutherford said in a phone interview Nov. 8.

But within hours, and over orders of pizza, the shock had given way to planning. The cast and crew decided against pulling the plug and instead, like Heney, chose to forge ahead, splitting up Boyce’s responsibilities among themselves to make sure Stonecliff would make it to the stage as planned.

“It’s really important for us, I think, to go ahead, and it’s an important story and it’s a local story that we can all feel passion for,” said actress Angela Drainville, who, on top of playing Harriet “Ma” Pullen, took over as producer for the Whitehorse run. “I think we were all committed to making sure that it was staged and (that we) really do justice to the presentation and we are confident that we will be able to do that, so here we are.”

Named after Heney’s hometown of Stonecliff, ON., the musical, which stars Shaw Festival actor Billy Lake, follows the struggles and triumphs of Henney and his crew as they build the White Pass and Yukon Route, taking the audience on a journey from from Skagway to Carcross to Whitehorse.

“It’s one of those perfect musicals where it has all of those experiences — it has some tragedy, certainly, you can’t build a railroad without tragedy, but there’s also a lot of great comedic and romantic moments where you’re released from that drama as well,” Drainville said.

Producing the Whitehorse leg felt like a natural fit, she added, since she’s familiar with the Yukon Arts Centre and has extensive experience with producing events, including the annual Atlin Arts and Music Festival.

Other cast members who stepped in include story narrator Bruce Barrett, who will be producing the shows in Skagway and Dawson, actor RP Singh, who will be doubling as technical director and playing character Reverend Sinclair actor James McCullough, who will be filling in as director as well as portraying John Hislop, and actor Brett Chandler, who’s taking over logistical and transportation coordination.

“It’s amazing, actually, how many hats Conrad was wearing, because there seems to be far more people wearing far more hats than they used to, than we were Sunday,” said Rutherford, who’s portraying Eratus Hawkins. Rutherford had originally stepped forward to produce the Anchorage portion of the tour, but the cast and crew ultimately decided, under the circumstances, to scrap it and focus on the Whitehorse, Skagway and Dawson stops instead.

Boyce had also left the cast and crew in as good of a position as he could have, Barrett said, which made continuing on without him easier.

“We more or less just looked at it and we decided it was doable because the actual show itself was kind of at, let’s say, the 95th percentile of completion. The hard work of actual production and direction and all the artistic components, all of these things were in place and the show was really looking pretty good, so I think that’s what made us decide that, yes, we can carry on,” he said.

“I think we’re getting pretty settled in at this point. I would definitely say we’re almost to where we would be comfortable in saying (it’s) business as usual.”

And in a poetic sort of way, Boyce’s departure and the cast and crew persevering through the challenge of filling in the gaps he left has brought everyone even closer to the story, Barrett said.

“It’s so interesting because it’s a show which is all about overcoming adversity,” he said. “The story’s (about) the unlikely success of, basically, a farm boy from the Ottawa Valley who wound up being renowned as the greatest railway man in North America and his passion and his dedication and his ingenuity and his inventiveness which allowed him to do the things he did. I would say, we’re all taking a bit of inspiration from that right now, so that makes the show very much in the spirit of the show’s hero far more so than anybody would have ever predicted.”

Drainville agreed.

“I think it’s really giving us an understanding, a little bit, of what Michael Henney went through in terms of building the railway, in terms of now staging, making sure this gets to the stage without Conrad,” she said, laughing. “There’s an allegory there.”

Stonecliff runs Nov. 17 to 19 at the Yukon Arts Centre.

SOURCE: yukon-news

"It is said of “Soapy” Smith that he lost more money at faro than any other man in the history of Denver, and old-time gamblers do not dispute the claim."

—Rocky Mountain News, July 11, 1915

NOVEMBER17

1800: Congress holds its first session inside the partially completed Capitol building in Washington, D.C.

1856: Fort Buchanan, named for recently elected President James Buchanan, is established near the Sonoita River in southern Arizona as part of the Gadsden Purchase of 1853. The fort protects emigrants traveling through the new territory from the Apache Indians, who are strongly resisting Anglo incursions.

1863: Council Bluffs, Iowa is designated the eastern terminus of the Union Pacific Railroad by President Lincoln.

1871: The city of Boulder is incorporated in Colorado Territory.

1874: An earthquake is reported in Yuma, Arizona Territory.

1877: Outlaw Jesse Evans and his gang escape Lincoln, New Mexico Territory after jailers “forgot” to lock the cell doors the night before.

1882: Indian Chief Rain in the Face and 500 Sioux surrender at Fort Keogh, Montana.

1883: Charles E. “Black Bart” Bowles, is sentenced to 6 years in San Andreas, California prison after confessing to the November 3, 1883 stagecoach robbery.

1890: Indian uprising is reported in Mandan, North Dakota.

1896: Judge Isaac “hanging judge” Parker dies from heart trouble and dropsy. Parker had been a Congressman, appointed federal judge for the Western District of Arkansas with jurisdiction over Indian Territory. He sentenced more than 160 to death, although only 79 were actually executed.

Soapy Smith's Pioneer Restaurant

The girl on the wall
well-known landmark in Fairbanks, Alaska

he website for DownTownFairbanks has the following story about the Soapy Smith's Pioneer Restaurant in Fairbanks, Alaska. I have yet to make it that far north but if I do you know where to find me. This is the last of the 3 known Soapy Smith named restaurants around the country and the only one I have not eaten in yet.

SOAPY’S ROCK ‘N’ ROLL ROOFTOP DECK

by Amy Nordrum

In 1996, Nick Stepovich stepped out onto the scorched roof of Soapy Smith’s Pioneer Restaurant, his family-owned business on 2nd Avenue in downtown Fairbanks, and thought to himself, “This space was meant to be a deck.”

Soon after, his wife Christina helped him knock out a wall and build a sun-drenched deck for customers of Soapy’s, billed as one of the most authentic Alaskan joints in the Interior and serving up trademark King Crab burgers, delicious seafood chowder, prime rib, halibut, and salmon to locals on lunch break and curious visitors.

Sixteen years later, the second story deck of Soapy Smith’s has received a major facelift.

This spring, Nick expanded the deck and installed additional cafe and bar seating, doubling its capacity and adorning it with flower boxes and shade umbrellas. Patrons can perch atop bar stools lining the outer rim of the deck and order a cold one (Soapy’s serves bottled Silver Gulch and Alaskan beers, as well as wine) or choose from a list of appetizers. All while overlooking the street bustle of 2nd Avenue under the “watchful eyes” of the Soapy Smith’s lady painted on the building’s wall and made famous by Into the Wild, who also happens to be knocking one back.

Which means at Soapy’s—you’ll never drink alone.

Nick says to expect growler nights and live music on the new deck later this summer. Better yet, the deck will host a Midnight Sun Beer Garden for the Midnight Sun Festival (Sunday, June 24th) during which music from the MAC Caribou Stage is well within earshot. Festival-goers can climb to the rooftop of Soapy’s and watch the street fair unfold from a bird’s eye view.

Soapy Smith’s is already well-known for its homespun atmosphere and local artifacts like the original theatre seats from the Empress Theatre in the Co-Op Plaza. Nick has a long political and family history in the state which he shares with customers in floor shows during busy times and memorabilia that hangs on every wall.

As Nick puts it, “You’ve got to come to Alaska to get to Soapy Smith’s.” There’s no other place quite like it in the city, state, or elsewhere.

Need one last reason to frequent the new deck atop Soapy’s? It’s the exclusive turf of Bill, the hard-working and sarcastic Soapy’s waiter who never meets a customer without making a new friend.

Tell him we sent you.

Where:
Soapy Smith’s Pioneer Restaurant
543 2nd Avenue

When:
Monday-Saturday, 11:00AM-9:00PM

Phone:
(907) 451-8380

Soapy Smith's Restaurant
May 9, 2012 
May 23, 2011
May 6, 2011
December 19, 2008
August 25, 2008

JUNE 14

1775: The Continental Army is founded by the Second Continental Congress for purposes of common defense. This event is considered to be the birth of the United States Army. On June 15, George Washington is appointed commander-in-chief. 

1777: The Continental Congress in Philadelphia adopts the "Stars and Stripes" as the national flag of the United States. 

1834: Cyrus Hall McCormick receives a patent for his reaping machine. 

1834: Isaac Fischer Jr. patents sandpaper. 

1846: A group of U.S. settlers in Sonoma (Mexico at the time) proclaim the Republic of California. 

1865: In Idaho Territory Crazy Horse leads an escape of mostly Sioux Indians, being relocated to Fort Kearney, Nebraska, from the U.S. Cavalry. 

1872: Fort McKeen is established, south of present day Bismarck, North Dakota (Dakota Territory). 

1875: Jefferson Davis declines offer to become the first president of Texas Agricultural and Mechanical University. 

1877: A shootout erupts on the street of Lampasas, Texas as friends and brothers of Clint Barkley run into rival ranchers. Frank Mitchell is killed. 

1882: Outlaw Charles Earl Bowles, known as “Black Bart,” robs the Little Lake-Ukiah stage in California. 1882: Arizona Territory “cowboy-outlaw” John Ringo's body is found shot through the head, sitting under a tree by a passing teamster in the Chiricahua Mountains. Ringo's pistol was clutched in his right hand. The coroner ruled it a suicide, but some claimed he was murdered. 

1893: Philadelphia observes the first Flag Day. 

1900: Hawaii became a U.S. territory.

Museum exhibit of A Klondike Tale by Averyl Veliz.

Soapy Smith mesmerizes the crowd selling soap
Art by Averyl Veliz

n 2009 I introduced artist, Averyl Veliz, who has been working on her project, A Klondike Tale since then. The project includes Soapy Smith as the bad guy. In November 2011 the Alaska State Museum set up an exhibit of her work. That exhibit ended January 4, 2012 but lucky for us the museum created an online page for the exhibit. I think you will agree that this story should be made into an animated film. For the entire story please be sure to check out the links below. You can view the online exhibit here.

Averyl Veliz: A Klondike Story
February 5, 2010
November 16, 2009
August 25, 2009 
October 4, 2009 
September 8, 2009 
September 3, 2009 
 

JUNE 13

1777: The Marquis de Lafayette arrives in the American colonies to help with their war against the British. 1789: Ice cream is served to General George Washington by Mrs. Alexander Hamilton.

1825: Walter Hunt patents the safety pin. He sold the rights for $400.

1865: While in Idaho Territory, Crazy Horse sneaks into the Sioux camp being relocated to Fort Kearney, Nebraska, to plan an escape.

1866: The 14th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, designed to grant citizenship to and protect the civil liberties of recently freed slaves, is passed by Congress. It is ratified on July 9, 1868.

1877: Nez Perce Chief Joseph starts off with 250 warriors, 450 women and children, and 2,000 horses, in an attempt to make it to Canada after talks break down when a band of his younger warriors kill eleven settlers. 1878: A posse led by Texas Ranger captain June Peak and Sheriff W. F. Eagan corner the Sam Bass gang near Salt Creek in Wise County, Texas. A gun battle ensues in which Arkansas Johnson is killed and others are wounded. Bass, Barnes, and others from the outlaw gang manage to escape on foot after the posse captures their horses.

1887: Railroad tracks of the St. Paul & Manitoba Railroad cross the eastern boundary of Wyoming. 1888: The U.S. Congress creates the Department of Labor.

1898: The Canadian Yukon Territory is organized. The Yukon separates from the Northwest Territories and is given separate territorial status, two years after the discovery of gold in the Klondike. Dawson City, with about 30, 000 residents becomes the capital.

1904: Oklahoma City Police Officer Joseph Burnett shoots and kills Edward Capehart O’Kelley during an arrest which developed into a brawl. O’Kelley had been only recently released from prison after serving time for the murder of Robert Ford in Creede, Colorado 1892.

The Great Gold Rush: A Tale of the Klondike, by William Henry Pope Jarvis, 1913.

A couple of "gentleman" prepare to roll a drunk
"knock-out" drops were often added to victims drinks by the unscrupulous

cott Silver introduced to me, The Great Gold Rush: A Tale of the Klondike, by William Henry Pope Jarvis, Toronto, Canada, The Macmillan Company, April 1913. I found the book very interesting and historically accurate for the most part. The descriptions of Skagway were of course of great interest and to my liking. The author told of a rough and wild new camp where the saloons and gamblers ruled supreme and operated unmolested by the law, which consisted of a body of United States Regulars stationed at Skagway, but did nothing and the deputy United States marshal who made promises, but took little action.

Of special note is the authors descriptions of official corruption. It goes almost without saying that the officials on the American side, in Skagway and elsewhere, were ready and willing to take every bribe within their grasp, but what really caught my interest was the authors descriptions of petty larceny, thievery and highway robbery associated with the Canadian officials in Dawson and the Klondike. Much like the American cowboy, historians for years have described the Canadian officials as near super heroes, whom somehow were able to side-step normal human nature in such a way as to not be able to become corrupted by wealth or power.

Scott knew I'd be interested in the sections that spoke of Soapy Smith. The first mention started on page 33 in chapter 4 (Society in Alaska).

The old lady presiding wore the smile of prosperity, and looked communicative, so John opened conversation. "Been in Skagway long?"

"Just a month."

"Doing well?"

"Sure thing! feed about three hundred people a day. Don't care if the rush never lets up."

"You've got a gold-mine here without the trouble of going to Dawson."

"Sure!--that is if Soapy don't put the whole town out of business. He makes the saloons and gambling-halls pay him royalty now, besides running shows himself; and I guess he'll be after us soon to make us anti-up too."

"I thought Alaska was a prohibition territory, no whisky sold here."

"Yes, that's what they say back East; but when you get up town you'll find every second place a saloon with all the hootch you want to drink, or have money to pay for."

"But how do they get the whisky?"

"Oh, that's easy enough. The hootch is consigned through to the Canadian side in bond; but when it is landed here they drill a hole in the barrel and take out the whisky. They refill the barrel with water, and it is packed over the summit."

"But it costs thirty cents a pound to put the water over the summit!"

"That don't matter--with whisky fifty cents a glass over the bar."

"Don't the officers know this is going on?"

"Sure thing they do; but they 'stand in. There is no graft like a whisky
graft."

"Stand in" and "graft"!--the two Australians felt they knew the meaning of the terms, but they had yet to grasp how deep the meaning of "standing in" and "grafting," as understood by officialdom in Alaska and the Yukon, could be.

Chapter 5, entitled Soapy's Little Game, begins with the usual but shorter run-down of Soapy's life of crime. Page 39 contains a paragraph that very much reminded me of the shooting of Clifton Sparks in Denver 1892 by Soapy and Jim Jordan.There is a link at the bottom of this article for those wishing to read a little about the Sparks shooting.

In the Mining Camps of the Western States he later took more radical methods, making many enemies and some friends. When he and his gang wished to exterminate an enemy they would hunt him out in some saloon, gather about him, and play at fighting among themselves. Revolvers would be drawn and shots fired—the man "wanted" would be killed. It would be somewhat hard to find the actual man who fired the fatal shot, and, in any case, a subservient jury would bring in a verdict of "accidental" death.

As seemingly par with most early histories of Soapy, authors seem to feel the need to exaggerate or add events that probably never occurred. I say probably because I can't say for certain that the following episode did not happen just as the author writes it. There are no other examples of locking men in rooms known to me.

On the next night, in the vicinity of Skagway's Sixth Avenue, they wandered into a saloon which had no sign: the question of what its name was did not cross their minds! The air was foul, and floor space not too plentiful. Women stared at them, and "Passed them up." Not so the men. They moved on to the gaming-tables. John threw a coin on to the Black Jack table. To his surprise he won. He speculated again: again he won. Then he remembered the old dodge of letting the novice win a bit at first, so he decided he would keep on until he found himself losing. When he had won twenty dollars he put the money into his pocket, and went on with George to watch a man playing for heavy stakes at roulette. At this table there was never a word spoken, and the gold pieces passed from banker to player, from player to banker, without comment.

While the two were looking on they noticed a man come and stand by the banker, watch the game for a little while, glance shrewdly at them, and go away. Shortly afterwards another man did the same. John and George realized this attention, but said nothing. A third man came along, and bluntly asked them,

"Ever play roulette?"

"No; at least not often," said John.

"Good game."

"Yes."

"Ever shoot craps?"

"No."

"There's a table down at the end of the hall. Care to see it?"

They followed their entertainer to the dimly-lighted rear, where several men were leaning over a table throwing dice. They watched the game a bit, and found it uninteresting. They turned to go, when their new acquaintance made a move to follow—and asked in a hesitating way, "Have a drink?"

George declined.

The fellow pondered a bit, and then said in an ingratiating way, "Would you fellows like to see a big mountain goat I bought from the Siwashes to-day?"

John and George followed the man through a doorway into a cold room where a few candles were burning on a rough table. On the floor lay an immense mountain goat.

"My word!" said George, "what a beauty!"

They stood for some minutes surveying the dead monarch of the mountain crests, their entertainer taking one of the candles and holding it at the animal's head. Suddenly they heard groans, which appeared to come through the doorway at the opposite end of the room.

"What's that?"

The man took a candle and walked to the door, bending his head, as if listening intently. The groans were continued. John and George went over to him. He held the candle in his left hand, and appeared to haul at the door with his right. "Oh! Oh!" came from the room in tones of deepest distress. The fellow handed the candle to John, and then, catching the door with both hands, gave it a mighty wrench. The heavy plank door opened and showed a dark cavity, which drank up the slender light of the candle so effectually that they could distinguish nothing. Cautiously John entered, followed by George. The door was slammed; they were trapped.

"We're caught! Soapy has us," exclaimed George.

John turned, shaded the candle with his hand, and explored the room. It was not large, and it took him but a minute to make a circuit of the four walls.

"We're caught!" was said again.

"But there is no one here: where did the groans come from?" asked John.

"Don't know, if they weren't ventriloquism," replied George.

That seemed likely. John ran and gave the door a kick: it was solid as a wall.

"What will they do with us?" he asked.

"Freeze us to death; we'll freeze quick enough in this atmosphere."

The place was cold, clammy, benumbing. The walls were log; the floor of earth, sparkling with frost crystals; the roof was built of poles. There was no window. Here and there, where the crevices of the logs had not been thoroughly filled, and the air came in, there were patches of frost. They searched for some implement. The room was thoroughly bare—there was not even a billet of wood, let alone an axe, or saw. Things were at a pass. They were both to perish in horrible death. The cold was seizing them. They stamped up and down the room, and shouted. There was, there could be, no answer.

Frenzy came over them. Trapped! To perish of bitter cold! Horrible!... Horrible! To famish as caged animals. They saw their little destiny—to walk, and walk, and walk, and then to lie down and sleep till death, the reality, came. Their impotency galled them. How weak were their arms and strength against these walls of logs!

They marched about for an hour or more, encouraging each other as brave men will.

Then cries were heard faintly from the outside, and new noises, which grew, and continued to grow. A great blow shook the wall, and then another. John shouted; George shouted; the blows were repeated; then they heard voices and shouted again. The door was burst open and in rushed a number of men.

"Come, fellows, out of this, or you'll be cooked!"

It was the voice of Hugh.

They eagerly followed him through the room where the goat was, and out through a side door into the open, where a great glare met them. An outhouse was on fire. Men were rushing about and shouting; but Hugh kept on through the crowd, and the rescued followed him till they reached the safety of the street.

"Now we'd better duck for home," said Spencer. "I go with you"; and through the storm they struggled till they reached the Frau's restaurant.

She had not yet retired, so they called for supper—tea, bacon, and beans. After they had settled down Hugh told his story.

"You see, fellows, after I landed I went over to the Chilkoot to have a look at things there; but after talking to the fellows I reckoned that the White Pass was best for me, so back I comes. I was in the hall to-night with you fellows, but you did not see me; and I thought I would just lay back and see if you would hit the games. Then I kind of got a notion Soapy's men were watching you; so I thought I would watch the whole outfit. I see you go back to the crap-game, and then I see you go into the room with your bunco man—and then I don't see you come out; so I said to myself, you are there for keeps! Now there was with me one fellow I could rely on, so I asked him to keep an eye on that door, and I got out on the street to size up the building. I see towards the rear the wing you went into, so I walks down there, sizing things up. Round on the back side I see a door and a window, but the door had the snow piled up against it—besides, I knew they would not lock you in a room with a window in it, as you could easily kick that out.

"Then I looks at the walls, and I see by the end of the logs sticking out that there was a room which had neither window nor door to the outside, and I said, 'That's the cage!' So I ran back to the saloon and asked my friend there if anybody had come out, and he said 'No.' I came to the conclusion that I would make a bluff of going in at the door you came out of. It was no good; a fellow stopped me and said, 'This room is private.' This made me sure you were still there, so I commenced figuring out how I could get you free, and I thought hard. The thing was to get a crowd together; and as a dog fight is no good in Skagway in the middle of the night—especially in a snowstorm—I said to myself, 'Fire!' I remembered a building I took for a wood-shed lying near your skookum house, so I just hunted it up, and after finding there was a lot of wood in it, with some hay, I set a match to it, and got out, taking an axe with me. In five minutes it was going fine, and I yelled 'Fire! fire! fire!' Then it was all easy. I struck the logs with the axe, and yelled there was somebody in there who would get burned; I busted in the door to the outer room, and then the one into where you were locked up—the other fellows following. I don't know what the other fellows around the fire will think you were doing in there; but I guess they won't ask any questions. Fellows don't ask questions in Soapy's town; it doesn't do them much good if they do."

If this is a true story it did not take place in Jeff Smith's Parlor as it was far too small for table games and there was only one small office room most likely used as Soapy's office and possibly as a room for rigged poker games. There is no evidence that locking men in rooms was a tactic used by the Soap Gang, or anyone in Skagway.

Clifton Sparks
August 3, 2011

Clifton Sparks: pages 79, 250-259, 263, 268, 289, 291-92, 502, 507, 529.

MAY 20

1774: Britain's Parliament passes the Coercive Acts to punish the American colonists for their increasingly anti-British behavior. 

1775: North Carolina becomes the first colony to declare its independence. 

1830: The fountain pen is patented by H. D. Hyde. 

1861: North Carolina becomes the eleventh state to secede from the Union. 

1861: The capitol of the Confederacy is moved from Montgomery, Alabama to Richmond, Virginia. 

1862: The Homestead Act allowing citizens or intended citizens over 21 to claim 160 surveyed government acres after living on them for five years is signed by President Lincoln. 

1869: The 5th Cavalry, including William F. Cody, return to Fort McPherson, Nebraska after fighting Tall Bull (Indian) and his men. 

1874: Levi Strauss begins marketing blue jeans with copper rivets. 

1875: The International Bureau of Weights and Measures is established. 

1894: Outlaw Doolin gang robs the bank in Southwest City, Missouri. Clifton, Doolin, and Bill Dalton shoot their way out of town. They shoot and kill former Missouri state auditor, J. C. Seaborn as he tries to stop the bandits. Doolin is seriously wounded in the head. 

1898: Rev. John Sinclair arrives in Skagway. He takes some of the most famous photographs of Soapy. 

1899: Jacob German of New York City is the first driver to be arrested for speeding. The posted speed limit is 12 miles per hour. 

1902: The U.S. military occupation of Cuba ends when Cuba gains its independence from Spain.

Soapy Smith history scrimshawed onto ivory

Soapy Smith on ivory

(Click image to enlarge)

Soapy on ivory. I came close to naming this post that because it reminded me of Soapy on ice, the future family show that will play in larger cities one day, if we could be so unlucky.

The Soapy Smith tusk
circa 1995

My friend, Dennis Corrington, Skagway businessman extraordinaire, is the proud proprietor of  the Corrington Museum of Alaskan History which highlights the history of Alaska through 40-plus exquisitely scrimshawed walrus tusks of ivory and other incredible artifacts Dennis has acquired over the decades. The museum is also home to the world's largest baleen basket. If this is not impressive enough, access to the museum is free. This is a first class exhibit and should not be missed. It is located in Skagway near the corner of 5th and Broadway.

Dennis Corrington
The Corrington Museum of Alaskan History

  

June 12, 2011 

MARCH 6

1895: Bascomb Smith’s (Soapy's younger brother) lover of six years, Jessie Wise (known as "Jessie Smith") commits suicide in Denver, Colorado while Bascomb is doing time in prison.

Jeff Smith

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