Con Man's Empire: A review

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 Inevitably these authors end up using outdated and incorrect information, even when there is no source or provenance.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My review centers only on the mistakes for future historical reference.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!

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Frank Reid Falls and the Skagway cemetery.

Below is nice video of Reid Falls just behind the cemetery. The camera man then walks into the cemetery stopping at several of the graves including those of Frank Reid and Soapy Smith. It is beautiful scenery.

OCTOBER 15

1892: Soap Gangster, Jeff Dunbar, reportedly tries to extort money from soiled dove, Flossie Leigh at the Tivoli Club in Denver. When Leigh refuses Dunbar buffalos (hits) her head several times with his pistol.

TRIVIA

From the Newsminer.com in Fairbanks, Alaska I found the following.

75 YEARS AGO-

Oct. 12, 1936 — Lee Wakefield, a veteran Alaska packer who was in Seward recently, told of how 40 years ago he and a number of residents of Wrangell ran Soapy Smith out of town and to Skagway. When Soapy Smith and his band of racketeers hit Wrangell, he was invited to move on, and he did so, going to Skagway where residents put an end to his career.

Here's the problem with it. Soapy's travels to Alaska, beginning in 1896, are pretty well accounted for using newspapers, ship passenger records and his personal and business letters and documents. There is no provenance Soapy ever stopped in Wrangell, let alone tried to make it his home. It was just too far from the Klondike gold fields. Sorry Wrangell.

Jeff Smith

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Take Him to See the Eagle: A review

My good friend, Bob "Buckshot" Bradley, over at the True West forum has a collection of old west magazines and finding several articles on Soapy Smith he wanted to know how reliable they are. In asking the question he sent me, in a pdf file, the article, Take Him to See the Eagle by Wilson O'Connor and published in The West magazine July 1964. I not only get to answer his questions, which I enjoyed, but now I have the added pleasure of bringing the whole article to you here on this blog. I hope you enjoy it.



Take Him to See the Eagle

Following is my list of historical corrections for the article. They are listed in chronological order by the articles page number.

Usually in the old magazines there are always mistakes. Remember the magazine called Frontier Times? I just read an article from the Wild West History Association that named at least two old authors who contributed articles to that magazine and others, that were completely made up. In this WWHA article this researcher showed several examples of one author who told the same story in numerous ways just to have variety and to be able to publish the same information several times. It makes me wonder how many stories are out there that we take for granted are true when they really aren't. The good news is that we have technology and eventually every newspaper will be online. It will be easier to prove or disprove stories. I know I hear more people now-a-days question photographs. We need to also start questioning the ones we have always taken for granted as well.

Take Him to See the Eagle

Page 16:

• Soapy did not have a "Texas drawl." He had only been in Texas for 2-3 years. Perhaps a southern drawl as he was born and raised in Georgia.

• "Jimmy" Stewart is incorrect. His real name was John Douglas Stewart.

• The shootout on Juneau Wharf took place on July 8 not July 21.

• John Stewart was 54 not 21-years old.

• Soapy was never a cowboy.

• Somehow the author thought wooden blocks played a part in the prize package soap sell racket. This is the first I ever read anything like this.

Page 17:

• Texas Rangers did not run Soapy out of Texas for manslaughter and bunco games. Once he organized his first real bunco gang (believed to have been in Fort Worth) he began traveling around the west.

• It wasn't until 1880-83 that he setled down in Denver and built his first empire. This is also where his first recorded charities began.

• The article jumps over a huge amount of history to 1892 when he built his second empire in Creede, Colorado and then jumps another huge hurdle to 1897 missing a lot of fantastic history.

Page 18:

• I laughed at the author for writing that the Klondike was "near" Skagway. If you call 800 miles "near."

• Skagway was not Alaska's largest town. In fact Soapy arrived about two weeks after it had been founded so it certainly was not large at the time.

• Jim Clancy is another mistake in identity. The real name(s) are John and Frank Clancy, two Seattle saloon owners who came to Skagway and partnered up with Soapy. Soapy didn't shoot him, seize his saloon, or even threaten him. This is all from the author's imagination. The Clancy's had a small saloon and with Soapy's backing they added on and became Clancy and Company, Soapy being Company. Soapy opened 3 other saloons and gaming halls. Jeff Smith's Parlor (photo on page 16) was Soapy's podium. It was too small to have any gambling and not much alcohol choices. It was his soap box to pose and appear to be an upstanding citizen. The evilness took place in his other establishments.

• Soapy's gang, known as the Soap Gang, normally did not adhere to robbery. They were confidence men. Occasionally they did get out of hand but Soapy kept a good reign as possible on the violence. There is no evidence that his men ever murdered for money.

• There is a quote from February 15, 1898 that the author uses. Yes, 8 dead were found on the White Pass. These men froze to death and were not murdered or robbed. Then the author adds his own fiction to it by adding that "every night there are ten to fifteen murders." This is not from the now famous February 15, 1898 account.

• John (Jimmy) Stewart was from British Columbia not Seattle.

• Frank Reid was not an assayer and did not know John Stewart.

• The photo at the bottom of page 18 was taken AFTER Soapy was killed. These are some of the men that were deported from Skagway by the vigilantes.

Page 19:

• The articles version of the robbery of Stewart is bogus. In my research I was able to chart when Stewart arrived in Skagway by boat and when he went into the Klondike to mine. I have the day he came back to Skagway, what hotel he stayed in, including his signature in the hotel register, along with all the official court paperwork that includes everything known about the robbery. He was robbed, but he wasn't attacked. He lost his money at three-card monte and the buncos grabbed his poke and ran before he could figure out that he had been swindled or had time to refuse to pay up his losses. Naturally, there is no justification for what they did, but at least let's hear the true story.

• Con Kennedy? No such person in Skagway's list of residents. The only lawman in town was Sylvester S. Taylor the deputy U.S. Marshal. Taylor was indeed under pay from Soapy. Taylor did indeed do little as possible to help Stewart. Stewart went to the packer who brought him into town as that was the only person he knew. From there the U.S. Commisioner, five miles away at Dyea was notified.

• All the stuff about Stewart being shot at and evicted from his hotel is made up.

Page 59:

• Frank Reid was not appointed anything by the federal government. When Skagway was founded there were basically two gangs operating and positioning for power. The bunco men under Soapy's leadership and the real estate grifters (also called "lot jumper"). The bunco men won the fight for control of Skagway and the realestate grifters did ther best to get the power back. Reid had worked as a bartender for Soapy in the Klondike Saloon. Reid had himself appointed "City Engineer" and joined the real estate grifters to sell properties he didn't own. Stewart never went to Reid. There was no reason to.

• Reid did not start the vigilante organization, the committee of 101. Some authors have written that he was a leader but this is simply not true. He was only a guard the night of the gunfight. The 101 was formed by members of the real estate grifters and other citizens to rid Skagway of Soapy. The citizens that were a part of the 101 probably wanted justice but the realestate grifters were looking to retake control of the city for themselves. After two men were murdered on the trail the vigilante's put the blame on Soapy and posted handbills warning the bunco men to leave Skagway. There was and is no evidence or reason to think that Soapy's men would resort to killing people. That sort of crime catches the eyes and ears of the federals which were just over in Dyea. Soapy organized his own committee, calling it the Law and Order Society of 317. He posted handbills too, which warned the vigilantes that their violent tactices would not be tolerated. The vigilante's went back into hiding. BTW, this all happened BEFORE Stewart was robbed.

• The story of Stewart and Reid setting up a plan of action, going into Jeff Smith's Parlor, confronting and grabbing Bowers, Reid saving Stewart in the saloon, all fiction.

• Yeah Meow Hopkins appears in many of these invented stories. There is no record of any such person.

• The robbery and gunfight can be read on Wikipedia here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shootout_on_Juneau_Wharf and explains in more detail than I can here.

• No Stewart didn't get married in Skagway.

• Here's a biggie! Frank Reid did not kill Soapy. Reid shot him but the final bullet that killed Soapy was fired by Jesse Murphy, one of the other three guards. It's a long story that rings of murder! Buy the book! Click here: http://www.soapysmith.net/id50.html

Well, I hope that answers your questions Bob. Please feel free to ask more if you are confused about anything. Oh, did I mention to BUY THE BOOK! Well, in case I didn't then let me mention it now, BUY THE BOOK!

Bob has sent me several other magazine articles on pdf files that I plan to review. Watch for them! I'd like to thank Bob "Buckshot" Bradley for his work in placing the articles on pdf files and sending them to me.

Jeff Smith

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Soapy Smith and Boardwalk Empire, part 2

Front page of the Rocky Mountain News
October 16, 1892

Once again I watched HBO's Boardwalk Empire (episode 3, season 2) and continue to see so many similarities with Soapy Smith's empire in Denver. One example in this episode I especially enjoyed involved a violent outburst in a public restaurant. In the program, crime-boss "Nucky" and his Irish lover take a corrupt politician out for a nice dinner. In the same restaurant are leaders of his rising competition. Something happens that irritates Nucky into showing his anger. He makes a scene violently upsetting the dinner table of his competition. The program viewers see things from Nucky's point of view as his anger builds during the scene, from happy-go-lucky to red-hot mad. The scene had me thinking of the numerous recorded times that Soapy attacked somebody in a public place. In some of these instance there seems to be no rhyme-or-reason to his actions and some historians, not knowing the underlining reasons, have attributed such actions to simple drunkenness. As far as recorded history goes, I, as a historian, and must continue the "burden" of relying only on the facts. The Rocky Mountain News has reported most of the accounts where Soapy disrupted the general peace in a public place by starting, or getting involved in a brawl. Rarely are we given a complete and detailed report from his point of view.

Boardwalk Empire, although fictional, takes a personal view through the eyes of the bad guy character, "Nucky" Thompson, clearly defining and showing his personal and business reasons and feelings for each of his outbursts and reactions. In watching the program it is easy for me to substitute "Nucky" for Soapy which gives me the opportunity to understand and even explain some of Soapy's public outbursts and why he reacted the way he did. Please don't confuse my interest for condonement. I'm merely trying to see his life through his eyes.

I posted pretty much the same post on my personal Facebook page as well as the official Facebook group page for Boardwalk Empire. Strangely, they did not see my passion and excitement in the similarities between the two men and era's as worthy of others to read, and deleted my post. 

The political cartoon at the top from the front page of the Rocky Mt. News, October 16, 1892. Soapy is the bearded one. His name is written on his sleeve. He and the Republican ring map out capturing the vote in a coming election. It will involve fraudulent registration, stealing ballot boxes and buying votes. Below is a trailer for season 2.

Boardwalk Empire: October 4, 2011

Jeff Smith

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Tribute video to Soapy Smith

I want this t-shirt!

In the mean time enjoy this very short video made in honor of Soapy Smith...

Jeff Smith

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New books featuring Soapy Smith

There is very honestly, and simply no better book on the market than Alias Soapy Smith. However, like myself, there are collectors out there who collect everything, historically correct or not. I offer a look at the two latest books I'v located that contain Soapy Smith within their pages.



Outlaw Tales of Alaska: True Stories of the Last Frontier's Most Infamous Crooks, Culprits, and Cutthroats
ISBN:9780762753260
Author: Heaton, John
Publisher: Two Dot Books
Publication date: 2010
Series: Outlaw Tales
Pages: 197

The following comes from the advertisements for the book. 

Author: Description: Taking a break from his academic work, history professor Heaton relates the tales of a dozen crooks and desperate characters from Alaska's early days. Readers will meet "Soapy" Smith, the underworld boss of Skagway; the murderous Klutuk of southwestern Alaska; the legendary (and sometimes generous) Blue Parka bandit; and Fred Hardy, the first murderer to be hung in the Territory of Alaska. Heaton's book offers readers the best of two worlds: It's fact-checked to academic standards, but written for a general audience. Any reader interested in Alaska history or true crime will find this book a delight. Annotation ©2010 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com) -- Book News

Fans of shoot-’em-up books and movie Westerns, as well as history buffs, will enjoy these short biographies about the baddest of the bad villains and desperadoes on the Alaskan frontier. Massacres, mayhem, and mischief fill the pages of Outlaw Tales of Alaska. Readers will find themselves panning for gold with dry gulchers and claim jumpers, ducking the bullets of murderers, plotting strategies with con artists, and hissing at lawmen-turned-outlaws. A refreshing new perspective on some of the most infamous reprobates of the Last Frontier, this book also includes historic, black-and-white photos.
-- Globe Fearon Co

Massacres, mayhem, and mischief fill the pages of Outlaw Tales of Alaska. Pan for gold with dry gulchers and claim jumpers. Duck the bullets of murderers, plot strategies with con artists, hiss at lawmen turned outlaws. A refreshing new perspective on some of the most infamous reprobates of the Last Frontier.
-- Globe Fearon Co

I tried to contact the author, Professor of History, John Heaton of the University of Alaska, Fairbanks but he has not responded as of this post. This book has one chapter of 17 pages devoted to Soapy Smith. I was not able to read any of the chapter but I did note that in the index, which I was able to see, had gang member, John Bowers spelled as Charles Bowers, and it included non-existant person and gang member, Syd Dixon, two common mistakes when using older biographies as a source. I was not able to view the books sources for Soapy Smith but the University of Alaska, Fairbanks is also where King Con author, Jane Haigh teaches so I fear Professfor Heaton mistakenly used her book as a main source. That would explain the two index mistakes. If this is the case then I would not suggest using this book as a source.


The book retails for $14.95 but I was able to find used copies at around $5.72.

Goin' Up to Cripple Creek
ISBN-10: 097997237X
ISBN-13: 978-0979972379
Author: Raymond Walter Seibert
Publisher: Advanced Concept Design
Publication date: October 2009
Pages: 346
Fiction / Historical

From the publishers website I'm guessing that this is a self-published historical fiction novel/love story. Here is what the description and advertisement had to say.

Goin' Up To Cripple Creek is historical western fiction of the Colorado, Cripple Creek Mining District, and the men who established it, and mined its gold. The time period is from the discovery and settlement of this alpine valley, through the establishment of the town of Cripple Creek, to the fires of 1896. This is the first work in The Gold Trail Series. Filled with action and romance, it is a well researched and historical fiction of an exciting time. Starting with the settlement by Levi Welty, and the discovery of gold by Bob Womack, it tells the story of the establishment of the District. A vivid picture of the community, inner workings, and social life emerges. A young mining engineer, Steven Marks, arrives from abroad and is robbed of his money on the road into the new town. With the help of kindly, hard drinking Bob Womack, he is able to establish himself with employment at Guyot's Assay Office, where he becomes acquainted with Winfield Scott Stratton. He meets and falls in love with the independent Elizabeth Yates, who owns a restaurant on the main street. She has made an enemy of Soapy Smith, and a tangled relationship with Steven is complicated by the arrival of her first husband. As the city grows, bad elements of greed, and intemperance, tear the social fabric of the close knit early town. Purged by fire, a community is brought together. -- Advanced Concept Design

A work of historical fiction features the lives of the men and women who established the town of Cripple Creek, Colorado, and mined its gold.

Historical western fiction of the Cripple Creek Mining District, and the men who established it, and mined its gold. The time period is from the discovery and settlement of this alpine valley, through the establishment of the town of Cripple Creek, to the fires of 1896. This is the first work in The Gold Trail Series. Filled with action and romance, it is a well researched work of an exciting time. Original. Exciting, well researched, historical romance of the Colorado, Cripple Creek Mining District from 1890-1896. From the first settlers to the Great Fires of 1896, using historical facts from every reasearch source that could be found, all the main personalities of The District are included and interwoven with a love story that will touch the heart. -- In the Affirmative Pub

I have not read this book and I can't really critizise fiction novels. I would hope no one would use one as a historical source. I found the book to retail for $15.95 but I was able to find copies for as low as $3.49.




Jeff Smith

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Artifact: #40: Soapy Smith, Bat Masterson and John Kinneavy meet Chicago Herald reporter, John W. Postgate 1892.

(Click image to enlarge)

In February-March 1892 Soapy Smith was in control of silver boom-town Creede, Colorado. John W. Postgate a senior reporter for the Chicago Herald came to Creede for a firsthand article on the new camp. Soapy introduced himself to John and no doubt gave a first rate tour of the camp with introductions to its leading citizens, including Soapy good friends and associates, John P. Kinneavy and "Bat" Masterson. Some time after returning to Chicago and publishing the article Soapy sent John a couple of letters. Below is the return response from John Postgate.

My dear Smith:

Just returned from Minn and find two letters from you. I will see the business manager tomorrow about 25 copies daily for two months. I will communicate with you directly. I am glad that the articles sided the camp, and that you are all still on the boom. I don’t know what you mean by “The cave of the cliff dwellers.” I had no notes on anything of the sort. If it is anything good get someone to write it and forward me. Regards to Keneavy [sic], Masterson & others.

Yours truly,
John W. Postgate

[On the rear John wrote]
Should you come across anything interesting at any time would be pleased to hear. J.W.P.



Photo found in Neely's history of the Parliament of religions and
religious congresses at the World's Columbian Exposition
By F.T. Neely, (Edited by Walter R Houghton) 1894.

(Click image to enlarge)



John W. Postgate was born in England, August 10, 1851. He studied reporting in London, making it his career. He came to the United States in 1874 where he began working for American newspapers such as the Chicago Inter-Ocean and the Chicago Tribune. I located the information about his impressive newspaper reporting career in the Who’s who in New York City and State, Issue 3 by Lewis Randolph Hamersly page 1056.






"Bat" Masterson
February 17, 2011
December 26, 2010
August 21, 2010
May 25, 2010
April 13, 2010
March 12, 2010
October 30, 2008

John Kinneavy
January 6, 2011
December 30, 2010
September 16, 2010
September 16, 2010
June 27, 2010
October 21, 2009
March 18, 2009

"Bat" Masterson: page 74, 80, 84, 97, 103, 173, 176, 219, 223-25, 232, 419, 422-24, 435, 443.
John Kinneavy: page 73, 95-96, 104, 133-34, 149-50, 154, 160-61, 172-73, 191, 201, 203, 207-08, 214, 218, 226, 232, 245, 248, 376, 388, 594.

Jeff Smith

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Boardwalk Empire and Soapy Smith

Have you had the pleasure of seeing the HBO show Boardwalk Empire?

Just watched the 2nd episode of season 2. I love the show. I suggest that fans of Soapy Smith might enjoy watching it as well. Although the show takes place in 1920 during prohibition there is a striking similarity in method and operation that mirror those of Soapy's empire in Denver, Colorado during the 1890s. The show is actually helping me imagine the how's and why's of Soapy's political and underworld methods. In fact, certain instances in Soapy's life that were just mere facts have now become alive for me.

The shows town boss is Enoch "Nucky" Thompson (played by actor Steve Buscemi), an underworld boss and fixer much like Soapy. It doesn't do the imagination any harm that his love interest is an Irish lass, much like Mary Eva Noonan, Soapy's wife.

Currently, the show is dealing with Nucky's involvement in election fraud, voter intimidation, theft of ballot boxes and bribery. This episode gave me a new outlook and respect for the history of Soapy's election fraud involvement of 1889. Nucky is arrested by a new state prosecutor wishing to make a name for himself. This is where the differences between the show and Soapy's history differ. When Soapy and his men were arrested in Denver they often were reported in the newspapers as having the run of the jail, coming and going from their cell as they pleased, much as if they were not prisoners at all. Soapy's associates who were found guilty of crimes and sent to the State prison in Canon, Colorado found themselves quickly and mysteriously released with a pardon.

There are sites on the net where you can watch Boardwalk Empire from the very beginning. The show, in my opinion, is well worth the effort. Check out the trailer below.

Jeff Smith

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Soapy Smith's grave washed away, 1919



 (Click image to enlarge)

Most visitors to Soapy Smith's grave in Skagway, Alaska do not realize that his remains are not actually there, or that today's marked grave is where he was originally buried. As one faces Soapy's marked grave, one need only to turn their gaze to the right to see where the real grave once held the resting remains of Jefferson Randolph Smith II. That bush and tree filled gully one sees is the result of a fast flowing torrid of water in September 1919 that robbed his earthly remains, washing them out to sea. Vigilantes killed Soapy but it was mother nature who permanently exiled Soapy from Skagway.

The above photograph shows the damage done in the 1919 flood to the tracks and bridge of the White Pass and Yukon Railway. The photo and the accompanying story come from our friends at the Skagway Historical Society.  

This major flood happened in Skagway in September 1919. This is when the train tracks crossed the Skagway River and ran on the west side of the river and then crossed back to the east side up the way.

"Passenger Trains Between Skagway and Whitehorse Stopped by Flood

Last Friday rain started to fall in torrents in the mountain surrounding Skagway and by the following morning the Skagway river was a raging flood, filled with trees and driftwood, that carried all before it. Four bents were washed out of the railroad bridge near the car shops and eleven bents out of the railroad bridge at four mile post. The weather reached the decking of the first bridge and the driftwood pilling up against it threatened at one time to cause the whole structure to go out, but a flat car with a derrick aboard was put into operation and the trees and logs hoisted over the bridge and dropped into the stream below. The government bridge across the Skagway river at Twenty –Second street was damaged to the extent of having the center span carried away.

At the height of the flood there was a White Pass train stranded between the first and second bridges, but since then the first bridge has been repaired sufficiently to get the train into the yards shops.

After the rain started to fall it continued to pour down almost without cessation until yesterday afternoon, when it commeneed to let up, and the weather was reported to be clearing and river falling.

Section men from Carcross, Pennington, Bennett, Log Cabin, Summit and Glacier were rushed over to Skagway to assist in the work of controlling the flood and are still there.

Yesterday afternoon a telephone message was received here from General Manager II. Wheeler at Skagway, saying that the Skagway river was threatening the track near Boulder and asking that a work train be made up here and rushed over with a load of sacked gravel to use in checking water’s inroads. The train, consist of an engine and three flat cars left here at 7 o’clock this morning to load 500 sacks of gravel at the 98 mile post.

A train was run from Whitehorse Tuesday and the passengers and mail transferred at the washout. They connected with the Princess Alice, which sailed from Skagway Wednesday night. There have been no train since then and it now seems probable there will not be until Saturday or Sunday.

There is a lot of perishable and other freight for the interior now in Skagway which cannot be moved until regular train service is resumed, which will likely be first of next week.

Whitehorse Weekly Star, Friday, September 19, 1919

 

Jeff Smith

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Soapy Smith in Canadian cartoon, Emily and Alexander.

There is a cartoon in Canada called Emily and Alexander and Soapy Smith appears in the episode entitled, Klondike Mice.

OCTOBER 1
1891: Soapy “sold” the Tivoli Club.

Jeff Smith

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Hiking the trail from Dyea to Dawson

 August 31, 2012

Here is a LINK to the first of six parts of a documentary made in the late 1970s about four men who hiked the Chilkoot trail to Dawson. It'll give you an idea of what the 1898 stampeders went through for gold.

Jeff Smith

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New Days of 98 Show promo

87 years of the The Days of 98 Show
(Click image to enlarge)

After the successful 87th year the Days of 98 Show releases its new promo video.

Jeff Smith

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Another eye-witness to Soapy Smith's death?



Frank Reid and Soapy Smith begin the struggle that ends their lives.
(drawing by John Bruce)



My good friend, Leah, over at the Old West Rogues forum posted a newspaper clipping published exactly 113 years ago, to the day, regarding a witness to the Shootout on Juneau Wharf in which Soapy Smith was killed (July 8, 1898).

(Lima News Ohio, September 23, 1898)

CRIME AT SKAGUAY.
Tough Band of Criminals Wiped Out.
Henry Rydstrom Tells of the Killing of “Soapy” Smith -- A Chicago Man Illustrates How Skaguay Was Rid of a Desperado.

Henry Rydstrom, formerly a Chicago man, but now a citizen of Skaguay, Alaska, was an eyewitness of the night in which the notorious “Soapy” Smith was killed in that place by City Surveyor Reed. He stood, in fact, where the desperado almost fell against him when Reed shot him. Mr. Rydstrom has been in Skaguay since last January and has seen the rapid growth of the place from simply a group of tents, constantly being put up and constantly taken away as the migrating herds of humanity came and went. From the start “Soapy” Smith’s reign has been supreme. He had a gang of 29 toughs, all as desperate as himself and all completely under his control. Like the able leader in villainy he was, he had his crew well distributed among the municipal offices and in all places where they could be used to best further his schemes and to afford protection to himself and the gang. “Boss” Tweed never in his palmiest days had such a perfectly and systematically organized band of robbers. There were always three of them in the city council, his first lieutenant was the deputy city marshal and his second officer was the editor of the one daily paper in the town. The others were disposed to the best advantage possible.

Smith was a genius and a general in his line. His place was among the high officials, where he acted as adviser and director in all the affairs of the city. He could easily have been the mayor had he chosen, but that would not suit his purposes half so well as being in the position he occupied. His band was never actually seen in any of the villainies perpetrated, and it was known how useless a task it would have been to try and fasten any of the crimes upon him. But everyone knew he was the leader of the gang just the same. “Soapy,” however, was an admirable strategist and often laid plans for bold robberies that completely deceived the good and honest citizens and invariably proved successful. One of these schemes, which was carried through with masterly generalship, will serve to illustrate the ability of the man as a leader and a campaign planner. There was a Canadian minister in town who was anxious to raise enough money to build a church for his congregation. It was “Soapy” Smith who put him in the right way to accomplish his purpose. He advised the minister to make a personal canvass of the town and solicit subscriptions from the prominent business men. To show his genuine interest in the matter he at once put down his name and really gave up $350 in cash toward the project. This liberal donation had a marked effect upon the “other” good citizens.

They all subscribed liberally, and the minister was gratified that in a very short time he had raised several thousand dollars. But that money was never used to build the church. The minister had no sooner completed his work and had the money in his possession than he was waylaid and robbed of the whole sum. It is a certainty that “Soapy” had his $350 duly returned to him and with a liberal interest added, while the rest of the gang, to the same certainty, profited individually, according to their rank in “Soapy’s” army of robbers.

But such was this man’s power that no one dared openly denounce him. It was bad enough to know that he systematically plundered from the strangers who chanced to land in Skaguay with gold dust, but it was worse when his scheming brain devised plans to rob his fellow citizens and set his band to carry them out. And yet his reign continued, though Skaguay had grown to be a city of 5,000 business men. He was at the height of his power just previous to his being killed. On the Fourth of July Skaguay had resolved to be patriotic and a general celebration was inaugurated. One of the features was a grand parade, and in this “Soapy” Smith was the leader. But even then matters were shaping themselves to bring about his destruction. About the first of July and miner had come into town from the north with some $3,000 in gold. One of the gang succeeded in getting him in town and took him to one of the dens where the robberies were committed. It was Smith’s policy never to use extreme measures when it could be avoided, although a murder or two cut no figure with these villains. The ordinary plan was to get the victim drunk and draw him into a “shell” game and thus relieve him of his money in a “legitimate” manner. In this way, the miner was robbed of his $3,000. He, however, made a vigorous kick and an effort was made to induce “Soapy” to give up the spoils. But this “Soapy” would not do, and the refusal led to his tragic end. For the first time since his reign began he was publicly denounced. There were open and private meetings held and measures were in the way of adoption to depose the “boss.”

On July 8, a large number of the citizens had congregated on the wharf and the city surveyor was just calling upon the people to take some decisive action and drive Smith and his gang out of town, when the desperado himself appeared on the scene, Winchester in hand. He deliberately shot Reed, who fell to the ground, but, wounded and dying as he was, he pulled his pistol and shot Smith in the head, killing him instantly.

Hi, Leah.

Thank you very much for posting this. A wonderful find. I'm not sure I've seen this one before!

Henry Rydstrom, the Chicago man who claimed to see Soapy Smith shot and killed, is just another of the many who made such a claim. He states that Soapy "almost fell against him when Reed [sic] shot him." Odd that his name is not mentioned in the Skagway newspapers, or by the other surviving witnesses on the wharf the night Soapy was killed. It was author Clarence Andrews who stated that, "If all the men who claimed to have witnessed the gunfight were laid out end-to-end, the line would reach around the equator."

The Church donation scam is plausible but there is no provenance. This gentleman has already ruined his credibility so why stop telling stories there. According to Rydstrom, Soapy and Reid fired twice, Reid hitting Soapy in the head. The two men actually fired a minimum of five rounds at one another. We know this from wounds to each. It is very possible more were fired but did not strike flesh. Soapy didn't wasn't wounded in the head, but rather the chest. Head or chest, what's the difference right? Rydstrom was supposedly close enough to have Soapy nearly fall against him, yet failed to see vigilante guard, Jesse Murphy, struggle with Soapy for possession of his rifle, obtain it, and then turn it on Soapy shooting the unarmed and wounded crime boss dead with his own rifle seconds after Soapy cried out, "My God, don't shoot!" Something obviously must have distracted Rydstrom from witnessing that part of the shootout...

Jeff Smith

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Roger Smith's jaw drops!

Every story I hear about Soapy makes my jaw drop!                                                   -Roger Smith

Thank you Roger, I enjoy hearing that.




 

Tea Party makes use of Soapy Smith

Sarah Palin with my book

It seems Soapy's name is popular to use with modern politicians who use it to compare their opponents to. Soapy wold turn over in his grave, not because his name was being used, but rather because he disliked politicians. In 1896 he was quoted in The Road as saying,

"I consider bunco steering more honorable than the life led by the average politician."

Yesterday, Alan Keyes of the Tea Party published the following in the WorldNetDaily.

Can we bring down the new Soapy Smiths?

I write this from aboard the Celebrity Millennium as we approach the end of the WND Tea Party at Sea conference/cruise. We've spent almost a week now in and about the great state of Alaska alternating between activities that bring to mind the greatness of our country's heritage and the infinitely more impressive greatness of God, our creator; and presentations and discussions that focus our minds on the crisis that currently afflicts our nation's material well-being, and the much greater crisis that affects its moral judgment and character.

Yesterday we visited Skagway, Alaska (the childhood home of Sarah Palin), a town whose historic role in Alaska's gold rush years reflects the gritty admixture of decent aspiration and downright wickedness characteristic of the historical drama of America's frontier life. Where there's gold, there's greed. But where ambition must proceed through hardship, the imperatives of survival can also produce a natural inclination to remember the golden rule and a grateful appreciation for the company of unadorned humanity.

We listened to the saga of the gangster "Soapy Smith," whose nine-month reign of terror and extortion ended with a bullet through his heart once townsfolk developed the backbone to stand up to his thugs. By the time his end came, most of his ruffians had scattered to the cold winds, startled into flight by the mere prospect of regular folk who overcame their fear (and their distrust of one another) to unite against their criminal overlords.

For those nine months "Soapy Smith" and his henchmen and hangers-on were Skagway's "ruling class." They imposed a hefty tax on the inhabitants of Skagway, in exchange for promises of "protection." It was taken out in servility and fear as well as money. His usurpation of sovereignty succeeded so well that he occupied a seat of honor during a visit to Skagway by the president of the United States.

As I listened to the account of this violent con artist's briefly triumphant career, I couldn't help but think of the more pristine elitists who have in our day consummated a far more vast, more cunning and more successful con against the whole American people. In exchange for promises that they would protect people from sickness, poverty and all kinds of discrimination, they have imposed a tax that now consumes a lion's share of the money the nation works for now; and of the credit established by the good faith efforts it has made in the past. The shadow of their extortion projects loom far forward into the future, promising to make all our posterity the wage slaves of these new "Soapy Smiths."

Today they call themselves Democrats, Republicans, liberals, socialists and even conservatives. They've split themselves into ostensibly rival gangs to engage in the mock combats that now pass for political campaigns and competitions. But their alternate victories and defeats are like the rivalry of the feet as the body goes through its paces. When the right moves forward, the left suffers a setback. When the left moves forward, the right falls behind. Their competition seems real enough, until and unless you lift your eyes to the horizon long enough to realize that we are always moving in the same direction: toward great government control, greater elite power and domination, greater destruction of the institutions America's founders put in place to encourage the effective participation of regular folk, the sovereignty of "we, the people."

All the signs indicate that the historic elitist con that somewhere along the way replaced representative politics in America is close to the final payoff. That's the moment when they roll up the con, leaving the hapless mark to realize that he's been skinned. People who still think that this or that candidate from one of the "major" parties will turn out to be the real thing are pitiably destined to play out that forlorn scene. Some people already talk of America as an historic artifact, so sure are they that the American people have passed the point of no return.

There are days when I am tempted to think like them. But then I remember that the tormented people of Skagway, Alaska, eventually signaled their willingness to unite against the little gang that for a time frighted them with the totem of threats and violence. Then I remember that their story is just one of many, repeated again and again in frontier villages and towns from the far north to the far south, from the colonial east to the golden west as America's character found itself in the midst of hope and hardship, in the competition between decent aspiration and elitist greed for power.

Ours is just another episode in the drama. We've reached the point at which the bad guys feel threatened and start to slander and bad-mouth the people who dare to speak out against them. Some shrink back. But even more resent their arrogant slurs and resolve to swell the ranks of the townsfolk gathering to take their stand. Sometime between now and election day in 2012, the gavel will fall that calls them to order. If they respond, ballots, not bullets, will end the pretensions of this generation's Soapy Smiths. And as they fall, Americans will hustle past them, toward the future liberty their decent hope is still determined to preserve.

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