Jeff Smith's Parlor study: Klondike Gold Rush National Historic Park: Part 9.

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

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

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






Palor Museum Hsr

NOVEMBER 20

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

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ADDITIONAL NEWS!

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

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Jeff Smith

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

(source: nola.com)

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

The following comes from my book.

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

SOAPY SMITH’S STORY

How His Eyes Were Blinded and How He Was Fooled.

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

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

(source:  specialcollections.tulane.edu)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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








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

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

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

Sources:
Wikipedia: World Cotton Centennial.

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

Jeff Smith

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1908 Denver map: TIVOLI

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

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

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

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

Full 1908 map

   

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

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

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

Jeff Smith

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The term "Cheap John."

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

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

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

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

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

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ADDITIONAL NEWS

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

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

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March 23, 2011

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

Jeff Smith

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The schooner Janus once belonged to bad man Soapy Smith.

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

THIS POST HAS AN ADDENDUM

October 16, 2022

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

The Oregonian
August 27,1897

FITTING OUT A FISHBOAT.

___

The Little Schooner Janus to start for Alaska.

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

The Janus: pages 530, 545.

Jeff Smith

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The Devil's Grin: A review

The Devil's Grin
by artist Randy Steffen

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

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

Devils Grin


TRIVIA

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

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 ADDITIONAL NEWS!

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

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

__________

Jeff Smith

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Happy Birthday Soapy Smith

From my book.

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

So much pain mixed in with the joy.

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

Jeff Smith

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

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

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

THE "SOAP GAME."

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

Tom Biss as Soapy Smith
Skagway, Alaska
circa 1970s

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

Jeff Smith

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The Soapy Smith Discussion Forum

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

Bits to consider

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

Jeff Smith

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

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

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


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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Later in the book Wardner writes.

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

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

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

Additional information:

• Wikipedia: Bunker Hill Mining Company

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

April 12, 2010

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

Jeff Smith

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Soapy Smith's Greatest Hoax: A review

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

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

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



Soapy Smith's Greatest Hoax

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

Page 14

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

Page 15

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

Page 16

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

Page 17

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

Page 47

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

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

October 23

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

Jeff Smith

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

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

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

exactly as they were published. 

THANK YOU BOB!

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