Con Man Soapy Smith is Shot Dead

This episode delves into the life and death of Jefferson Randolph "Soapy" Smith, a notorious con man of the Wild West.

1. Soapy Smith began his criminal career inspired by a shell game scam.
2. He developed the "soap scam" in Denver, boosting his notoriety.
3. Soapy’s influence grew to control significant criminal activities, including rigged lotteries and card games.
4. Government reforms in Denver forced him to relocate to Skagway, Alaska.
5. His death in 1898 marked the end of his reign, symbolizing the fall of a notorious con man.

1. The Making of a Con Man
Soapy's journey into con artistry began with a rigged shell game that cost him his earnings, which led him to pursue grifting as a career.
Jefferson Randolph Smith II: "It’s a simple game, but one that does require some skill."

2. Denver’s Soap King
In Denver, Soapy perfected the soap scam, embedding money in soap bars as prizes, which baited people into buying his worthless soap.
Jefferson Randolph Smith II: "Some of the bars of soap are wrapped in currency."

3. The Empire Crumbles
Soapy's criminal network was disrupted by government reforms aimed at cleaning up Denver, forcing him to seek new opportunities in Alaska.
Jefferson Randolph Smith II: "There are plenty of other cities in America ripe for my exploitation."

4. Skagway: A New Frontier
In Skagway, Soapy replicated his Denver schemes, exploiting the gold rush influx, but his growing criminal activities eventually led to community backlash.
Jefferson Randolph Smith II: "Even without gambling halls, there’s lots of money to be made in Skagway."

5. The Final Confrontation
The episode concludes with the dramatic shootout that resulted in Soapy’s death, marking the end of his criminal legacy.
Jefferson Randolph Smith II: "They may stop me this time, but my name will live on."

1. Learn from Mistakes: Just as Soapy learned from early losses at a carnival game, use setbacks as learning opportunities.
2. Evaluate Risks: Before engaging in any high-stake decisions, consider the long-term consequences as seen in Soapy's life.
3. Ethical Boundaries: Maintain ethical standards in all endeavors to avoid the pitfalls of deceitful gains.
4. Community Impact: Understand the broader impact of your actions on your community and strive to contribute positively.
5. Legacy Considerations: Consider how your actions will be remembered, aiming to leave a positive legacy rather than infamy.

July 8, 1898. Notorious confidence man Jefferson “Soapy” Smith is killed in a gunfight with a vigilante in the Alaskan boomtown of Skagway.

People

Jefferson Randolph Smith II

Content Warnings:

None

Speaker A
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Speaker B
It'S sometime in the late 1870s at a carnival in San Antonio, Texas, Jefferson, Randolph Smith II or Jeff, a teenage cowhand, moves through the carnival crowds. He's got a month's earning in his pocket, and he's excited to explore some of the sideshows before buying his ticket to the circus. Being a cattleman is dirty and exhausting work, so today he's ready for a diversion. As Jeff approaches the big top, a man energetically calling out to passersby catches his attention. Jeff moves closer to see what the attraction is.

A man stands behind a table, swiftly maneuvering three half walnut shells around and around. With a flourish, he lifts one up to reveal a pea underneath. Then he challenges onlookers to track the pea as he puts the shells back into motion. As the man moves the shells around and around, back and forth across the table, he peppers the crowd with jokes and stories. Jeff does his best to ignore the man's chatter and focus instead on the movement of the shell concealing the pee.

When the shells come to a stop, Jeff lays down a wager. Hes confident hes chosen correctly, but the man grins and shows Jeff an empty shell. Jeff is shocked, but hes not ready to give up. The man encourages him to try again, so Jeff lays some more of his money on the table. This time hes sure hes going to get it right again.

The man places a pea under a walnut shell, then begins the act all over. Jeff tracks the shells carefully as they. Move this way and that until they stop. Jeff then points to a shell and once more its empty. He furrows his brow and gives a suspicious look.

The man just shrugs and says its a simple game, but one that does require some skill. Jeff is sure he has that skill. So he puts down even more money. Again the shells begin their dance, and. This time Jeff is confident he knows.

Where the pee is. Hes wrong again and again until when Jeff reaches into his pocket a final time, he realizes he spent every dollar. He has betting on peas and walnuts.

Losing his entire months wages in this shell game doesnt leave Jeff dejected. Instead, he will be inspired. Hell see that its possible to make. More money in minutes with a contract. Than he does in a month on the cattle trail.

So soon. Hell quit his job and set out. On the road to learn the tricks. Of the shell game and other cons like it. Over the course of his life, Jeff will become better known by his nickname, Soapy.

He will earn a reputation as one of the most notorious con men of the wild west until his tricks make him one enemy too many and hes shot dead on July 8, 1898.

Speaker A
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Speaker B
From Noiser and airship, I'm Lindsey Graham. And this is history daily.

History is made every day on this podcast. Every day we tell the true stories. Of the people and events that shaped our world. Today is July 8, 1898. Conman Soapy Smith is shot dead.

Its the spring of 1880 on a bustling 17th street in Denver, Colorado. Just a few years after Jeff Smith. Lost his earnings playing the shell game, Jeff finishes setting up a display case on a tripod. Then, with a flurry of practiced and enthusiastic banter, he begins addressing the passing crowds. At first, folks mostly ignore him, but then one person stops laughing at Jeffs jokes.

That man is soon followed by another. And another. And its not long before Jeff has just the crowd he needs. After leaving Texas, Jeff spent some time. Traveling around the west, learning about various.

Cons from some of the best grifters of the time. Eventually, he landed in Leadville, Colorado, where he learned about a call called the soap scam. Soon after, Jeff moved to the growing mining town of Denver to strike out on his own. So now on the corner he staked out for this morning, Jeff executes a by now familiar routine. As more people gather around him, he.

Promotes the miraculous properties of the soap he has for sale in the display case. But thats not all. Today, hes offering customers a chance to win some cash. Some of the bars of soap are wrapped in currency, five dollar bills, all the way up to 100. As the crowd grows, Jeff waves one man forward and invites him to try his luck.

The man seems reluctant at first, but. With a little more cajoling, he pays. Jeff for a bar of soap. Crowd watches expectantly as he unwraps it. The man then gasps in disbelief.

Hes found $100. Thats almost two weeks wages. Immediately, the excited onlookers rush to snap. Up Jeffs other bars of soap. And over the next few hours, Jeff will sell all of it.

But no one will find another hundred dollar bill. When his display case is empty and the crowds have drifted away, Jeff goes to find the man who bought the first lucky bar of soap. Then they share a laugh over drinks. The man is a plant, a member of Jeffs gang. And his misleading victory was all part of the con.

This soap scam isnt the only scheme Jeff operates in Denver, but its the. One that hell be associated with for. The rest of his life. Jeff is eventually arrested, not for conning people but for selling soap without a license. When hes being booked, though, the police officer cannot remember Jeffs name.

So he writes down Soapy on the form instead of and the nickname sticks. But Soapy knows theres a limit to how much he can earn from his namesake scam. So when hes not hustling on 17th street, he works under Doc Baggs. Doc is the grifter boss in Denver. He oversees a wide network of schemes.

From his office across from the train station. In working for Doc, Soapy learns all. The way to identify well off men. And separate them from their money. Its an education that Soapy will put to full use.

In 1885, Doc is run out of Denver by the sheriff and Soapy takes over his operation. Within a few years, hes overseeing crooked card games as well as a fraudulent lottery. His gang also runs a fake diamond and watch auction and sells stocks for non existent businesses with his increased earnings, soapy buys properties which he uses as fronts for his scams. He opens up a ticket office across from the railroad station and advertises train tickets at a discounted price. But as always, theres a catch.

Potential customers who wander in are told that the ticket agent is away, but. They are welcome to pass the time. With some games of chance. Of course those games are rigged and the customers money always ends up in soapys pockets. They never get the train tickets they were after.

As Soapys crime empire grows, law abiding citizens desperately look for ways to reclaim Denver. But its hard with soapy using his. Wealth to pay police and elected officials. To look the other way. Eventually, though, soapys criminal network becomes too big to ignore.

In 1893, a new government is elected in Colorado, a group of reformers who want to root out corruption in the state and especially in Denver. This leads to a standoff between the new governor and the city officials on Soapys payroll. When its all over, the governors stand victorious and soapys comrades are thrown out of office. Many of Denvers gambling halls and saloons are closed. Soapy himself will continue to evade justice, but he'll realize his time in Denver has come to an end.

There are plenty of other cities in America ripe for his exploitation though, so Soapy will get back on his horse and head for a new city to swindle.

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Speaker B
It's the evening of January 31, 1898. In Skagway in the district of Alaska. Four years after soapy Smith left Denver, laborer Andy McGrath pounds his fist on the bar at the People's Theater. After a long night of drinking. His head's reeling, but he's also angry.

Earlier in the day, he came to the tavern to enjoy some liquor in the company of one of the saloons working girls. Now, though, he claims his drink was poisoned and hes been robbed of $140, its not much of a stretch to believe Andys story. In recent years, Skagway has undergone some significant changes, and not all of them good. In 1896, gold was discovered in the Klondike river. Since then, tens of thousands of so called stampeders have come to Alaska in search of riches, and many others have followed them north, hoping to take advantage of the gold rush in other ways.

Among those opportunists is Soapy Smith. Just as in Denver, Soapy has set up numerous businesses, almost all of them. Fronts for ripping off hapless travelers like Andy. Andy knows that someone like Soapy is behind what's happened to him, and he shouts it at the top of his lungs. The bartender, John Frey, though, is unmoved and warns Andy to get moving.

But Andy has no intention of leaving without his money, and when he threatens to use force to take back whats his, John orders the saloon workers to toss him out. Andy stomps belligerently through the snowy skagway streets. Determined to reclaim his money, he finds the towns us marshal. The marshal is on his way to. Fetch a doctor for his pregnant wife.

But when Andy explains whats happened, the marshal agrees to accompany him back to. The bar, act as mediator. Things dont go too well when Andy and the marshal re enter the peoples theater. Andy immediately takes a swing at the. Bartender, who pulls his pistol and shoots Andy.

The marshal then reaches for his weapon, but John the bartender shoots him too. Bleeding from his stomach, the marshal retreats. To the street to find help. And realizing the mess hes gotten himself into, the bartender John flees out the back of the saloon. Soon after, both Andy and the marshal die from their wounds.

John is arrested, and a group of citizens is appointed to guard him before he can be put on trial. Its protection hell need. Skagway has a reputation as a town short on law and long on gold dust. But for many people, this latest act. Of violence crosses a line.

Marshalls wife gives birth the next day, meaning the citys criminals are now responsible for the widowing of a new mother. The community demands retribution, and it seems likely bartender John will be lynched. This puts Soapy Smith in a tricky situation. His success relies on keeping Skagway's legitimate business leaders happy. That's meant he's promised that violence in his establishments will be kept to a minimum.

The deaths of Andy and the marshal have broken that assurance, and Soapy knows. He'Ll have to do something to win. Back the town's trust. But at the same time, his men have certain expectations of him too. Part of the reason they work for soapy is the protection from the law.

Speaker A
That he can offer them in return. So soapy has to walk a fine line and somehow try to placate both sides. He volunteers to raise money for the family of the dead marshal and collects over $350. But old habits die hard, and he. Skims $50 off the top before delivering the rest to the window.

Speaker B
Meanwhile, to protect his man John, he arranges to have the bartender extradited to another jurisdiction to stand trial there. John argues the shooting was self defense and is acquitted. Soapy hopes that these efforts have managed to square the circle. But when news of Johns acquittal reaches Skagway, some of its citizens only renew their commitment to ending the towns growing crime problem. They petition the federal government to enforce martial law.

And in March 1898, troops arrive in Skagway to shut down the towns saloons and gambling halls. But soapys not ready to relinquish his lucrative territory. Even without gambling halls, theres lots of money to be made in Skagway. So the swindles continue through spring and into the summer of 1898 with apparent impunity. Only when a prospector is blatantly robbed in broad daylight will things change, as a committee of concerned citizens will take matters into their own hands.

And finally, bring a bloody end to soapy smiths reignite.

Speaker F
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Speaker B
It'S the evening of July 8, 1898, in Skagway, Alaska. Soapy Smith marches through the ramshackle streets of the town, heading toward the wharf. He has his rifle slung over his shoulder, and he walks with the swagger of a man utterly convinced of his own untouchable power. Yesterday, members of Soapys gang robbed a prospector passing through town of over $2,600, more than $300,000 today. It was the final straw for many locals.

An organization calling itself the committee of 101 has been campaigning against Soapys gang for some time. After the robbery of this prospector, the committee confronted Soapy to demand that the gold be returned. But Soapy either couldnt or wouldnt do as they asked. So today, the committee of 101 has convened another meeting at the town docks to figure out how to put an end to the crime wave destroying Skagway. Soapy hasnt been invited to the meeting, but hes heading there anyway.

Throughout his career, hes relied on his rhetorical gifts to charm his way out of trouble, and he hopes he can use these skills once more to convince the town people that hes a valuable member of the community, or at the very least, disrupt the meeting so no clear action can be taken. But the committee of 101 has anticipated this. Guards have been posted on the wharf. With instructions to stop any member of. Soapys gang from entering the meeting.

So when Soapy himself walks up to. The dock with his rifle over his. Shoulder, theres a member of the committee blocking his way. Frank Reed is a city engineer and the only one of the meetings guards who is armed. Soapy sneers at Frank, and the two men exchange insults, and then shots ring out.

When the commotion is over and the people from the meeting rush outside, they find Frank slumped against a door, badly wounded. But Soapy Smith lies motionless on the ground, shot through the heart. In the wake of Soapys death, his associates flee town or are rounded up. Twelve days after the shooting, Frank Reed dies. An enormous parade is held in his honor, and his tombstone will be later inscribed with the words he gave his life for the honor of Skagway.

Soapy Smith won't be remembered so fondly in the town, but his reputation will live on elsewhere as one of the most prolific con men of the Old west, whose brazen acts of deception were only brought to an end by his violent death in a shootout on July 8, 1898.

Next on History Daily July 9, 1762 Catherine the Great becomes empress of Russia following a coup against her husband from noiser and airship. This is history daily. Hosted, edited and executive produced by me, Lindsey Graham Audio editing by Mohammad Shazee Sound design by Molly Bach Music by Thrum this episode is written and researched by Reuben Abrams Brosby, edited by Joel Callan managing producer Emily Burke executive producers are William Simpson for airship and Pascal Hughes for R.

Speaker H
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