Jefferson Randolph "Soapy" Smith (b. 1860 - d. 1898)
Soapy Smith was the classic "bad guy" of Hollywood westerns, the crook who ran the boomtown and had a finger in every pie. Born Jefferson Randolph Smith in Noonan, Georgia, he began training for the Baptist ministry. However, an easy charm and an even easier virtue tempted him into the life of a confidence man. About 1885, he headed west to try his luck in the mining towns of Colorado.
In Leadville he learned the classic shell game and made a handsome living with three walnut shells and an elusive pea. In Denver he earned his nickname in a con game involving soap. In Denver and the mining town of Creede, Soapy Smith organized criminal gangs that virtually ran both towns. During this period, Smith was a frequent visitor to Washington where he was acquainted with senators, businessmen, and newspaper editors.
In 1897, hearing of the Klondike gold strike, Smith told his Washington friends he was going become a respectable hotel keeper in Alaska. However, his reformation was short-lived. By late 1897, he and his criminal associates had taken over Skagway.
Smith's criminal regime lasted less than a year. A Vigilante Committee was formed in the spring of 1898 to oppose him, and the conflict came to a head early in July. On July 8, 1898, Soapy Smith died in a shoot-out with vigilante Frank Reid. He is buried in Skagway cemetery.
