Soapy Smith

Jefferson Randolph "Soapy" Smith II (November 2, 1860 – July 8, 1898) was a con artist and gangster in the Old West. His most famous scam, the prize package soap sell racket, earned him the sobriquet of "Soapy", which remained with him to his death. Although he traveled and operated his confidence swindles all across the western United States, he is most famous for having a major hand in the organized criminal operations of Denver and Creede, Colorado, and Skagway, Alaska, from 1879 to 1898. In Denver, he ran several saloons, gambling halls, cigar stores, and auction houses that specialized in cheating their clientele. In Denver, Smith began to make a name for himself across the country as an infamous criminal. Denver is also where Smith entered into the arena of political fixing, where, for favors, he would sway the outcome of city, county, and state elections. He used the same methods of operation when he settled in the towns of Creede and Skagway, opening businesses with the primary goal of stealing from his customers while making a name for himself. He was killed in the shootout on Juneau Wharf in Skagway.