"SOAPY SMITH."

Western Star, 31 March 1911, Page 4

"SOAPY SMITH."

“THE BOSS OF SKAGWAY.”

The most notorious person at one time in the Yukon was “Soapy Smith.” “Soapy” was an American.

His quaint nickname he derived from his ability to sell for ten dollars apiece small cakes of soap round which were wrapped one dollar bills. This was while he was in Denver City some years before. On pushing north with the gold-seekers he soon made himself the boss of Skagway, enlisting all the “toughs” and the “crooks” of the place under his rule, and so terrorising the authorities that for a ■ long time no one dared to dispute his word.

After some atrocious murders had been committed by members of the Smith’s gang, a vigilance committee was organised to purge Skagway of their presence.

To this “Soapy Smith” replied by calling his followers round him, and there was every prospect of a bitter figiiti when the tension was relieved by the sudden death of Smith himself. He was killed in the open street in a pistol duel with one of the reform party. With the loss of their leader the rest of the gang dispersed, the chief among them being given twelve hours, in which to leave the town. —“The Ciders of the Plains.”