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Soapy Smith | |
|---|---|
 Smith at bar in Skagway, Alaska, 1898 | |
| Born | Jefferson Randolph Smith II November 2, 1860 Coweta County, Georgia, U.S. |
| Died | July 8, 1898 (aged 37) |
| Cause of death | Gunshot wounds |
| Occupation(s) | Con artist, gangster, gambler, saloon proprietor, political boss |
| Spouse | Mary Eva Noonan |
| Children | Jefferson Randolph Smith III, Mary Eva Smith, James Luther Smith |
| Parent(s) | Jefferson Randolph Smith I Emily Dawson Edmondson |
Jefferson Randolph "Soapy" Smith II (November 2, 1860 – July 8, 1898) was an American con artist and gangster in the American frontier, and ultimately the Klondike.
Smith operated confidence schemes across the Western United States, and had a large hand in organized criminal operations in both Colorado and the District of Alaska. Smith gained notoriety through his "prize soap racket," in which he would sell bars of soap with prize money hidden in some of the bars' packaging in order to increase sales. However, through sleight of hand, he ensured that only members of his gang purchased "prize" soap. The racket led to his sobriquet of "Soapy."
The success of his soap racket and other scams helped him finance three successive criminal empires in Denver and Creede, both in Colorado, and in Skagway, Alaska. He was killed in the shootout on Juneau Wharf in Skagway, on July 8, 1898.