"From history I learned truth. From gambling I learned math. From my father I learned how to cheat, and perhaps the most important lesson of all, not to play another man's game."
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| Jeff at the Magic Castle Soapy Smith Night 2017 |
My name is Jeff Smith. I am a great-grandson of Jefferson Randolph "Soapy" Smith II. I grew up within a family mesmerized with Soapy's captivating old west legacy. As a child I grew up listening to the many historical accounts and family stories. The research and genealogy work my family had performed to that point was already expansive. My grandfather, father, uncles and aunts had been researching and interviewing, those who knew Soapy, since the early 1900s. I can remember my parents, my uncles and aunts sitting in our home with these old timers, each having personally known Soapy in some capacity, being interviewed and recorded for prosperity on my fathers old reel to reel tape machine, which I later salvaged what recordings could be saved and transferred to CD. The Smith's are very fortunate to have many hundreds of Soapy's original letters and business documents. Having these originals to research not only uncovered a massive amount of previously unpublished history, but exposed many truths, good and bad, as seen through the eyes of this amazing rascal himself. This history at my finger-tips was far beyond what other historians had been able to piece together thus far.
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| Jeff Smith, Seattle 1997 |
My father had a back building fabricated into an old west saloon and gambling hall museum complete with full size antique gambling tables, slot machines and equipment, so as a child I learned about the history and methods of the gamblers and gambling. Raised in this atmosphere I quickly learned to love the fact that I had such an intriguing ancestor. It was a whole lot of fun for me as a kid in that saloon. There sat Soapy Smith's roulette table from Skagway, a full size crap table, faro table, two black jack tables and numerous antique slot machines and trade stimulators, some dating back to 1897. At any one moment I could sit down at slot machine and insert supplied coins into the device until they were gone. It only took a key to obtain more coins. Almost every weekend I would find my father in that back building with friends or interested parties that included such famous magicians as Dai Vernon, a huge fan of Soapy's. My father was not addicted to gambling, but he loved the play and the history, and his library showed it. It was from him that I learned how to gamble and the mathematical odds for each game. It was also from him that I learned how to cheat. My father taught me what he had learned, from his father ("Soapy's" son), including the old swindles; the prize package soap sell, the shell game and three-card monte. It is exciting to contemplate that my education in the swindle arts was handed-down, father to son, from Soapy himself. I in-turn taught both my children these games. Play gambling in that back building cured me of any gambling addiction that may have been lurking in my DNA.
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| Jeff Smith, 2016 |
In 1985, with great determination, I began my own quest, researching the true story about Soapy's adventures, experiences and tragic demise. I completed Alias Soapy Smith: The Life and Death of a Scoundrel in 2009, the most complete and truthful biography of my great-grandfather. Although the book is finished, the research is not, and will likely continue until the end of my days.
People have asked me, "how can you idolize a bad man?" My answer is that I don’t “idolize” Soapy, I “celebrate” him. I use him as an educational tool, not only for history's sake, but for humanity's, as a warning that all are targets of mindful and witty but ruthless criminals.
and from his deeds we learn not to be one.
In the late 1980s I combined everything I had learned and started reenacting the part of Soapy, perfecting my portrayal, complete with a tri-pod and keister (suitcase and stand) to perform the bunco games on, it became the core of all this was all based around the history of Soapy, so I began giving talks and demonstrations. The start of a family put my dreams of travel and research in hiatus until the children reached college. So here I am, have tripe and keister - will travel.
