NationMaster - Encyclopedia: Soapy Smith

Jefferson Randolph ("Soapy") Smith II (1860-July 8, 1898) was an American con artist and gangster who had a major hand in the organized criminal operations of Denver, Colorado, Creede, Colorado, and Skagway, Alaska from 1879 to 1898. He is perhaps the most famous "sure-thing"^[1] bunko man of the old west. Image File history File links Soapy_Smith_1898. ... 1860 is the leap year starting on Sunday. ... Coweta County is a county located in the state of Georgia. ... is the 189th day of the year (190th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1898 (MDCCCXCVIII) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Monday of the 12-day-slower Julian calendar). ... Broadway Avenue, Skagway, May 2007. ... Official language(s) None[1] Spoken language(s) English 85. ... The Confidence-Man: His Masquerade was the last major novel by Herman Melville, the American writer and author of Moby-Dick. ... 1887 (MDCCCLXXXVII) is a common year starting on Saturday (click on link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar or a common year starting on Monday of the Julian calendar. ... is the 189th day of the year (190th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1898 (MDCCCXCVIII) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Monday of the 12-day-slower Julian calendar). ... A confidence trick, confidence game, or con for short, (also known as a scam) is an attempt to intentionally mislead a person or persons (known as the mark) usually with the goal of financial or other gain. ... For other uses, see Gangster (disambiguation). ... Nickname: Location of Denver in Colorado Location of Colorado in the United States Coordinates: , Country United States State Colorado City-County Denver (coextensive) Founded [1] November 22, 1858 Incorporated November 7, 1861 Government - Type Strong Mayor/Weak Council - Mayor John Hickenlooper (D) Area [1] - City & County 154. ... Creede is a town located in Mineral County, Colorado. ... Broadway Avenue, Skagway, May 2007. ... 1879 (MDCCCLXXIX) was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... Year 1898 (MDCCCXCVIII) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Monday of the 12-day-slower Julian calendar). ... Grifter redirects here. ...

The development of a con man

Jefferson Smith was born in Newnan, Georgia, to a family of education and wealth. His grandfather was a plantation owner and his father a lawyer. The family met with financial ruin at the close of the American Civil War. In 1876 they moved to Round Rock, Texas, to start anew. Smith left his home shortly after the death of his mother, but not before witnessing the shooting of the outlaw Sam Bass. It was in Fort Worth, Texas, that Jefferson Smith began his career as a confidence man. He formed a small, close-knit gang of scoundrels, rogues, shills, and thieves to work for him, and soon became a well known crime boss. The "king of the frontier con men,"^[2], he spent the next 22 years as a professional bunko man and leader of one of the most infamous gang of swindlers ever assembled. They became known as the Soap Gang, and included famous names like Texas Jack Vermillion and Ed "Big Ed" Burns. The gang moved from town to town, plying their trade on their unwary victims. Their principal method of separating victims from their cash was the use of short cons, swindles that are quick and need little setup and few helpers. The short cons of choice included the shell game, three-card monte, and any game in which they could cheat. Newnan is a city in Coweta County, Georgia, 39 miles (63 km) south by west of Atlanta. ... Combatants United States of America (Union) Confederate States of America (Confederacy) Commanders Abraham Lincoln, Ulysses S. Grant Jefferson Davis, Robert E. Lee Strength 2,200,000 1,064,000 Casualties 110,000 killed in action, 360,000 total dead, 275,200 wounded 93,000 killed in action, 258,000 total... â€œRound rockâ€ redirects here. ... Sam Bass Sam Bass (21 July 1851â€“21 July 1878) was a nineteenth-century American train robber and western icon. ... Nickname: Motto: Where the West Begins Location of Fort Worth in Tarrant County, Texas Coordinates: , Country State Counties Tarrant and Denton Government - Mayor Michael J. Moncrief Area - City 298. ... A shill is an associate of a person selling a good or service, who pretends no association and assumes the air of an enthusiastic customer. ... Everyday instance of theft: the bike which fits on this wheel has disappeared. ... John Wilson Texas Jack Vermillion Civil War enlistment photo John Wilson Texas Jack Vermillion (1843-1900?). Gunfighter of the Old West known for his participation in the Earp vendetta ride. ... Edward Big Ed Burns, was an american 19th century confidence man and crime boss. ... A shell game is performed with bottle caps on a cardboard box, on Fulton Street in New York City The Conjurer by Hieronymus Bosch. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ...

The prize package soap sell swindle

Some time in the late 1870s or early 1880s, Smith began duping entire crowds with a ploy the Denver newspapers dubbed The Prize Package Soap Sell Swindle.

Jefferson would open his "tripe and keister" (display case on a tripod) on a busy street corner. Piling ordinary soap cakes onto the keister top, he began expounding on their wonders. As he spoke to the growing crowd of curious onlookers, he would pull out his wallet and begin wrapping paper money ranging from one dollar up to one hundred dollars, around a select few of the bars. He then finished each bar by wrapping plain paper around it to hide the money. He mixed the money-wrapped packages in with wrapped bars containing no money. He then sold the soap to the crowd for a dollar a cake.^[3] A shill planted in the crowd would buy a bar, tear it open it, and loudly proclaim that he had won some money, waving it around for all to see. This performance had the desired effect of enticing the sale of the packages. More often than not, victims bought several bars before the sale was completed. Midway through the sale, Smith would announce that the hundred-dollar bill yet remained in the pile, unpurchased. He then would auction off the remaining soap bars to the highest bidders. A shill is an associate of a person selling goods or services who pretends no association to the seller and assumes the air of an enthusiastic customer. ...

Through the masterful art of manipulation and sleight-of-hand, the cakes of soap wrapped with money were hidden and replaced with packages holding no cash. It was assured that the only money "won" went to members of what became known as the "Soap Gang."

Smith quickly became known as "Soapy Smith" all across the western United States. He used this swindle for 20 years with great success. The soap sell, along with other scams, helped finance Soapy's criminal operations by paying graft to buy off police, judges and politicians. He was able to build three major criminal empires: the first in Denver, Colorado (1886-1895), the second in Creede, Colorado (1892), and the third in Skagway, Alaska (1897-1898). World map of the Corruption Perceptions Index, which measures the degree to which corruption is perceived to exist among public officials and politicians. Blue colors indicate little corruption, red colors indicate much corruption In broad terms, political corruption is the misuse by government officials of their governmental powers for illegitimate... Nickname: Location of Denver in Colorado Location of Colorado in the United States Coordinates: , Country United States State Colorado City-County Denver (coextensive) Founded [1] November 22, 1858 Incorporated November 7, 1861 Government - Type Strong Mayor/Weak Council - Mayor John Hickenlooper (D) Area [1] - City & County 154. ... Creede is a town located in Mineral County, Colorado. ... Broadway Avenue, Skagway, May 2007. ...

Criminal boss of Denver, Colorado

In 1879 Soapy Smith moved to Denver and began to build the first of his empires. Con men normally moved around, to keep out of jail, but as Soapy's power and gang grew, so did his influence at City Hall, allowing him to remain. By 1887 Soapy reputedly had a hand in most of the criminal bunko activities in the city. Newspapers in Denver reported Soapy as being in complete control of the city's crime and gambling underworld and accused corrupt politicians and the police chief of being on his payroll. 1879 (MDCCCLXXIX) was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... Nickname: Location of Denver in Colorado Location of Colorado in the United States Coordinates: , Country United States State Colorado City-County Denver (coextensive) Founded [1] November 22, 1858 Incorporated November 7, 1861 Government - Type Strong Mayor/Weak Council - Mayor John Hickenlooper (D) Area [1] - City & County 154. ... Grifter redirects here. ... 1887 (MDCCCLXXXVII) is a common year starting on Saturday (click on link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar or a common year starting on Monday of the Julian calendar. ... In Japan, bunko (æ–‡åº«) are small cheap paperback books, designed to be affordable and portable. ...

In the mid 1880s Soapy opened the Tivoli Club,^[4] a saloon and gambling hall. Legend has it that above the entrance was a sign that read "caveat emptor," Latin for Let the buyer beware. A meaningful warning, as most certainly the games of chance were rigged. It was said that every faro table in the Tivoli Club in 1889 was gaffed (made to cheat). Soapy's younger brother, Bascomb Smith, joined the gang and operated a cigar store that was a front for crooked poker games and other swindles, operating in one of the back rooms. Other "businesses" included fraudulent lottery shops, a "sure-thing" stock exchange, fake watch and bogus diamond auctions, and the sale of stocks in nonexistent businesses. Caveat emptor is Latin for Let the buyer beware. Generally Caveat Emptor was the property law doctrine that controlled the sale of real property after the date of closing. Under the doctrine of Caveat Emptor, the buyer could not recover from the seller for defects on the property that rendered... Faro is a city in Portugal; see Faro, Portugal a town in Yukon, Canada; see Faro, Yukon. ... Year 1889 (MDCCCLXXXIX) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Sunday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ... For the domestic fireplace tool, see fireplace poker. ... A lottery is a popular form of gambling which involves the drawing of lots for a prize. ...

Soapy's political clout was so powerful that some of the police officers patrolling the streets would not arrest him or members of his gang. (And if they did, a quick release from jail was easily arranged.) A voting fraud trial after the municipal elections of 1889 focused attention on corrupt ties and payoffs between Soapy, the mayor and the chief of police.^[5] Electoral fraud is the deliberate interference with the process of an election. ... Year 1889 (MDCCCLXXXIX) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Sunday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ...

Smith opened an office in the prominent Chever block, a block away from his Tivoli Club, from which he ran his many operations. The office also fronted as a big business tycoon's office for high-end swindles. A business magnate, sometimes referred to as a mogul, tycoon, or industrialist is a person who controls a large portion of a particular industry and whose wealth derives primarily from this control. ...

Soapy was not without enemies and rivals for his position as the underworld king. He faced several assassination attempts and shot several of his assailants. Soapy became increasingly known for his gambling addiction, his bad temper and heavy drinking - a dangerous combination. Compulsive gambling is an urge or addiction to gamble despite harmful negative consequences or a desire to stop. ...

As dishonest as Soapy Smith was, he was also generous to charities, donating to numerous organizations and non-denominational churches that helped the poor. Soapy was also known to have cooperated with the law whenever it suited his needs. A non-denominational church (usually Christian) is a religious organization which does not necessarily align its mission and teachings to an established denomination. ...

Soapy takes over Creede, Colorado

In 1892, with Denver in the midst of anti-gambling and saloon reforms, Smith sold the Tivoli and moved to Creede, Colorado, a mining boomtown that had formed around a major silver strike. By using prostitutes, Soapy acquired numerous lots along Creede's main street, renting them to his associates. Once Soapy had gained enough allies, he announced that he was the camp boss. 1892 (MDCCCXCII) was a leap year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... Creede is a town located in Mineral County, Colorado. ...

With brother-in-law and Soap Gang member William Sidney "Cap" Light as the camp's deputy sheriff, Soapy began his second empire, opening the Orleans Club, a gambling hall and saloon much like the Tivoli. He purchased and briefly exhibited a petrified man nicknamed McGinty^[6] for an admission of 10 cents. While customers were waiting in line to pay their dime, Soapy's shell and three-card monte games were winning dollars out of their pockets. William Sidney Cap Light was a Texas lawman from 1884 until his death in 1893, when he accidentally shot himself. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ...

Soapy Smith provided an order of sorts, protecting his friends and associates from the town's council and expelling violent troublemakers. Many of the influential newcomers were sent to meet him. Soapy grew rich in the process, but again was known to give money away freely, using it to build churches, help the poor, and to bury unfortunate prostitutes.

Creede's boom very quickly waned and the corrupt Denver officials sent word that the reforms there were coming to an end. Soapy took McGinty back to Denver. He left at the right time, as Creede soon lost most of its business district in a huge fire.^[7] Buildings burned included the Orleans Club.

Back to Denver

On his return to Denver, Smith opened new businesses that were nothing more than fronts for his many short cons. One of these sold discounted railroad tickets to various destinations. Potential purchasers were told that the ticket agent was out of the office, but would soon return, and then offered an even bigger discount by playing any of several rigged games. Soapy's power grew to the point that he admitted to the press that he was a con man and saw nothing wrong with it. In 1896 he told a newspaper reporter, "I consider bunco steering more honorable than the life led by the average politician."^[8]

Colorado's new governor David H. Waite, elected on a Populist Party reform platform, fired three Denver officials he felt were the main instigators of corruption in City Hall, calling out the state militia to assist. The troops brought with them two cannon and two Gatling guns. Soapy, called to assist the corrupt officeholders and police, was commissioned as a deputy sheriff and with some of his men climbed to the top of City Hall's central tower with rifles and dynamite to fend off any attackers.^[9] Cooler heads prevailed, however, and the battle over corruption would be fought in the courts, not on the streets. Soapy Smith would be a key witness on the stand. The Populist Party (also known as the Peoples Party) was a relatively short-lived political party in the United States in the late 19th century. ... An 1865 Gatling gun. ... Dynamite is an explosive based on the explosive potential of nitroglycerin, initially using diatomaceous earth (kieselguhr) as an adsorbent. ...

Governor Waite agreed to withdraw the militia and allow the Colorado Supreme Court to decide the case. The court ruled that the governor had authority to replace the commissioners, but he was reprimanded for bringing in the militia, in what became known as the "City Hall War." The Colorado Supreme Court is the highest court in the U.S. state of Colorado. ...

Waite began cleaning up Denver and ordered the closure of all gambling dens, saloons and houses of ill repute. Soapy exploited the situation, using the recently acquired deputy sheriff's commissions to stage fake arrests in his own gambling houses, apprehending patrons who had lost large sums in rigged poker games. The victims were happy to leave when the "officers" allowed them to walk away from the crime scene rather than face arrest, naturally without recouping their losses.

Eventually, Soapy and his brother Bascomb became too well known, and even the most corrupt city officials could no longer protect them. Their influence and Denver-based empire began to crumble. When they were charged with attempted murder in the beating of a saloon manager, Bascomb was jailed, but Soapy managed to escape, becoming a wanted man in Colorado. Lou Blonger and his brother Sam, rivals of the Soap Gang, took over control as kingpins of the Denver criminal underworld. Official language(s) English Capital Denver Largest city Denver Largest metro area Denver-Aurora Metro Area Area Ranked 8th - Total 104,185 sq mi (269,837 kmÂ²) - Width 280 miles (451 km) - Length 380 miles (612 km) - % water 0. ... Lou The Fixer Blonger (May 13, 1849–April 20, 1924), born Louis Belonger, was a Civil War veteran, saloonkeeper, detective and well-known gambler, but is most often noted as the organizer of an extensive ring of confidence tricksters in Denver that operated for more than 25 years. ...

Before leaving, Soapy tried to pull off a swindle started in Mexico, where he tried to convince President Porfirio Diaz that his country needed the services of a foreign legion made up of American toughs. Soapy became known as Colonel Smith, and managed to organize a recruiting office before the deal collapsed. It appears it was finally revealed to the Mexican president just who "the Colonel" really was. Porfirio Díaz José de la Cruz Porfirio Díaz Mori (15 September 1830 – 2 July 1915) was President of Mexico, considered a dictator, who ruled Mexico from 1876 until 1911 (with the exception of one single four-year period). ... A foreign legion is a military force originally established by a monarch, consisting of foreigners who are not normally subjects of the king. ...

Skagway, Alaska & the Klondike Gold Rush

When the Klondike Gold Rush began in 1897, Soapy moved his operations to Skagway, Alaska. He set up his third empire much the same way as he had in Denver and Creede. He put the town's deputy US Marshal on his payroll and began collecting allies for a takeover. Soapy opened a fake telegraph office in which the wires went only as far as the wall. Not only did the telegraph office obtain fees for "sending" messages, but cash-laden victims soon found themselves losing even more money in poker games with new found "friends." Soapy opened a saloon named Jeff Smith's Parlor, as an office from which to run his operations. Although Skagway already had a municipal building, Soapy's saloon became known as "the real city hall". Skagway was gaining a reputation as a "hell on earth," full of perils for the unwary. A typical gold mining operation, on Bonanza Creek. ... Broadway Avenue, Skagway, May 2007. ... â€œU.S. Marshalsâ€ redirects here. ... Telegraphy (from the Greek words tele = far away and grapho = write) is the long distance transmission of written messages without physical transport of letters, originally over wire. ...

When a group of vigilantes, the "Committee of 101", threatened to drive out Soapy and his gang, he formed his own "law and order society," which claimed 317^[10] members, to force the vigilantes into submission. For the aircraft, see A-5 Vigilante. ...

During the Spanish-American War in 1898, Smith formed his own volunteer army with the approval of the US War Department. Called the Skaguay Military Company, it had Soapy as its captain. Smith wrote to President William McKinley and gained official recognition for his company, which he used to strengthen his grip on the town. Combatants United States Republic of Cuba Philippine Republic Spain Commanders Nelson A. Miles William R. Shafter George Dewey MÃ¡ximo GÃ³mez Emilio Aguinaldo Patricio Montojo Pascual Cervera Arsenio Linares RamÃ³n Blanco Casualties 3,289 U.S. dead (432 from combat); considerably higher although undetermined Cuban and Filipino casualties... Year 1898 (MDCCCXCVIII) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Monday of the 12-day-slower Julian calendar). ... The United States Department of War was the military department of the United States governments executive branch from 1789 until 1949, when it became part of the United States Department of Defense. ... This article is about the 25th President of the United States; for other people named William McKinley, see William McKinley (disambiguation). ...

On July 4, 1898, Soapy was the hero of the day. As grand marshal of the city parade, he led his army on a gray horse. On the grandstand, he sat beside the territorial governor and other officials. is the 185th day of the year (186th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1898 (MDCCCXCVIII) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Monday of the 12-day-slower Julian calendar). ...

"My god, don't shoot!" (Soapy's dramatic death)

On July 7, 1898, John Douglas Stewart, a returning Klondike miner, came to Skagway with a sack of gold valued at $2,800. Three of Soapy's gang convinced the miner to participate in a game of three-card monte. When Stewart balked at having to pay his losses, the three men grabbed the sack and ran. The Committee of 101 vigilantes demanded that Soapy return the gold, but he refused, claiming that Stewart had lost it "fairly". is the 188th day of the year (189th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1898 (MDCCCXCVIII) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Monday of the 12-day-slower Julian calendar). ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ...

On the evening of July 8, 1898, the vigilantes organized a meeting on the Juneau Company wharf. With a Winchester rifle^[11] draped over his shoulder, Soapy began an argument with Frank Reid, a former bartender who was one of four guards blocking his way to the wharf. A gunfight unexpectedly began and both men were fatally wounded. is the 189th day of the year (190th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1898 (MDCCCXCVIII) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Monday of the 12-day-slower Julian calendar). ... Winchester Model 1894 The Winchester rifle has become synonymous with the word repeating rifle (multishot rifle) which was manufactured by the Winchester Repeating Arms Company and was commonly used in the United States during the latter half of the 19th century. ...

Soapy's last words were "My God, don't shoot!"^[12] Letters from J. M. Tanner,^[13] one of the guards with Reid that night, show that another guard fired the fatal shot.^[14] Soapy died on the spot with a bullet to the heart. He also received a bullet in his left leg and a severe wound on the left arm by the elbow. Reid died 12 days later with a bullet in his groin and leg. His tombstone bears the epitaph "He died for the honor of Skagway." The three gang members who robbed Stewart received jail sentences, and the rest were dispersed.

Soapy Smith was buried several yards outside of the city cemetery. Every year on July 8, wakes are held around the United States in Soapy's honor. His grave, as well as his old saloon are on the itineraries of most Skagway tours.

Popular culture

Festivals

Broadway Avenue, Skagway, May 2007. ... The Magic Castle is a Hollywood landmark. ... Greetings from Hollywood Hollywood is a district of the city of Los Angeles, California, U.S.A., that extends from Vermont Avenue on the east to just beyond Laurel Canyon Boulevard above Sunset and Crescent Heights Boulevards on the west; the north to south boundary east of La Brea Avenue...

Fiction

John M. Ford portrait 2000 John Milo Mike Ford (April 10, 1957 â€“ September 25, 2006) was an American science fiction and fantasy writer, game designer, and poet. ... The current Star Trek franchise logo Star Trek is an American science fiction entertainment series and media franchise. ... How Much for Just the Planet? is a 1987 Star Trek tie-in novel by John M. Ford. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... This article is about the comic book and TV series. ... Maurice de Bevere (December 1, 1923 - July 16, 2001), better known as Morris, was a Belgian cartoonist and the creator of Lucky Luke. ... Soapy Slick, (created 1965), cartoon character, is the crooked casino operator and profiteer in the Scrooge McDuck comic series. ... Scrooge McDuck or Uncle Scrooge is a fictional Scottish-born anthropomorphic duck created by Carl Barks that first appeared in Four Color Comics #178, Christmas on Bear Mountain, published by Dell Comics in December, 1947. ... Windows redirects here. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... The Yukon Trail is a computer game from MECC, the creators of Oregon Trail. ... A typical gold mining operation, on Bonanza Creek. ... James Albert Michener (February 3, 1907? - October 16, 1997) was the American author of such books as Tales of the South Pacific (for which he won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 1948), Hawaii, The Drifters, Centennial, The Source, The Fires of Spring, Chesapeake, Caribbean, Caravans, Alaska, Texas, and Poland. ... Alaska is a historical novel by James A. Michener. ... Called English literatures performing flea, P. G. Wodehouse, pictured in 1904, became famous for his complex plots, ingenious wordplay, and prolific output. ... Bertie Wooster portrayed by Hugh Laurie in ITVs Jeeves and Wooster series Bertram Wilberforce Bertie Wooster is the wealthy, good-natured co-protagonist and narrator of P. G. Wodehouses Jeeves stories. ... Agatha Gregson, nÃ©e Wooster, later Lady Worplesdon, is a fictional character created by P. G. Wodehouse. ... It has been suggested that Last Call Poker be merged into this article or section. ...

Movies

Year 1919 (MCMXIX) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar). ... Nickname: Location in the state of Missouri Coordinates: , Country State County Independent City Government - Mayor Francis G. Slay (D) Area - City 66. ... William Clark Gable (February 1, 1901 â€“ November 16, 1960) was an Academy Award-winning American film actor. ... MGM logo Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer or MGM, is a large media company, involved primarily in the production and distribution of cinema and television programs. ... Creede is a town located in Mineral County, Colorado. ... Bend of the River is a 1955 American western movie directed by Anthony Mann and starring James Stewart in their fifth and final collaboration. ... Year 1955 (MCMLV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays the 1955 Gregorian calendar). ... McIntire in The Asphalt Jungle Craggly-faced film actor John McIntire (June 27, 1907 - January 30, 1991) was born in Spokane, Washington and raised in Montana, growing up with ranchers and cowboys which would eventually inspire his performances in dozens of westerns later in life. ... For other persons named James Stewart, see James Stewart (disambiguation). ... Broadway Avenue, Skagway, May 2007. ... A typical gold mining operation, on Bonanza Creek. ... This article is about the 1973 film involving con artists. ... Rod Steiger (April 14, 1925 â€“ July 9, 2002) was an American Academy Award-winning actor best known for his intense performances in such films as In the Heat of the Night, On the Waterfront and Doctor Zhivago. ... For other persons named Jack London, see Jack London (disambiguation). ...

Television

Alias Smith and Jones was a Western television series on ABC from 1971 to 1973, starring Pete Duel and Ben Murphy. ... The name Sam Jaffe can refer to: Sam Jaffe (1891-1984); American actor Sam Jaffe (1901-2000); Hollywood talent agent, studio executive, film producer This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... is the 49th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1971 (MCMLXXI) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar) of the 1971 Gregorian calendar. ... is the 63rd day of the year (64th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1971 (MCMLXXI) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar) of the 1971 Gregorian calendar. ... is the 61st day of the year (62nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1972 (MCMLXXII) was a leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Deadwood is an American television drama series that premiered in March 2004 on HBO. The series is a Western set in the 1870s in Deadwood, Dakota Territory. ... Bill Burrud (born Williams James Burrud in Hollywood, California, on January 12, 1925 - d. ...

Other

Michael Weller (b. ... â€œSeattleâ€ redirects here. ... Midtown Manhattan, looking north from the Empire State Building, 2005 New York City (officially named the City of New York) is the most populous city in the state of New York and the entire United States. ... Denis Arndt is an actor, writer and producer. ...

Notes

References

External links

Categories: 1860 births | 1898 deaths | Confidence tricksters | American gamblers | American fraudsters | Gangs | People from Colorado | People from Texas | People from Fort Worth, Texas | People from Denver | People from Georgia (U.S. state) | American folklore | Deaths by firearm in the United States | Nonwar armed confrontations | American Old West gunfights | Klondike Gold Rush | American criminals | History of Denver Alaska in 1895 (Rand McNally). ... An Inuit woman, circa 1907 Prehistoric Alaska begins with Paleolithic peoples moving into northwestern North America sometime between 16,000 and 10,000 BCE across the Bering Land Bridge in western Alaska. ... As seen in this photo of the Bering Strait, Alaskas West coast and Russias East coast are not far apart. ... The Department of Alaska was the governmental designation of Alaska from its purchase by the USA in 1867 until its organization as the District of Alaska in 1884. ... The District of Alaska was the governmental designation for Alaska from May 17, 1884 to August 24, 1912, when it became Alaska Territory. ... Alaska Territory was an organized territory of the United States from August 24, 1912 to January 3, 1959, when Alaska became the 49th state. ... Alaska in 1895 (Rand McNally). ... During the 1925 serum run to Nome, also known as the Great Race of Mercy, 20 mushers and about 150 sled dogs relayed diphtheria antitoxin 674 miles (1,085 km) by dog sled across the U.S. territory of Alaska in a record-breaking five and a half days, saving... The Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act (ANILCA) was an American law passed in 1980 by U.S. Congress and signed by President Jimmy Carter on December 2, 1980. ... The Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act was signed into law on December 18, 1971, and the largest land claims settlement in United States history was concluded. ... The Alaska Statehood Act, signed by President Dwight D. Eisenhower on July 7, 1958, allowing Alaska to enter the Union on January 3, 1959. ... Check used to pay for Alaska The Alaska purchase from Russia by the United States occurred in 1867 at the behest of Secretary of State William Seward. ... This is the main article of a series that covers the History of Anchorage, Alaska, USA. // Russia was well established in the 1800s. ... Combatants United States, Canada Empire of Japan Commanders Thomas C. Kinkaid (navy), Francis W. Rockwell (landings), Albert E. Brown (army), Simon Bolivar Buckner, Jr. ... The Exxon Valdez Oil Spill was one of the largest manmade environmental disasters ever to occur at sea, seriously affecting plants and wildlife. ... Earthquake Damage, Anchorage The Good Friday Earthquake (also called the Great Alaska Earthquake) of Friday, March 27, 1964 (Good Friday, a Christian holy day associated with an earthquake[1]), 5:36 P.M. AST (03:36 3/27 UTC) had a magnitude of 9. ... A typical gold mining operation, on Bonanza Creek. ... Grifter redirects here. ... Grifter redirects here. ... The victim of a confidence game or magic trick is often called the mark, or the vic. ... A shill is an associate of a person selling goods or services who pretends no association to the seller and assumes the air of an enthusiastic customer. ... A sucker list is a list of persons who have previously been successfully solicited for something. ... An advance fee fraud is a confidence trick in which the target is persuaded to advance relatively small sums of money in the hope of realizing a much larger gain. ... The Badger game is an extortion scheme, often perpetrated on married men, in which the victim or mark is deliberately coerced into a compromising position then threatened with public exposure of his acts unless blackmail money is paid. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... The Bogus Escrow scam is a straightforward confidence trick in which a scammer operates a bogus escrow service. ... A clip joint is an establishment, usually a strip club or entertainment bar, typically one claiming to offer adult entertainment, in which customers are tricked into paying money and receive poor, or no, goods or services in return. ... The Drop Swindle was a con game commonly used during the 19th and 20th centuries. ... The Embarrassing Cheque is a confidence trick which may also be an urban legend. ... Employment scams, also know as job scams, are a form of advance fee fraud scamming where certain unscrupulous persons posing as recruiters and/or employers offer attractive employment opportunities which require the job seeker to pay them money in advance, usually under the guise of work visas, travel expenses, and... Hustling is the deceptive act of disguising ones skill in a sport or game with the intent of luring someone of probably lesser skill into gambling (or gambling for higher than current stakes) with the hustler, as a form of confidence trick. ... The penny-and-dime scam is a scam typically targeted at banks and large retail stores. ... Pig-in-a-poke refers to a scam originating in the late middle ages, when meat was scarce, but apparently rats and cats were not. ... Pigeon drop is the name of a confidence trick in which a mark or pigeon is convinced to give up a sum of money in order to secure the rights to a larger sum of money, or more valuable object. ... Reloading is a form of fraud, whereby a victim of one scam is repeatedly approached with more aggressive con artists, often until sucked dry. This form of fraud is especially hurtful for senior people, because they are more susceptible to pressure after the first losses, partly because of hopes to... A shell game is performed with bottle caps on a cardboard box, on Fulton Street in New York City The Conjurer by Hieronymus Bosch. ... The Slave Reparations Act (also called the Slavery Reparation Tax Credit, Black Tax Credit or Black Inheritance Tax Refund) is a tax fraud related to the concept of reparations for slavery. ... The Spanish Prisoner is a confidence game dating back to 1588 [1]. In its original form, the confidence artist (con-man) tells his victim (the mark) that he is in correspondence with a wealthy person of high estate who has been imprisoned in Spain (originally by King Philip II) under... The Thai Gem Scam is a confidence trick performed in Bankok, Thailand. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... White van speakers is a scam sales technique in which a salesman makes a buyer believe he is getting a good price on audio merchandise. ... A pyramid scheme is a business model that involves the exchange of money primarily for enrolling other people into the scheme, usually without any product or service being delivered. ... A Ponzi scheme is a fraudulent investment operation that involves paying abnormally high returns (profits) to investors out of the money paid in by subsequent investors, rather than from net revenues generated by any real business. ... The unsustainable geometric progression of a classic pyramid scheme A pyramid scheme (or pyramid scam[1]) is a non-sustainable business model that involves the exchange of money primarily for enrolling other people into the scheme, usually without any product or service being delivered, and is highly illegal. ... Dona Branca Dona Branca (full name: MarÃa Branca dos Santos; often referred to as The peoples banker. ... Caritas was a Ponzi scheme in the early 1990s in Romania. ... Charles Ponzi (March 3, 1882â€“January 18, 1949) was an Italian immigrant to the United States who became one of the greatest swindlers in American history. ... Bernard Bernie Cornfeld (Istanbul 17 August 1927 - London 27 February 1995) was a prominent businessman and international financier who sold investments in US mutual funds. ... This article or section is not written in the formal tone expected of an encyclopedia article. ... A high-yield investment program (HYIP) is a type of pyramid scheme often offered via the Internet. ... Investors Overseas Services (IOS) was founded in 1955 by financier Bernard Cornfeld. ... Marina Muravieva Vyacheslav Mavrodi Sergey Mavrodi A certificate for 20 MMM bonds MMM was the company that perpetrated the largest pyramid scheme in Russia in the 1990s, with the possible exception of the GKO government pyramid scheme. ... Make money fast is a title of an electronically forwarded chain letter which became so infamous that the term is now used to describe all sorts of chain letters forwarded over the Internet, by e-mail spam or Usenet newsgroups. ... Reed Slatkin is the perpetrator of the largest Ponzi scheme in the United States since that conducted by Ponzi himself. ... Frank William Abagnale, Jr. ... Aerison in drag Storme Aerison is a con artist who gained notoriety in the 1990s for repeatedly impersonating a female highschool student and later representing himself to be a supermodel. ... Tino De Angelis was a New York-based commodities trader who bought and sold vegetable oil futures around the world. ... Philip Arnold (1829 - 1878) was a con man from Elizabethtown, Kentucky, who was the brains behind a legendary 1872 scam to fool people into investing in western diamond mining operations. ... Julius Nicky W. Arnstein (??? - October 2, 1965) was an American businessman, professional gambler, and con artist. ... Lou The Fixer Blonger (May 13, 1849–April 20, 1924), born Louis Belonger, was a Civil War veteran, saloonkeeper, detective and well-known gambler, but is most often noted as the organizer of an extensive ring of confidence tricksters in Denver that operated for more than 25 years. ... Edward Big Ed Burns, was an american 19th century confidence man and crime boss. ... David Race Bannon (born 1963) is a pseudonym for David Wayne Dilley, an American fraudster who posed as a former Interpol agent and wrote fictional accounts of his alleged adventures in various Asian countries, as well as other subjects including Asian politics, and computer science. ... Matthew Bevan Cox (born July 2, 1969), commonly known as Matthew Cox, also sometimes known as Matthew B. Cox and Matt Cox, is an American convicted felon and con man who has been convicted of conspiracy and grand theft. ... Louis Enricht (????-1923) was a US inventor who claimed that he had invented a substitute for gasoline. ... Billie Sol Estes (born 1924) is a scandal-ridden Texas-based financier best known for his association with US President Lyndon B. Johnson and for accusing Johnson with a variety of crimes, including the assassination of John F. Kennedy. ... Arthur Ferguson (1800s–1938) was a Scottish con artist. ... Peter Foster addressing the media at the height of Cheriegate. Peter Foster, (born in Australia on 26 September 1962) has been described as the ultimate international man of mischief[1] , a super salesman to some, conman to others, but undoubtedly a person who has lived a champagne lifestyle in the... On the cover of his step-brothers 2001 book Son of a Grifter: The Twisted Tale of Sante and Kenny Kimes, the Most Notorious Con Artists in America Kenny Kimes (born 1975) is an American con artist serving a life sentence for murder. ... Sante Kimes (pronounced SHAWN-TAY) is an American serial killer who is most famous for the murder of Irene Silverman, a New York City socialite. ... Henri Lemoine ( 1905â€“1908) was a French con artist who claimed to be able to produce synthetic diamonds. ... Victor Lustig (January 4, 1890 â€“ March 11, 1947) is held to have been one of the most talented confidence tricksters who ever lived. ... Gregor MacGregor (December 24, 1786 â€“ early December 3, 1845) was a Scottish soldier, adventurer and colonizer who fought in the South American struggle for independence. ... George Parker (1870-1936) was one of the most audacious con men in American history. ... Steven Jay Russell (born 1958) is a US con artist and impostor who has escaped from prison number of times. ... Alvin Clarence Thomas sometimes known as the character he created, Titanic Thompson, (1892 - 1974), was the legendary American golfer, gambler, and, uniquely gifted, hustler. ... William Thompson was an American criminal whose deceptions caused the term confidence man to be coined. ... Joseph Yellow Kid Weil (1877-1975) was one of the most famous American confidence men of his era. ...

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