Soapy Smith - Bunko Man of the Old West

Soapy Smith - Bunko Man of the Old West

It was during this time that Soapy was joined by his younger brother, Bascomb, who operated a cigar store, which was actually a front for crooked card games and other swindles. The gang was also running the fake stock exchange and lottery shops, as well as bogus diamond auctions.

For several years, Smith settled down making Denver his home. Though Denver newspapers published that he was in complete control of the criminal and gambling underworld in their city and rightly accused him of being in cahoots with city politicians, including the police chief, his operations continued to prosper.

Many of the bunko men practiced their cons at the Denver Depot, taking advantage of the many people stepping

off the train. Photo 1881.

This image available for photographic prints HERE!

Though his main operations were in Denver, Soapy also expanded and in 1885, was working with another con artist in Leadville, Colorado. Partnering with a con who went only by the name of Old Man Taylor, the two operated a successful shell game upon the many unsuspecting miners.

In 1891, Soapy talked his otherwise law-abiding brother-in-law from Texas into joining his criminal empire in Denver. William "Cap" Light, who had been serving as a deputy marshal in Belton, Texas, changed his colors when he joined Smith. Light was with Soapy when the gang “attacked” the Glasson Detective Agency. Allegedly the agency had attempted to force a confession from a pretty young girl and upon hearing about it, Smith and his men raided their offices with pistols in hand. This further led to Soapy's reputation as a hero with many of the locals.

However, by 1892, polite society in Denver had begun to demand anti-gambling and saloon reforms. Smith had also begun to lose his “crown” as the Denver boss, partly because of rival gangs such as the Blonger Brothers, but also due to his own bad temper and drinking problems. He had also become so well-known, that it was becoming difficult for his “paid” politicians to continue to turn a blind eye as they had done for so many years.

Finding many of his operations restricted and seeing opportunity in the booming mining camp of Creede, Colorado, Soapy and his gang moved their empire. He soon opened the Orleans Club gambling hall and saloon which operated much like his Tivoli Club in Denver, but without the restrictions that had been imposed in the larger city.

Soapy Smith moved his operations to Creede, Colorado in 1892.

This image available for photographic prints HERE!

At his new club, Soapy briefly displayed a petrified man for a price of 10¢. The “petrified man,” affectionately called “McGinty” was also a hoax, as it was actually nothing more than cement over skeletal remains. However, the oddity brought customers into the saloon and made a small profit. But the objective was that once they were inside, the “dupes” would take advantage of the crooked card games. In the meantime, he had convinced his brother-in-law, William “Cap” Light to accept a position as a deputy marshal in the camp. Once he had wielded his influence, he claimed himself as the “camp boss.” As such, he protected his friends and associates and expelled violent troublemakers. Again, he also endeared himself to the camp by using his money to build churches and help the poor.
But Creede’s boomtown days would not last and Smith soon returned to Denver. The gambling reforms had relaxed once again in the city and Soapy again took up operations at the Tivoli, which had never closed.

Denver City Hall War

Though organized crime continued rampant in Denver, a new state governor had been elected. Running on a platform of social reform, Davis H. “Bloody Bridles” Waite took office in January, 1893 and immediately began to look into corruption in Colorado.

By the following year, in March, he was ready to take on Denver’s politically corrupt machine. He began by firing three members of the fire and police board who he felt were the main instigators of corruption within city hall. He further demanded that the city immediately begin to clean itself up or he would do it for them.

Replacing the corrupt men with his own appointees, when the new men arrived, the current commissioners refused to leave. Interestingly, the state charter allowed the governor to make appointments, but did not grant him the power to force a municipal government to accept the appointments.

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