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VIOLENT CLASHES

The brawls and showdowns of
SOAPY SMITH  
&his brother
Bascomb

The way of the transgressor is hard
                                         .....to quit.

                                              
                              Jefferson R. Smith II

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H e had the reputation of being afraid of neither man not devil. No one was ever more ready to draw his gun and fight to the death; death mattered little to him if while he lived none dared to dispute his courage and his readiness to do, dare and die.                      —George T. Buffum, Smith of Bear City and Other Frontier Sketches , 1906.

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YEAR
DATE
LOCATION

INCIDENT

PAGE IN ALIAS

1876
Unknown
Round Rock, Texas

Soapy defends himself against a bully by  throwing a chunk of coal successfully  knocking the ruffian out. He is vindicated by a police officer who saw the conflict.

p. 28

1885
October 3

Denver, Colorado

Soapy assualts John Koch, a probable victim of a bunco game.

 
1885
Nov. 4
Denver, Colorado

Strikes a man on the head with his revolver in a saloon.

 
1888
July 5
Denver, Colorado

Soapy  fights with two grangers on a busy street corner. Probable victims of a bunco game. 

 
1889
July 21
Denver, Colorado

Known as the "Logan Park Brawl."Soapy and Bascomb, along with members of the Soap Gang fight in a hugh melee with victims of bunco games  in a city park using  fists, clubs, bottles and one ax.

 

1889

July 29

Denver, Colorado

Soapy is charged with attempted murder when he  severly  beats John Arkins, manager for  the Rocky Mountain News  for mentioning his wife and children in a series of  articles in the newspaper exposing Soapy 's operations.

 

1889

Aug. 21-26

Denver, Colorado

Soapy angered during a faro game places a 5 "dirk to the throat of the dealer and then slashes the table layout with the knife.

 

1889

Aug. 30

Pocatello, Idaho

Soapy is the intended target of an assissination attempt as he sits in a train car with members of the Soap Gang. In the ensuing gun battle he shoots and wounds two of his attackers.

 

1890

May 16

Denver, Colorado

Soapy knocks out James Dennis inside the Tivoli Club. Dennis was impersonating a police officer and trying to arrest Soapy.

 

1890

Sept. 20

Denver, Colorado

Soapy, along with others, breaks into a polling office and attacks the two poll judges  punching and kicking them about the head and face.

 

1891

April 8

Denver, Colorado

Soapy gets into a saloon fight and is knocked down by Jack Devine. Soapy pulls out his revolver and shoots wounding Devine.

 

1891

May

Denver, Colorado

Soapy takes a pot shot at a man named Flynn. Little is known of the affray.

 

1891

Oct. 3

Denver, Colorado

Soapy and members of the Soap Gang pay a visit to the Glasson Detective agency and beat-up  two employee agents.

 

1892

Feb. 12

Creede, Colorado

The "Louisiana Kid "ambushes Joe Palmer coming out of the Orleans Club. Soapy and others are surely involved in the ensuing gun battle. Two are wounded.

 

1892

Oct. 11

Denver, Colorado

Soapy is implicated in the shooting death of Cliff Sparks in Murphy 's Exchange. Case never solved.

 

1892

Nov. 6

Denver, Colorado

Bascomb strikes a voter and helps others throw him down a flight of stairs.

 

1893

July 12

Denver, Colorado

Soapy scuffles with police officer Dyer. Special Police officer Guyton jumps in and receives a wound on the back. 

 

1893

July 28

Denver, Colorado

Special Police officer Bascomb assaults John Cooney. Two shots are fired during the melee.

 
         
         
         
         
         
         
         

For more details on each incident please see, Alias Soapy Smith
the Life and Death of a Scoundrel
, by Jeff Smith (August 2009).

WOULD YOU LIKE TO KNOW MORE?
read
Alias Soapy Smith: The Life and Death of a Scoundrel

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