In September 1897, Jefferson Randolph Smith arrived in Skagway, Alaska, to make his fortune. Most people headed north to strike it rich in the gold fields. Smith had other ideas. Smith was already better known in various American locales as Soapy Smith, the king of the con men. He knew how to separate a fool from his money, and Alaska was prime territory for a con man with big ideas. Smith reportedly told a friend, “I’m going to be the boss of Skagway. I know exactly how to do it….”
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