On July 8th, 1898  Jefferson Randolph “Soapy” Smith was shot and killed in a shootout on the Juneau Wharf in Skagway. Soapy was a conman who preyed on miners, He earned the nickname “Soapy” from his notorious soap racket, where he sold bars of soap allegedly containing cash prizes—but only his gang members ever “won” Smith built criminal empires in Denver, Creede, and finally Skagway, where he thrived during the Klondike Gold Rush.

On July 8, 1898, tensions in Skagway boiled over. Smith’s gang had robbed a miner of $2,800 in gold dust.

Citizens formed a vigilante group called the Committee of 101 to challenge Smith.

He was confronted by city engineer Frank Reid, and the two exchanged gunfire. Smith was shot in the heart and died instantly; Reid succumbed to his wounds 12 days later