Mystery Monday: A Preacher's Peril
A lone preacher, a vast wilderness, and a mining boom town mix to fatal effect in this 1876 unsolved homicide.
While much attention has been paid to the California Gold Rush of the early 1850’s, similar gold rushes occurred all throughout the western and mid-western United States. One such gold rush began in the early 1870’s in the Black Hills region of Dakota territory which is now located near present day Custer, South Dakota.
At the time, the Black Hills region of the Dakota territory was primarily occupied by the Sioux Native American Tribe, who had been granted the land by the United States Government in the 1868 treaty of Laramie. Despite this specific designation, American settlers continued to speculate about the territory’s massive mining potential, and in 1874, a massive flood of those settlers entered the area and illegally founded a small settlement called Deadwood, intent on discovering gold in the area.
Not everyone who travelled to Deadwood did so for economic gain. Civil War veteran and ordained Methodist preacher Henry Weston Smith journeyed from Cheyenne, Wyoming to the Black Hills of Dakota in early 1876, accompanying a wagon train and arriving to the area of Deadwood in early May.
Grave of Preacher Smith at the Mount Moriah Cemetery in Deadwood, SD via Michael Femia, Flickr. Copyright, all rights reserved. Provided for editorial use under Creative Commons 2.0 with no alterations.
What was a preacher doing settling down in a well-known known Gold Rush town? Per Smith’s own accounts, he felt a calling to minister to the area; and minister he did, holding religious services on the main street of Deadwood on Sundays, and partaking in odds jobs assisting those in town for little to no pay during the week. Outside of Deadwood, Preacher Smith would travel to nearby settlements and perform similar work and religious services for the residents of these towns as well.
On Sunday, August 20, 1876, Smith left town on a religious mission from which he would never return. Little is known of the events surrounding Preacher Smith’s fatal journey, aside from his destination of Crook City, revealed by a note on his cabin door stating that he had stepped out to preach, and planned to be back by late afternoon.
Later that day, Preacher Smith’s body was discovered laying along the road by a local resident, and news of his murder was widely circulated across the town of Deadwood via the local Sheriff. Smith had been shot at close range, through his heart and was believed to have died instantaneously.
What continues to baffle historians and criminologists alike is the lack of a clear motive or suspects. As the first and only preacher (of any denomination) in the territory, Preacher Smith was well-liked and respected by the community. His belongings were left undisturbed beside his body, making a death at the hands of local robbers unlikely.
A few theories persist. Some claim that Smith fell victim to a small group of local Native Americans, looking to send a bloody message discouraging further expansion into the territory. Others speculate that Smith was killed by parties related to the casino, brothel, and saloon interests of the area, out of fear that his preaching would turn others away from their vices and reduce their incomes. As it currently stands, Henry Weston Smith’s murder remains unsolved to this day, and the events surrounding his death have been popularized via the HBO television series Deadwood, which aired from 2004-2006.
Want to learn more about Henry Weston Smith, including his early life and travels or more alternative theories regarding his murder?
Check out this post, which provides a more localized narrative of Smith’s murder and its effect on the area.
Also be sure to check out our blog and@my_dear_holmes every Monday for new content to scratch that mysterious itch while you wait for your next Dear Holmes letter!
Sources & Additional Resources:
Puchko, Kristy. “25 Surprising Facts About Deadwood,” May 28, 2019. https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/55788/25-things-you-didnt-know-about-deadwood.
“Henry Weston 'Preacher' Smith.” Rapid City Journal Media Group, December 20, 2016. https://rapidcityjournal.com/news/henry-weston-preacher-smith/article_ebd1cdbc-c83c-11de-bcec-001cc4c03286.html.
Case, Leland D. Preacher Smith, Martyr: the Story of Henry Weston Smith, Methodist, the Pioneer Preacher in the Black Hills of South Dakota, Killed by Indians August 20, 1876. Deadwood , SD: Self-published, 1961.