Scotty Smith
Encyclopedia
George St Leger Lennox born into a noble Scottish family, popularly known as Scotty Smith, was a South Africa
n bandit known as South Africa's Robin Hood
. He was well known as a cattle thief , lover (and thief ) of horses, dealer in illegal diamonds, smuggler and friend of the poor.
, before being shipped to the colonies. He first went to Australia where he participated in the Kalgoorlie gold rush
. Apparently he did not have much success though, because he ended up first as a prize fighter in New York, and later as Veterinary Officer of an Army regiment in India. Scotty got this post on recommendation of an uncle who was Commander in Chief of the Indian Army
. The officer in charge of his cavalry squadron was killed in one of the Hill campaigns, so Scotty took over, ordered to charge and caused heavy casualties for his troops. After a court martial, he was discharged.
hunting and other hunting activities in the then Bechuanaland (Botswana
). He was also involved in legal and illegal diamond buying in the diamond fields, horse theft and highway robberies. He was caught and sentenced several times for these crimes, but, always managed to escape somehow and claimed that no prison cell could hold him.
Scotty Smith was a genius when it came to fooling people into believing that he was someone else by changing his character, as it was never claimed that he actually used a disguise. It is said that one police detective who had arrested Scotty, ended up being the captive, and "Sergeant Scotty" handed him over to the police in Kimberley
, claiming that the captive (who was the policeman) was Scotty Smith. After being jailed, the man had a difficult time in convincing the authorities that Scotty Smith had played a trick on them.
Many times, living up to his nickname of Robin Hood
of the Kalahari, he robbed the rich to give to the poor. There is a story about a farmer or boer
who once met Scotty but did not recognise him. The farmer related to this man (Scotty) that he would like to capture Scotty Smith and claim the large reward at the Kenhard police station. Scotty then immediately identified himself and told the now hesitant farmer to take him to Kenhardt Police station at gunpoint, where the reluctant farmer received the reward. However, the farmer did not have to feel remorse for very long, because early that evening, Scotty broke out of jail and rode off again.
Another story about Scotty Smith claims that he calmly hid the illegal diamonds that he had smuggled, which the police came looking for, in the kettle which was simmering on the camp-fire. He then apparently went ahead and poured coffee for the policemen and himself from the boiling kettle.
It is not known how accurate the stories about Scotty Smith are, but most are very likely to have actually happened as they would be typical of Scotty. Nevertheless, there is no doubt some may have been exaggerated.
or Scots Gaelic, Scotty was fluent in German, Afrikaans
and an unknown number of Bushmen
languages, and possibly also in a few of the other native Southern African languages. Yet another story told about him is that when an unexpected police patrol paid him a visit, he would ask to be allowed to hold "huisgodsdiens" (Afrikaans for home religious service) for his servants. He conducted these services in Bushmen language, and in full view of the policemen, who could not understand a word, he gave detailed instructions to his servants on how to hide anything that he did not want the policemen to see or find. It is said that the policemen never suspected a thing.
After a short time in the Military, Scotty finally left the to do his own thing. After a long career involved in horse and cattle stealing, he was involved in numerous illegal diamond operations again in the wider Kimberley
area. In most of the stories about him, Scotty is victorious against all odds and always get away with it. Although there is a story that took place at a little place near Kimberley, in the Boshoff district, named Olifantsfontein where one of Scotty’s plans went wrong.
A merchant, Thomas Welford and his partner Gustav Herman and Gustav's brother Max, approached Scotty Smith to help them steal a packet of diamonds from Sam Kemp (a supposed diamond merchant) but who was apparently an illegal runner for a man known as Sam Weil. The plan was as follows; the group would ambush Sam Kemp and steal the diamonds. If he resisted, they would shoot him.
The plan was carried out, Sam Kemp resisted and was shot and the diamonds were stolen. Kemp recovered though, and rode back to Kimberley to report the theft at the police station. Police officers soon uncovered the whole plan and arrested Scotty and the others. This time, for once, Scotty did not attempt escape. He was sentenced to four years imprisonment and 25 lashes in the Boshoff circuit court. He never received the lashes though and after a year, his sentence was dropped and he was once again free.
During his imprisonment in Bloemfontein
, it is claimed that Scotty Smith was permitted to visit the town bar daily. One day, he apparently came across a parade including the Official State President's coach, after successfully masquerading as the president, he took a ride in high style, before returning to prison later on. Again, it is not known how accurate these stories are.
After his year in jail, Scotty left for a more rural area, and from the early 1880s he was a bandit in the area of the Goshen
and Stellaland
Republics. He stayed in that area until shortly before the Anglo-Boer War.
Amongst the strange things Scotty did was a trek of several months by ox-wagon
, accompanied by Dorothea Bleek (niece of Lucy Lloyd
), to enable her to study Bushmen languages in the Kalahari.
, to London. Dr. Borcherds noticed that the Bushmen skeletons in the Royal College of Surgeons were not of good quality, so he authorized Scotty to find better specimens. Shortly after that Scotty arrived at the doctor's house with 10 complete skeletons. He claimed that the skeletons belonged to Bushmen who had previously raided his farm and who he had shot and buried.
Scotty ended up supplying hundreds of Bushmen skeletons to many European museums. There were rumours that Scotty had deliberately killed these Bushmen, but this has never been proven.
during the 1919 flu epidemic. He is buried in the Upington cemetery. The grave is protected by an iron trellis, on his grave stone is written "Never will his memory fade - Jessie".
Shortly after his death in 1919 the late Dr. Homer L. Shantz, botanist, professor, and president of the University of Arizona visited the home of Scotty Smith. A photo is held in the University of Arisona Shantz collections.
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
n bandit known as South Africa's Robin Hood
Robin Hood
Robin Hood was a heroic outlaw in English folklore. A highly skilled archer and swordsman, he is known for "robbing from the rich and giving to the poor", assisted by a group of fellow outlaws known as his "Merry Men". Traditionally, Robin Hood and his men are depicted wearing Lincoln green clothes....
. He was well known as a cattle thief , lover (and thief ) of horses, dealer in illegal diamonds, smuggler and friend of the poor.
Early life
A book was written by F.C. Metrowich, Scotty Smith, which was published in 1962 and went through at least three editions. By Scotty's own account, according to Metrowich, he was not willing to marry the girl that his father had chosen for him, and therefore did not receive his inheritance. George, or Scotty as he preferred to be called, trained as a VeterinarianVeterinarian
A veterinary physician, colloquially called a vet, shortened from veterinarian or veterinary surgeon , is a professional who treats disease, disorder and injury in animals....
, before being shipped to the colonies. He first went to Australia where he participated in the Kalgoorlie gold rush
Gold rush
A gold rush is a period of feverish migration of workers to an area that has had a dramatic discovery of gold. Major gold rushes took place in the 19th century in Australia, Brazil, Canada, South Africa, and the United States, while smaller gold rushes took place elsewhere.In the 19th and early...
. Apparently he did not have much success though, because he ended up first as a prize fighter in New York, and later as Veterinary Officer of an Army regiment in India. Scotty got this post on recommendation of an uncle who was Commander in Chief of the Indian Army
Indian Army
The Indian Army is the land based branch and the largest component of the Indian Armed Forces. With about 1,100,000 soldiers in active service and about 1,150,000 reserve troops, the Indian Army is the world's largest standing volunteer army...
. The officer in charge of his cavalry squadron was killed in one of the Hill campaigns, so Scotty took over, ordered to charge and caused heavy casualties for his troops. After a court martial, he was discharged.
South Africa
Scotty arrived in South Africa in 1877 to join the Frontier Armed and Mounted Police. He saw action in the Gaika War. It is not known exactly when his military career ended, or when he got his nickname "Scotty Smith", although he claimed that he took the papers of a fallen comrade by that name. Due to lack of more evidence, it is concluded that he may have used stolen papers in the name of "Scotty Smith" to escape military life at some point, but there is no actual proof of this. After his early attempts at a military lifestyle, both in Australia and in South Africa, Scotty's life took a more exciting turn.Stories
When in South Africa he got involved in gun-running, general theft, elephantElephant
Elephants are large land mammals in two extant genera of the family Elephantidae: Elephas and Loxodonta, with the third genus Mammuthus extinct...
hunting and other hunting activities in the then Bechuanaland (Botswana
Botswana
Botswana, officially the Republic of Botswana , is a landlocked country located in Southern Africa. The citizens are referred to as "Batswana" . Formerly the British protectorate of Bechuanaland, Botswana adopted its new name after becoming independent within the Commonwealth on 30 September 1966...
). He was also involved in legal and illegal diamond buying in the diamond fields, horse theft and highway robberies. He was caught and sentenced several times for these crimes, but, always managed to escape somehow and claimed that no prison cell could hold him.
Scotty Smith was a genius when it came to fooling people into believing that he was someone else by changing his character, as it was never claimed that he actually used a disguise. It is said that one police detective who had arrested Scotty, ended up being the captive, and "Sergeant Scotty" handed him over to the police in Kimberley
Kimberley, Northern Cape
Kimberley is a city in South Africa, and the capital of the Northern Cape. It is located near the confluence of the Vaal and Orange Rivers. The town has considerable historical significance due its diamond mining past and siege during the Second Boer War...
, claiming that the captive (who was the policeman) was Scotty Smith. After being jailed, the man had a difficult time in convincing the authorities that Scotty Smith had played a trick on them.
Many times, living up to his nickname of Robin Hood
Robin Hood
Robin Hood was a heroic outlaw in English folklore. A highly skilled archer and swordsman, he is known for "robbing from the rich and giving to the poor", assisted by a group of fellow outlaws known as his "Merry Men". Traditionally, Robin Hood and his men are depicted wearing Lincoln green clothes....
of the Kalahari, he robbed the rich to give to the poor. There is a story about a farmer or boer
Boer
Boer is the Dutch and Afrikaans word for farmer, which came to denote the descendants of the Dutch-speaking settlers of the eastern Cape frontier in Southern Africa during the 18th century, as well as those who left the Cape Colony during the 19th century to settle in the Orange Free State,...
who once met Scotty but did not recognise him. The farmer related to this man (Scotty) that he would like to capture Scotty Smith and claim the large reward at the Kenhard police station. Scotty then immediately identified himself and told the now hesitant farmer to take him to Kenhardt Police station at gunpoint, where the reluctant farmer received the reward. However, the farmer did not have to feel remorse for very long, because early that evening, Scotty broke out of jail and rode off again.
Another story about Scotty Smith claims that he calmly hid the illegal diamonds that he had smuggled, which the police came looking for, in the kettle which was simmering on the camp-fire. He then apparently went ahead and poured coffee for the policemen and himself from the boiling kettle.
It is not known how accurate the stories about Scotty Smith are, but most are very likely to have actually happened as they would be typical of Scotty. Nevertheless, there is no doubt some may have been exaggerated.
Languages
Besides English and probably ScotsScots language
Scots is the Germanic language variety spoken in Lowland Scotland and parts of Ulster . It is sometimes called Lowland Scots to distinguish it from Scottish Gaelic, the Celtic language variety spoken in most of the western Highlands and in the Hebrides.Since there are no universally accepted...
or Scots Gaelic, Scotty was fluent in German, Afrikaans
Afrikaans
Afrikaans is a West Germanic language, spoken natively in South Africa and Namibia. It is a daughter language of Dutch, originating in its 17th century dialects, collectively referred to as Cape Dutch .Afrikaans is a daughter language of Dutch; see , , , , , .Afrikaans was historically called Cape...
and an unknown number of Bushmen
Bushmen
The indigenous people of Southern Africa, whose territory spans most areas of South Africa, Zimbabwe, Lesotho, Mozambique, Swaziland, Botswana, Namibia, and Angola, are variously referred to as Bushmen, San, Sho, Barwa, Kung, or Khwe...
languages, and possibly also in a few of the other native Southern African languages. Yet another story told about him is that when an unexpected police patrol paid him a visit, he would ask to be allowed to hold "huisgodsdiens" (Afrikaans for home religious service) for his servants. He conducted these services in Bushmen language, and in full view of the policemen, who could not understand a word, he gave detailed instructions to his servants on how to hide anything that he did not want the policemen to see or find. It is said that the policemen never suspected a thing.
Jail
In 1892 Scotty Smith met 19 year old Miss van Niekerk and married. Together they raised a family of two sons and five daughters.After a short time in the Military, Scotty finally left the to do his own thing. After a long career involved in horse and cattle stealing, he was involved in numerous illegal diamond operations again in the wider Kimberley
Kimberley, Northern Cape
Kimberley is a city in South Africa, and the capital of the Northern Cape. It is located near the confluence of the Vaal and Orange Rivers. The town has considerable historical significance due its diamond mining past and siege during the Second Boer War...
area. In most of the stories about him, Scotty is victorious against all odds and always get away with it. Although there is a story that took place at a little place near Kimberley, in the Boshoff district, named Olifantsfontein where one of Scotty’s plans went wrong.
A merchant, Thomas Welford and his partner Gustav Herman and Gustav's brother Max, approached Scotty Smith to help them steal a packet of diamonds from Sam Kemp (a supposed diamond merchant) but who was apparently an illegal runner for a man known as Sam Weil. The plan was as follows; the group would ambush Sam Kemp and steal the diamonds. If he resisted, they would shoot him.
The plan was carried out, Sam Kemp resisted and was shot and the diamonds were stolen. Kemp recovered though, and rode back to Kimberley to report the theft at the police station. Police officers soon uncovered the whole plan and arrested Scotty and the others. This time, for once, Scotty did not attempt escape. He was sentenced to four years imprisonment and 25 lashes in the Boshoff circuit court. He never received the lashes though and after a year, his sentence was dropped and he was once again free.
During his imprisonment in Bloemfontein
Bloemfontein
Bloemfontein is the capital city of the Free State Province of South Africa; and, as the judicial capital of the nation, one of South Africa's three national capitals – the other two being Cape Town, the legislative capital, and Pretoria, the administrative capital.Bloemfontein is popularly and...
, it is claimed that Scotty Smith was permitted to visit the town bar daily. One day, he apparently came across a parade including the Official State President's coach, after successfully masquerading as the president, he took a ride in high style, before returning to prison later on. Again, it is not known how accurate these stories are.
After his year in jail, Scotty left for a more rural area, and from the early 1880s he was a bandit in the area of the Goshen
Stellaland
Stellaland, officially known as the Republic of Stellaland from 1882–1883 and, after unification with the neighbouring State of Goshen, as the United States of Stellaland from 1883–1885, was a Boer republic located in an area of Bechuanaland, west of the Transvaal.During its short history,...
and Stellaland
Stellaland
Stellaland, officially known as the Republic of Stellaland from 1882–1883 and, after unification with the neighbouring State of Goshen, as the United States of Stellaland from 1883–1885, was a Boer republic located in an area of Bechuanaland, west of the Transvaal.During its short history,...
Republics. He stayed in that area until shortly before the Anglo-Boer War.
Amongst the strange things Scotty did was a trek of several months by ox-wagon
Ox-wagon
An ox-wagon or bullock wagon is a four-wheeled vehicle pulled by oxen . It was a traditional form of transport, especially in Southern Africa but also in New Zealand and Australia. Ox-wagons were also used in the United States...
, accompanied by Dorothea Bleek (niece of Lucy Lloyd
Lucy Lloyd
Lucy Catherine Lloyd was the creator along with Wilhelm Bleek of the 19th century archive of |xam and !kun texts-Early life:...
), to enable her to study Bushmen languages in the Kalahari.
Bushmen skeletons
The story of the Bushmen skeletons is unusual and suspicious. It started with a visit from Dr. Borcherds of UpingtonUpington, Northern Cape
Upington is a town founded in 1884 and located in the Northern Cape province of South Africa, on the banks of the Orange River. The town was named after Sir Thomas Upington, Attorney-General and then Prime Minister of the Cape. It originated as a mission station established in 1875 and run by...
, to London. Dr. Borcherds noticed that the Bushmen skeletons in the Royal College of Surgeons were not of good quality, so he authorized Scotty to find better specimens. Shortly after that Scotty arrived at the doctor's house with 10 complete skeletons. He claimed that the skeletons belonged to Bushmen who had previously raided his farm and who he had shot and buried.
Scotty ended up supplying hundreds of Bushmen skeletons to many European museums. There were rumours that Scotty had deliberately killed these Bushmen, but this has never been proven.
Death
Scotty died a respected elderly townsmen of UpingtonUpington, Northern Cape
Upington is a town founded in 1884 and located in the Northern Cape province of South Africa, on the banks of the Orange River. The town was named after Sir Thomas Upington, Attorney-General and then Prime Minister of the Cape. It originated as a mission station established in 1875 and run by...
during the 1919 flu epidemic. He is buried in the Upington cemetery. The grave is protected by an iron trellis, on his grave stone is written "Never will his memory fade - Jessie".
Shortly after his death in 1919 the late Dr. Homer L. Shantz, botanist, professor, and president of the University of Arizona visited the home of Scotty Smith. A photo is held in the University of Arisona Shantz collections.
Further reading
- FC Metrowich (1970). Scotty Smith: South Africa Robinhood. 2nd Edition. Gothic Printing Company. ISBN Unknown
- Legassick & Rassool (2000). Skeletons in the Cupboard. South Africa Museum. ISBN 0 86813 177 6
- C Quigley (2001). Skulls and skeletons: human bone collections and accumulations. McFarland. ISBN 078641068X, 9780786410682