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247:. 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.
271:). 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. It appears that a lot of these activities were on behalf of the British government and he was released without blowing his cover.
400:, 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.
216:, 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 in Scotland, and therefore did not receive his inheritance. George, or Scotty as he was often called, trained as a
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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. There is
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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
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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
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It is a pity that a man of your appearance should deal in stolen property. There is no excuse for you; it is a gross crime. The boundary line is getting dangerous for our people. It is quite an accident that Kemp was not killed. I took you for a man who knew better. I will punish you severely.
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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
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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.
231:. Apparently he did not have much success though, because he it also rumored to have 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
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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.
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evidence that he acted for the
British during the various wars in South Africa as an intelligence field officer providing both information about opposition troop movements in the Kalahari and providing provisions. He arranged horses, fodder and the like to the British troops
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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. It is thought that he would have been released by the authorities
235:. The officer in charge of his cavalry squadron was killed in one of the Hill campaigns, so Scotty is believed to have taken over, ordered to charge and caused heavy casualties for his troops. After a court martial, he was believed to have been discharged.
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attempt escape. He was sentenced to four years imprisonment and 25 lashes in the Boshof circuit court. He never received the lashes though and after a year, his sentence was dropped and he was once again free.
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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
283:, 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.
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After a short time in the
Military Scotty left his family. After a long career involved in horse and cattle stealing, he was involved in numerous illegal diamond operations again in the wider
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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
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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.
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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".
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In 1892 Scotty Smith met 19-year-old Miss van Niekerk and married. Together they raised a family of two sons and five daughters.
204:. He was well known as a cattle thief, lover (and thief) of horses, dealer in illegal diamonds, smuggler and friend of the poor.
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The story of the Bushmen skeletons is unusual and suspicious. It started with a visit from Dr. Borcherds of
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who had arrested Scotty, ended up being the captive, and "Sergeant Scotty" handed him over to the police in
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Scotty arrived in South Africa in 1877 to join the Frontier Armed and Mounted Police. He saw action in the
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visited the home of Scotty Smith. A photo is held in the University of Arizona Shantz collections.
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and Gustav's brother Max, approached Scotty Smith to help them steal a packet of diamonds from
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After his year in jail, Scotty left for a more rural area, and from the early 1880s he was a
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370:(a supposed diamond merchant) but who was apparently an illegal runner for a man known as
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Skeletons in the cupboard: South African museums and the trade in human remains 1907-1917
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196:(1845 – December 1919) born into a noble Scottish family, popularly known as
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Amongst the strange things Scotty did was a trek of several months by
450:, to London. Dr. Borcherds noticed that the Bushmen skeletons in the
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Incwadi Yami, Or, Twenty Years' Personal Experience in South Africa
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Prinsloo of Prinsloosdorp : A Tale of Transvaal Officialdom
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Skulls and Skeletons: Human Bone Collections and Accumulations
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Republics. He stayed in that area until shortly before the
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South African bandit known as South Africa's Robin Hood
200:, was a South African bandit known as South Africa's
717:"Grave of LENNOX George St. Leger Gordon 1846–1918"
434:), to enable her to study Bushmen languages in the
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715:Eygelaar, Wilna; Eygelaar, Deirdré (28 May 2008).
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473:Shortly after his death in 1919 the late Dr.
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477:, botanist, professor, and president of the
466:Scotty died a respected elderly townsman of
605:"Dies, Keeping Secret of Big Diamond Field"
582:. Rogers & Sherwood. pp. 203–204.
554:: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (
541:History of South Africa, from 1873 to 1884
391:addressing Scotty Smith during the trial,
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286:Many times, living up to his nickname of
69:Learn how and when to remove this message
355:where one of Scotty's plans went wrong.
255:When in South Africa he got involved in
32:This article includes a list of general
603:Thierry, Edward M. (18 December 1919).
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212:A book was written by F. C. Metrowich,
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501:Metrowich, Frederick Charles (1970).
127:December 1919 (aged 72–73)
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745:taken 18 September 1919. From the
38:it lacks sufficient corresponding
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735:Photo of the home of Scotty Smith
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152:Scotty Smith, Douglas MacDonald
741: (archived 2012-03-21) by
721:The Genealogical Society of SA
220:, before being shipped to the
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778:People from the Northern Cape
311:Besides English and probably
109:George St Leger Gordon Lennox
686:Quigley, Christine (2001).
621:– via Newspapers.com.
396:During his imprisonment in
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524:. Dunbar Bros. p. 28.
665:; Rassool, Ciraj (2000).
572:Matthews, Josiah Wright;
452:Royal College of Surgeons
327:and an unknown number of
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671:. South African Museum.
658:In particular chapter 7.
788:South African criminals
518:Erasmus, Sarel (1899).
319:, Scotty was fluent in
53:more precise citations.
576:; Cloete, Ena (1887).
544:. London. p. 160.
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194:George St Leger Lennox
747:University of Arizona
479:University of Arizona
161:Professional criminal
783:People from Upington
407:in the area of the
389:Chief Justice Reitz
99:Scotty Smith c.1902
773:Cape Colony people
646:. Howard Timmins.
643:To the River's End
638:Green, Lawrence G.
507:. Books of Africa.
699:978-0-7864-1068-2
678:978-0-86813-177-1
663:Legassick, Martin
442:Bushmen skeletons
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613:. p. 7
257:gun-running
233:Indian Army
180:Four years
51:introducing
757:Categories
653:0869782282
617:14 January
485:References
432:Lucy Lloyd
430:(niece of
413:Stellaland
288:Robin Hood
226:Kalgoorlie
208:Early life
202:Robin Hood
157:Occupation
34:references
640:(1994) .
550:cite book
345:Kimberley
325:Afrikaans
307:Languages
281:Kimberley
245:Gaika War
229:gold rush
59:July 2011
538:(1919).
468:Upington
448:Upington
436:Kalahari
424:ox-wagon
386:—
372:Sam Weil
368:Sam Kemp
292:Kalahari
269:Botswana
261:elephant
222:colonies
144:cemetery
142:Upington
131:Upington
749:library
737:at the
329:Bushmen
290:of the
251:Stories
184:and 25
114: (
47:improve
726:26 May
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409:Goshen
405:bandit
349:Boshof
321:German
186:lashes
36:, but
462:Death
728:2019
694:ISBN
673:ISBN
648:ISBN
619:2020
584:ISBN
556:link
411:and
336:Jail
296:boer
124:Died
116:1846
112:1846
105:Born
315:or
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