Stories
When in South Africa he got involved in gun-running, general theft, elephant 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.
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—Fred M. Rogers (20th century)