Luke Short
Luke Lamar Short was an American Old West gunfighter, cowboy, U.S. Army scout, dispatch rider, gambler, boxing promoter, and saloon owner. He survived numerous gunfights, the most famous of which were against Charlie Storms in Tombstone, Arizona Territory, and against Jim Courtright in Fort Worth, Texas. Short had business interests in three of the best-known saloons in the Old West: the Oriental in Tombstone, the Long Branch Saloon in Dodge City, and the White Elephant in Fort Worth.
Early life
Short was born in Polk County, Arkansas, in January 1854. He was the fifth child of Josiah Washington Short and his wife Hetty Brumley. Short had nine siblings. The family moved to Montague County, Texas shortly after Short's birth.In 1862, Luke Short witnessed his father being ambushed and attacked by a group of Comanches in their yard. His father was surrounded by the group and attacked with arrows and lances. Inside the house, Luke helped the elder Short by dragging a large rifle to his brother, who then ran and handed it to his father. At the age of 13, Luke was said to have "carved" the face of a bully when he was still at school, which was the reason why he and his father moved to Fort Worth.
In 1869, at age 15, Short started work as a cowboy, which he continued through 1875, during which he made several trips to the Kansas railheads.
Short was reported by Bat Masterson to have killed six drunken Sioux at various times. Later writers have relied on Masterson's story as truthful and added to it, but no documentation of these killings has been found. Nonetheless, Short had been in over 30 engagements fighting Indians while working for the government, with his first fight occurring in 1869. While working as a scout for General George Crook in 1876, he was stationed in the Black Hills during the Sioux insurrection. While conducting a scouting expedition for the army, a band of 15 Indians ambushed and fired at him with rifles. Short managed to draw his pistols and fired back, killing three of the attackers. Some of the Indians gave chase on horseback, and Short killed two of them before finally reaching safety.
From October6 to8, 1878, Short worked as a dispatch courier from Ogallala for Major Thomas Tipton Thornburgh; Short earned $30. He then served as a civilian scout for Thornburgh until October20. He enlisted at Sidney, Nebraska to be paid $100 a month but he served only 12days, for which he was paid $40. The Fort Worth Daily Gazette later described him as "the bravest scout in the government employ."
In an interview later in his life, Short told researcher George H. Morrison that he moved to the Black Hills in 1876 and to Ogallala, Nebraska, the next year. Accounts written in Short's later years stated that he was an outlaw during his time in Nebraska. Around this time, Short was said to have traded whiskey with Indians around Camp Robinson, Nebraska. According to his nephew Wayne Short, Luke was arrested by the army. They put him on a train destined for Omaha, but Luke managed to escape the army escort and went to the makeshift mining and cowtown of Denver, Colorado, taking up gambling as a profession. He is said to have killed two men on separate occasions due to altercations during their card games.
Gambling days
Short moved to Leadville, Colorado, in 1879, where he continued gambling. Bat Masterson later wrote that Short seriously wounded a man during a gambling dispute in Leadville. He was accused of swindling Texan John Jones "out of $280 on Three Card Monte" and jailed on October 5 for six days in Kansas City.Gunfight with Charlie Storms
Short first met Wyatt Earp, William H. Harris, and Bat Masterson in Tombstone. Based on their previous friendship, Harris had no problem convincing his partners to engage Earp as a faro dealer at their Oriental Saloon in Tombstone. On Friday, February25, 1881, Short was serving as the lookout, seated next to the dealer at a faro game in the Oriental, when he was involved in what became a well-known gunfight. His opponent was Charlie Storms. Bat Masterson, who was in Tombstone at the time, described what happened in a magazine article he wrote in 1907:Storms' body was taken to the undertaker, where the coroner's jury was convened and testimony was heard. The jury reached a verdict that Storms died from three pistol wounds at the hands of Short, and that Short's actions were justifiable. Short was free to go, as no further legal action was taken.
Five days after Storms died, the Leadville Democrat wrote about the shooting. It said that Storms approached Short and "catching him by the ear", demanded an apology. According to the account, Storms grabbed Short's ear with his left hand and his right hand contained a pistol aimed at Short. Short drew his weapon and shot Storms, who returned fire, but missed. Short then put two more bullets into "the sinking soul of Storms."
Dodge City
Short left Tombstone in early 1881, arriving in Dodge City in April 1881. He remained in Dodge City until the final months of 1883, although he made frequent trips to pursue gambling opportunities. In February 1883, Chalk Beeson sold his interest in the Long Branch Saloon to Short. In March, Harris was nominated to run for mayor of Dodge City. Within a few days, on March19, a "law and order" group nominated Lawrence E. Deger to run against Harris. Deger defeated Harris by214 votes to43 in the election of April3. All five of the city council candidates running with Deger were also elected.On April23, the Dodge City Council posted two ordinances that were immediately approved by Mayor Deger. Ordinance No.70 was "An Ordinance for the Suppression of Vice and Immorality Within the City of Dodge City." Ordinance No.71 was "An Ordinance to Define and Punish Vagrancy." Reports of that time recorded an event where Short beat a man with a pistol, which resulted in the man being bedridden and "in despair" for several days. On April 28, three prostitutes employed at the Long Branch were arrested by City Marshal Jack Bridges and policeman Louis C. Hartman. Soon afterward, Short and Hartman exchanged gunfire. Neither man was hurt. Short was quickly arrested and released on a $2,000 bond. His preliminary examination was set for May2.
Forced out of town
On April30, Short was again arrested and placed in jail. The following day, Short and the five others were escorted to the train depot and given their choice of east- or west-bound trains. Short went east to Kansas City, Missouri, where he looked up Charles E. Bassett at the Marble Hall Saloon. Bassett and Short had both at different times owned an interest in the Long Branch Saloon.Short and Bassett, along with William F. Petillon, began conceiving a plan to get Short back to Dodge City. Short went to Topeka, the capital, on May 10, where he presented a petition to Governor George W. Glick. Short returned to Kansas City and was joined there by Bat Masterson. Wyatt Earp arrived in Dodge City, along with several gunfighters, on May31. Short, Earp, and Petillon met in Kinsley, Kansas, on June3, 1883, and took the afternoon train to Dodge City. Deger issued a proclamation the following day ordering the closing of all gambling places in Dodge City.
Image:DodgeCityPeaceCommission.jpg|250px|thumb|right|The Dodge City Peace Commission on June10, 1883: Standing : William H. Harris, Luke Short, Bat Masterson, William F. Petillon. Seated : Charlie Bassett, Wyatt Earp, Michael Francis "Frank" McLean, and Cornelius "Neil" Brown, photo by Charles Conkling
Dodge City Peace Commission
Deger's action came during the cattle season and critics believed this would cause harm by lessening the money spent in the city. Additional pressure to resolve the issue had come from the governor and the Santa Fe Railroad, which did considerable business in the town. The gambling halls, dance halls, and saloons, including the Long Branch, were ordered to be reopened. On June9, both sides met in a dance hall that opened that night and resolved their differences. The following day, eight men gathered and posed for a widely reproduced Wild West history photo. The group was dubbed the Dodge City Peace Commission. The men in the historic photo were William H. Harris, Luke Short, Bat Masterson, William F. Petillon, Charles E. Bassett, Wyatt Earp, Michael Francis "Frank" McLean, and Cornelius "Neil" Brown. Shortly after the photo was taken, Bat Masterson and Wyatt Earp departed for Colorado.The Long Branch Saloon, owned by Short, was reopened. On November19, 1883, Short and Harris sold the Long Branch to Roy Drake and Frank Warren. Short moved to San Antonio, Texas, for a brief time before relocating to Fort Worth.
Fort Worth
Partnership in White Elephant Saloon
In December 1884, Jacob Christopher "Jake" Johnson, Short, and James A. "Alex" Reddick became the new owners of the Fort Worth White Elephant Saloon. Jake Johnson was one of the wealthiest men in Texas, and his part ownership of the White Elephant was one of many business and real estate enterprises he was involved in. The White Elephant was described in The Fort Worth Daily Gazette of December12, 1884, as the "pride of the city" and "the largest and most magnificent establishment in the state." The paper detailed the various games of chance, in the "club rooms" of which Short was in charge. That large gambling section also included a dozen billiard tables. Short maintained an office at the White Elephant and often greeted customers. On May9, 1885, Short, Jake Johnson, M.F. "Frank" McLean, and three others pleaded guilty and were each fined $25 for "gaming."During this time in Fort Worth, Short performed one of his well-known acts of marksmanship. While dining in a restaurant, the waiter handed him a glass of milk that had a small fly on the surface. Short threw his milk in the air, drew his gun, and shot the fly.