Luke Short – A Dandy Gunfighter
The narrative of Luke Short might easily have concluded with the romanticized image of a gunslinger "dying with his boots on," given the numerous perilous situations he faced. However, fate, or perhaps something more, allowed him to pass away peacefully in his own bed, boots off, surrounded by loved ones. This fortunate end, as many might see it, might be attributed to luck, but a more compelling explanation lies in his unparalleled speed and skill when it mattered most. When the time came for Luke Short to meet his end, he was granted the solace of a home, a wife, friends, and a quiet anticipation of what was to come.
As he lay on his deathbed in Fort Worth, Texas, his gaunt features offered little indication of the fortunate life he had led. Accepting his impending demise, his face, etched with the marks of death, displayed a quiet defiance. One could almost hear him challenging death, a lurking coward, to reveal itself, even for a moment, for one final confrontation. This unwavering willingness to face overwhelming odds was a defining characteristic of Luke Short’s persona.
A "White Indian"
Luke Short was a man of compact stature, standing approximately five feet six inches tall and weighing around 140 pounds. Despite his small frame, he possessed an undeniable dynamism. Interestingly, his well-proportioned head required a hat size of 7 1/8. He left his father’s ranch in western Texas, where he had worked as a cowboy in the mid-1870s, for the Red Cloud Agency in South Dakota, he was, in essence, a "white Indian." He embodied the spirit and skills of the Native Americans, save for his skin color. In that era, many Native American tribes west of the Missouri River were wild, hostile, and frequently engaged in conflict. This paints a vivid picture of the young Luke Short. Lacking formal education, he could barely write his name. It’s doubtful he encountered a schoolhouse until adulthood. However, he was adept at riding broncos, wielding a lariat, and possessed remarkable speed and accuracy with a firearm, coupled with fearlessness.
Upon arriving near the Sioux Indian Reservation on Nebraska’s northern border, he established a "trading ranch." His intention was to trade with the Sioux Indians, whose reservation lay just across the state line in South Dakota. He recognized the Indians’ fondness for whiskey and, displaying a shrewd business sense, saw an opportunity to exchange a ninety-cent gallon of whiskey for a buffalo robe worth ten dollars. Consequently, Luke Short acquired a substantial supply of "Pine Top," the name given to the whiskey traded to the Indians for their robes.
Uncle Sam Objects
His venture quickly became profitable, drawing the attention of the Sioux tribe’s chiefs. Drunken young warriors regularly returned to their villages from Short’s establishment, heavily intoxicated with "Pine Top." Each drink often led to multiple fights, and it usually took about ten drinks for an Indian to forget the authority of the "Great White Father" in Washington. The consequences of these revelries at Short’s ranch can be imagined.
The Indian agent responsible for the Sioux tribe, with whom Short was conducting business, promptly contacted Washington. He reported to the Department of the Interior that a group of ruthless white men, led by Luke Short, were trading whiskey to his Indians, and he was unable to intervene because the white men’s camp was located just across the reservation line in Nebraska, outside his jurisdiction. He implored the government to immediately remove the whiskey traders and banish them from the region, warning that an Indian uprising would otherwise be inevitable. Unsurprisingly, the government instructed the post commander in Omaha to pursue the distributors of the toxic "Pine Top," who were accused of causing chaos among the Sioux.
The military commander in Omaha swiftly dispatched a company of United States cavalry after Short. Caught unaware, he was quickly apprehended by government authorities. When the soldiers arrived, he was alone in his dugout, preparing dinner. He was informed that he was under arrest by order of the government for illegally trading whiskey to the Indians.
"Is that all, gentlemen?" Luke inquired, inviting the commanding officer to share his meal.
"There will be no time for eating," the officer replied, "as we must reach Sidney by tomorrow morning to catch the Overland train for Omaha. Gather your belongings, and we’ll be on our way."
"I have nothing I care to take," Luke responded, "except what I’m wearing." His attire primarily consisted of a pair of Colt pistols and a cartridge belt, which the officer promptly confiscated.
"Where are your partners?" the Captain asked.
"I have no partners," Short replied. "I’ve been running this ranch by myself."
However, Luke did have a partner, who was, at that moment, in Sidney obtaining provisions and more "Pine Top."
After destroying all whiskey-related items at the ranch, the journey to Sidney, approximately 75 miles away, commenced. Luke was placed on a government horse, his feet secured with a rope beneath the animal’s girth, and ordered to ride in the center of the cavalry company. They reached Sidney in time to catch the Overland train, and Luke was escorted aboard with minimal ceremony.
Due to his calm and unassuming demeanor during his brief imprisonment, Luke convinced the officer that he was a harmless adventurer, seemingly incapable of committing any crime. Consequently, he was not handcuffed or shackled after boarding the train to Omaha.
Sidney, Nebraska, was a small town at the time, with a population probably not exceeding a thousand. Like most small towns, Sidney would gather when something unusual occurred. The sight of a company of United States soldiers lined up at the railroad station sparked curiosity, causing the townsfolk to investigate. Luke Short’s partner was among the spectators, and he was understandably surprised to discover that his partner was the center of attention. Luke and his partner quickly devised a code to communicate with each other. Luke knew some phrases in the Indian language that his partner understood and could respond to.
Escape from the Soldiers
Terms like "Skidoo" and "Twenty-three" were familiar to Short, even then, but they were conveyed through sign language rather than spoken words.
Luke communicated to his partner that he would soon return to Sidney and prepare for their escape with minimal delay. The charge of unlawfully trading whiskey to the Indians didn’t seem to concern him. "I can beat that for sure," he thought, "but supposing that agent should take a notion to call for a count of heads. What then? I know that there are several young bucks, whom I caught trying to steal my ‘Pine Top,’ who will not be there to answer roll-call in case one is ordered. I planted those bucks myself, and, outside of my partner, no one knows the exact location of the cache. While I have no notion of putting in a claim against the government for the work, I must be careful and avoid having it endeavor to show that I really did perform such a service."
These thoughts were likely conveyed through signals to his partner when he boarded the train at Sidney bound for Omaha.
In short, Luke didn’t linger with the soldiers after the train departed Sidney. That night, Luke was back in town, and by the following morning, he and his partner were en route to Colorado, driving a large team of mules hitched to a canvas-covered wagon.
This occurred in the fall of 1878, and as Leadville was experiencing a major mining boom, Luke headed for Denver.
It’s important to remember that the region was sparsely populated, and encountering a white person outside the railroad line was rare.
An Affair in Leadville
Luke Short and his partner arrived in Denver and drove to a horse corral, where they sold their outfit for a good price. Luke’s partner returned to his wealthy family in Austin, Texas, while Luke went to Leadville, where the boom was in full swing. There, he associated with people vastly different in manner, taste, and dress from those he had known before. He mingled with rich mine buyers and promoters, gamblers, and the proprietors of the mining camp "honkatonks."
It was a completely new life, which he embraced wholeheartedly. He witnessed the game of faro being dealt for the first time and was captivated. He quickly became a topic of conversation. One day, he encountered a dangerous man with a gun in one of the camp’s prominent gambling houses. The man, known for killing someone in the past, attempted to interfere with one of Luke’s bets. When Luke politely asked him to refrain, the man became angry and made rude remarks. The dealer was terrified, expecting Short to be shot before anyone could intervene. The dealer, of course, didn’t know Luke’s reputation. He knew the other man but had yet to meet the former "Pine Top" vendor from Nebraska.
"Gentlemen," the dealer said suavely, "I will cover the amount of the bet rather than have a quarrel."
"You will not cover anything for me," Short said. "That is my bet, and I will not permit anyone to take it."
"You insignificant little shrimp," the bad man growled, reaching for his gun. "I will shoot your hand off if you dare to put it on that bet."
But he didn’t. Nor did he draw his pistol from his hip pocket. Quicker than a flash, Luke shoved his own pistol into the bad man’s face and pulled the trigger, sending him crashing to the floor. The bullet passed through his cheek, but fortunately, it wasn’t fatal.
There was no arrest or trial, as such incidents were commonplace in Leadville. However, this event elevated Luke’s standing. Gambling house owners sought his presence during peak hours to deter dangerous individuals from stealing their bankrolls. He made friends easily and became popular with the more refined members of the sporting community. He learned to play cards and soon dealt faro. No one who saw him dressed in tailor-made clothes and a derby hat would have recognized the man who jumped from the Overland train east of Sidney to escape the soldiers.
Snuffing Out a Gambler
In the spring of 1881, Luke Short was in Tombstone, Arizona, dealing faro in a house managed by Wyatt Earp.
One morning, I entered the Oriental gambling house, where Luke worked, just in time to prevent him from killing a gambler named Charlie Storms. The situation was similar to the incident with the bad man in Leadville a few years earlier. Charlie Storms was a well-known gambler throughout the West and had successfully defended himself in pistol fights against Western "gunfighters."
Charlie Storms and I were close friends, as were Short and I, which is why I didn’t want to see him get into what I knew would be a serious conflict. Storms didn’t know Short and, like the bad man in Leadville, had underestimated him as an insignificant-looking fellow he could slap without expecting retaliation. Both men were about to draw their pistols when I stepped between them, grabbing Storms and asking Luke not to shoot – a request I knew he would honor if possible without endangering his own life. I had no trouble getting Storms out of the house, as he knew I was his friend. Once we reached the street, I advised him to go to his room and sleep, as I learned he had been up all night and quarreling with others.
He asked me to accompany him to his room, which I did, and after ensuring he was safely in his apartments, where I assumed he would go to bed, I returned to Short. I was explaining to Luke that Storms was a decent man when, unexpectedly, he appeared before us. Without a word, he grabbed Luke’s arm, pulling him off the sidewalk, and drew his pistol, a Colt’s cut-off, 45 caliber, single-action. But like the man in Leadville, he was too slow, though he did manage to draw his pistol. Luke pressed the muzzle of his own pistol against Storms’ heart and pulled the trigger. The bullet tore through his heart, and as he fell, Luke shot him again. Storms died instantly. Luke was given a preliminary hearing before a magistrate and exonerated.
The Story of Two Rival Shows
In the spring of 1883, Luke formed a partnership with Harris and Beeson of Dodge City and operated the Long Branch Saloon, the largest and most lucrative gambling house in Dodge at the time. The mayor of Dodge, Webster, also ran a gambling house and saloon next door to Short’s establishment. At that time, Dodge City served as the shipping point for Texas cattle driven from the western Texas ranges to northern markets.
A fortune could be made each season by the gambling house that controlled this trade, and as Short was from Texas and a former cowboy, he had an advantage over the mayor in attracting the cattlemen’s patronage.
The mayor, a stubborn and strong-willed man, resented this and sought to eliminate Luke’s business. He passed an ordinance prohibiting music in all gambling houses and saloons. Short employed a band in his establishment, as did Webster. However, as mayor, Webster believed he was in control. The mayor instructed the city marshal to inform Short that the music in his establishment must cease. "That suits me," Luke reportedly told the marshal. "I don’t need music in my house to do business, and besides, maintaining a band is quite an item of expense."
The following night, the only establishment in the city with music was the mayor’s. Luke sensed something amiss.
"We’ll see about this," Luke remarked to his partners, Beeson and Harris.
The next night, he rehired the band and instructed them to play the familiar melodies beloved by Texas cowboys. Luke remained at the establishment for several hours to observe the mayor’s actions. Seeing nothing alarming, he left to visit a sick friend. No more than ten minutes had passed before all the band members, including the pianist, were arrested and locked up in the city jail.
Forced to Leave Town
Luke was notified and rushed to the saloon. He learned of the arrests and sought out the officer in charge to provide bail for the musicians. However, he could not find him or anyone authorized to accept bail. Throughout Luke’s efforts to release his employees, the music in the mayor’s establishment continued unabated. This, as one can imagine, did not improve matters.
Just as Luke concluded that nothing could be done that night to free the prisoners, he spotted the officer he had been searching for some distance away. Luke approached him.
The officer, standing on the sidewalk, a foot or so above the street, saw Luke coming and immediately drew his pistol and fired at him point-blank. The shot missed, and Luke returned fire. As he pulled the trigger, the officer ran, falling as he left the sidewalk for the dark street. Believing he had hit him, Luke retrieved a shotgun, and stood his ground, refusing arrest.
The next morning, he was persuaded to lay down his weapons, plead guilty to creating a disturbance, pay a fine, and resolve the matter. This was the promise made if he surrendered. He gave up his pistols and started for the police court with the officers. However, instead of taking him to court as promised, they took him to the city jail and held him until the noon trains arrived. The eastbound and westbound passenger trains passed each other at Dodge, and Luke was escorted to the depot by armed guards and told to choose which train he would take. He had no choice. They had him and were waiting for an excuse to shoot him if he resisted.
He boarded the eastbound train and arrived in Kansas City.
Lining Up for a Big Fight
I was in Denver at the time, and he wired me to come to Kansas City, which I did. After discussing the situation, we decided to go to Topeka and present the matter to the Governor. The following day, we did so. The Governor condemned the actions of the Dodge City authorities but said he could not intervene, as the local authorities had assured him they were capable of maintaining peace and did not require state interference. We informed the Governor that we believed we could restore our position in Dodge but did not want to conflict with state authorities if we chose to do so. The Governor told us to proceed if we could, promising to stay out of it and wishing us luck. I immediately left for Silverton, Colorado, where Wyatt Earp was located, and enlisted his support. Luke went to Caldwell, Kansas, where he had loyal friends willing to fight his battles.
Within a week, we had organized our forces and were on our way to Dodge. It was decided that if a fight was what the mayor of Dodge wanted, he would get one.
Wyatt was chosen to arrive in Dodge first. Unbeknownst to the Dodge authorities, he was accompanied by several desperate men. Others quietly entered the town undetected. Rumors began to circulate that Wyatt Earp had a strong force of desperate men in town in Luke Short’s interest. The mayor hastily convened a meeting of his friends in the city hall, where he solemnly informed them of the reported Earp invasion. It was evident that anything but a fight was what the mayor and his friends desired. Someone suggested inviting Wyatt to attend the meeting and state his position. The suggestion was unanimously approved, and the mayor appointed a committee to inform Earp of their decision. Wyatt was found and informed of the wishes of the assembled patriots.
A Conference with the Enemy
"It will afford me great pleasure to attend your meeting," Wyatt replied.
The mayor asked Wyatt about the truth of the report that he and numerous other desperate men were in the city to reinstate Short in Dodge.
"Mr. Mayor and gentlemen of the meeting," Wyatt said, "I guess the report is true. I came here some days ago, and, thinking that perhaps something might happen where I would need assistance, brought along some other gentlemen who signified a willingness to join in whatever festivities might arise."
"Moreover," Wyatt continued, "Luke and Bat will each arrive at noon tomorrow, and on their arrival, we expect to open up hostilities."
"Now, look here, Wyatt," the mayor said, "you have no better friends anywhere than we are, and we don’t want any more fighting in this town. There has already been enough shooting and killing in Dodge to do for a while. Now, why can’t this thing be fixed up before it goes any farther?"
"It can," Wyatt said, "if you are willing to allow Luke to return and conduct his business unmolested as heretofore."
"I am perfectly willing to agree to that," Webster said. "And so are we," the meeting echoed in unison.
"All right, gentlemen," Wyatt replied, "there shall be no conflict. I will proceed to inform both Mr. Short and Mr. Masterson of your decision in the case, and I will guarantee that if you keep your part of the agreement, there shall be no bloodshed."
Wyatt immediately notified Short and me by wire of the enemy’s complete surrender, and when we arrived the next day, we were warmly welcomed by our friends. The enemy, unsure of Wyatt’s control, remained in the background until Short and I assured them that we would abide by the peace terms made by Earp.
As soon as things calmed down, Short summoned the mayor and sheriff to meet him and his friends at his establishment to discuss the situation and reach a better understanding. The mayor and sheriff arrived with the city attorney and the county’s prosecuting attorney. Short’s party included himself, his partners Beeson and Harris, Wyatt Earp, and myself.
Humiliating His Honor the Mayor
After everyone was seated, Luke addressed the mayor:
"Mr. Webster, you have two men on the police force who, without any known reason, showed themselves to be bitter enemies of mine during the recent trouble. I want them removed from the force."
The mayor assured Luke that he need not worry, as both men had already resigned and left town.
"Very well," Luke said. "There is, however, another thing I wish to call to your notice. You had an ordinance passed by the city council prohibiting music in saloons. I want that ordinance repealed."
"It shall be done," the mayor said, instructing the city attorney to prepare a call for a special council meeting and draft an ordinance repealing the objectionable one.
This concluded Short’s business with the mayor. He then turned to the sheriff and said:
"Mr. Sheriff, you also have two men in your office who are objectionable to me, and I would like you to remove them." He named the men, and the sheriff promised they would be removed.
"Here are the names of the men you can appoint in their place," he said, handing the sheriff a piece of paper with the desired names.
"All right, Luke," the sheriff said. "They are good enough for me."
Luke then turned to the county’s prosecuting attorney and said, "I furnished bail for Mr. Blank in the sum of $2,000 before I was ordered to leave town, and I want that bail bond containing my name returned to me and all record of it destroyed."
"That will be easy," the prosecutor said.
"Now, gentlemen," Luke said, "there being nothing further to do, suppose we return to the bar and take a little something just for old times’ sake."
"All right," everyone present said, and the procession to the bar began.
Luke had won a bloodless battle, though it was not for lack of willingness to fight.
Short Owns the Town Again
We later learned that Mayor Webster, realizing how Earp had outmaneuvered him, contacted the sheriff and prosecuting attorney and sent an urgent telegram to the Governor, signed by all three, requesting two companies of militia, warning that a tragedy would occur in Dodge City if they were not sent. The Governor, anticipating such a request, refused to send the militia, reminding them that they had repeatedly assured him they could handle the situation and did not need the militia. "And," the Governor concluded, "I expect you to do it."
When the Governor’s response became known in Dodge, consternation seized the mayor’s followers. Those who had been most vocal in their hostility towards Short now advocated for peace at any cost.
Webster, himself no coward, saw the yellow streak reappearing in his followers. He knew that when the time came, he would have to fight alone. He remembered that those very men had hidden from Short the night the musicians were arrested and could imagine what they would do now that Short had been reinforced. At this point, Webster decided to send for Wyatt to attempt to settle the matter without violence. In doing so, the mayor acted wisely, for had the situation continued to the next day, there likely would have been bloodshed.
Soon after his reinstatement in Dodge, Luke decided to settle his affairs and move to Texas. He could not bring himself to like those with whom he had been at odds, and that fall, he sold his interests in Kansas and went to Texas.
In the fall of 1884, he became the proprietor of the White Elephant gambling house in Fort Worth, one of the largest and most expensive establishments of its kind in the Southwest. He made plenty of money but spent it quickly, as he was generous and easily imposed upon. While he amassed fortunes, he died relatively poor. He probably owed less and had more money owed to him than any gambler who ever lived.
In the spring of 1887, I visited Short in Fort Worth and learned that he was having trouble with a notorious local character named Jim Courtright, who had killed several men in Fort Worth and New Mexico and was feared by the community. Courtright asked Short to appoint him as a special officer in the White Elephant. Luke, who had been a friend to Courtright, refused.
"Why, Jim," Luke said, "I would rather pay you a good salary to stay away from my house entirely."
"You know," Luke continued, "that the people about here are all afraid of you, and your presence in my house as an officer would ruin my business."
Courtright, a bully, couldn’t understand Luke’s perspective. He couldn’t grasp that it was a business decision and that it was better for Short to pay him to stay away. Courtright became angry and threatened to shut down Luke’s establishment. He couldn’t comprehend why Luke had dared to refuse him, as he had everyone else in town "buffaloed."
Luke and I were sitting in the White Elephant billiard room one evening discussing the trouble with Courtright.
Jake Johnson, one of Luke’s business associates, informed Luke that Courtright was in the outer lobby and wanted to speak with him.
"Tell him to come in," Short said.
"I did invite him in," Johnson replied, "but he refused and said I was to tell you to come out."
"Very well," Luke said, "I will see what he has to say," and accompanied Johnson to where Courtright was waiting.
It didn’t take long for Luke to realize that Courtright’s intentions were not peaceful. He carried no olive branch, but rather a brace of pistols. He had come for a fight and wanted to open hostilities immediately.
No words were wasted. Both men drew their pistols simultaneously, but Short’s, as usual, fired first. A bullet from a Colt’s 45-caliber pistol crashed through Courtright’s body. The shock caused him to stagger backward, and Luke fired again and again. By the time Courtright’s lifeless body hit the floor, Luke had shot him five times.
Luke was arrested and taken to the county jail for the night. The next day, he was brought before a justice of the peace, who held him for the grand jury on a nominal bond. The grand jury refused to indict, ruling it a case of justifiable homicide.
This concluded Luke Short’s shooting scrapes, except for a minor gun dispute three years later in Fort Worth, which was not fatal.
I mentioned earlier that Luke lacked education in his youth. Twenty years later, at the time of his death, he was exceptionally well-read. He wrote excellent letters, spoke well, and could quote Shakespeare, Byron, Goldsmith, and Longfellow better than most scholars.
Burning the midnight oil transformed him from a "white Indian" to a courteous gentleman who, at his death twelve years ago, was one of the most well-known and popular sporting men in the country.