Chicago Luke Short

1 chicago

1.1 boxing promoter
1.2 racing circuit
1.3 last gunfight
1.4 killing man mistake in chicago
1.5 sullivan-corbett heavyweight championship fight (1892)

chicago
boxing promoter

short spent part of each year, 1889 until 1893, in chicago. went there during summer months relief texas heat attend thoroughbred horse races. hattie went him on these extended visits lasted weeks , months. shorts stayed @ leland hotel on michigan avenue. in july 1889, short among party going chicago new orleans in private railway car attend prize fight. short described reporter noted sporting man of fort worth, not interested in fight ... go because friend bat masterson insists on doing so. short explained reporter go anywhere in world bat. short , masterson went new orleans richburg, mississippi, ringside @ john l. sullivan – jake kilrain championship fight on july 8, 1889. bat masterson not there merely observe action; designated timekeeper kilrain. reportedly short, johnny murphy, , twelve other men scattered around ring side in case of emergency. short s return chicago on july 12, 1889 noted several newspapers in city. had returned richburg new enthusiasm boxing, along ambition become boxing promoter.

by end of 1889 chicago aware of short was. daily inter ocean reported short, numbered 1 of prominent figures of richburg battle had cabled charles e. parson davies offering $20,000 have john l. sullivan defend title in championship fight @ fort worth. on january 11, 1890, short decided make match more attractive writing richard k. fox, editor , publisher of national police gazette, @ time sporting man s bible. short stated in letter, quoted in newspaper, ready give both sullivan , challenger $20,000, adding: if [fox] think $25,000 or $30,000 sufficient inducement, bank authorize me give it.

despite short s eagerness success in boxing promotion endeavor, events beyond control continued occur in life. on february 8, 1890, short s father, josiah washington short, died in san angelo, texas, @ ripe age of 78 years , although short learned of father s death after burial. thereafter, short s youngest brother, william b. short, killed @ age of twenty-two herd of stampeding cattle on tankersly ranch.

the racing circuit

the shorts on move during of remained of 1890. on april 24, short @ belle meade sale of thoroughbred race horses in nashville, tennessee, jake johnson. reported jake johnson laid out $20,000 yearlings in belle meade sale ambitious shine on turf. not known if short bought yearling @ belle meade sale, in less year have horses running on tracks in chicago , new york. following belle meade sale, short , johnson left nashville , went memphis watch races. in memphis gambler named charles m. wright. short, johnson, , wright, along other sporting men, partners in memphis faro games. partners won significant amounts of cash, reported thousands of dollars, entrusted wright. designated banker group , supposed place winnings in hotel safe group stayed. reason, wright decided keep cash in hotel room , robbed of entire amount. wright wanted short , other partners bear equal share of loss refused , turned matter on authorities, decided against wright. according later report, wright never satisfied decision , had hard words several of ex-partners on subject since time, particularly short.

following racing circuit occupied of short s time during late spring , summer of 1890. presence of shorts @ saratoga springs, new york, reported in local press. while had enormous success @ racetracks across country, boxing promotion remained unattainable goal short. destined remembered gunfights rather prize fights.

the last gunfight

the long-simmering feud between short , wright reached boiling point in fort worth on december 23, 1890. gunfight took place @ bank saloon , gambling house on main street owned wright. in testimonies presented eyewitnesses, wright conducting gambling in house , short went there close down. after short got patrons evicted @ gunpoint, wright ambushed him shotgun, wounding short in left hip , leg injuring left hand. short retaliated drawing pistol , shooting wright in right wrist, disarming him. both men sluggishly separated ways, short going out meet friends, while wright stayed in building clutching wound.

in describing short s leg wound, local paper said, full charge of buckshot passed through flesh, making tunnel, muscles on outside torn out. wound on left hand resulted in thumb being taken off @ joint. reports of shooting, along updates on short s condition, published in newspapers in several states. paper in hutchinson, kansas observed wounds enough kill common man luke may well. short remain bedridden months. in 1891, chicago newspaper published lengthy profile of short. when discussing gunfight wright, paper reported: supposed @ time short fatally wounded, , recovery wholly due careful nursing of wife, 3 months hardly left bed side. both short , wright indicted , charged assault intent murder. both men made bonds without trouble in sum of $1,000. trial date changed more once, , final decision not reached until march 1, 1892.

nearly killing man mistake in chicago

while awaiting trial date, short free come , go pleased. feeling enough may 21, 1891 board train chicago johnson. going extensive stay, wife accompanied short on trip. racing season begin , johnson , short both owned string of horses running @ washington park in chicago. during several visits chicago, short , hattie stayed @ leland hotel. short accosted in lobby of leland drunken attorney named james j. singleton during late october 1891. according report, short did not have pistol, managed give singleton few kicks knocked him down, , short picked him up, , pushed him out frosty night air. short went upstairs gun in case singleton decided return. while short gone, actor named william f. hoey (1854–1897) walked hotel lobby. actor turned out resemble closely lawyer short had kicked out. short saw hoey, thought singleton, , charged @ him pistol. quick-thinking hotel clerk named ed kennedy jumped between 2 men , prevented homicide. when short realized mistake, apologized actor , treated him drinks , late supper.

the sullivan-corbett heavyweight championship fight (1892)

on march 1, 1892, decision reached in state v luke short. short found guilty of aggravated assault against charles wright, , fine of $150 assessed against him. on september 7, 1892, heavyweight championship fight between john l. sullivan , james j. corbett held @ olympic club in new orleans. short , friend charles bassett @ ringside. there mutual friend bat masterson, acting timekeeper corbett. masterson , short had placed bets on corbett, while bassett bet money on sullivan. gathering @ sullivan-corbett fight last time trio got together.