Fort Worth Luke Short

1 fort worth

1.1 partnership in white elephant saloon
1.2 sporting pursuits
1.3 selling interest in white elephant
1.4 duel jim courtright
1.5 marriage hattie buck
1.6 horse racing , palais royal

fort worth
partnership in white elephant saloon

in december 1884, jacob christopher jake johnson, short, , james a. alex reddick became new owners of fort worth white elephant saloon. several other investors owned shares, including sam berliner , former dodge city peace commissioner , michael francis frank mclean. new partnership announced in fort worth daily gazette on december 16, 1884: white elephant saloon has changed hands. messrs. g. burgower , nath bernstein selling out interest messrs. jake johnson , luke short . jake johnson 1 of wealthiest men in texas, , part ownership of white elephant 1 of many business , real estate enterprises. co-owner, short did not deal cards had card dealers working him.

on may 9, 1885, in became routine element of doing business, short, jake johnson, , m.f. frank mclean , 3 others pleaded guilty , each fined $25 gaming. late in 1885 or in 1886, jake johnson sold share of white elephant john l. ward, , in may 1886, alex reddick sold share william h. ward, john ward s brother.

it around time in forth worth when short did 1 of amazing acts of marksmanship. while dining in restaurant, waiter handed him glass of milk had small fly treading on surface. short calmly threw milk in air, jerked gun , shot fly.

sporting pursuits

bat masterson boxing enthusiast , tried interest short in sport. @ first short indifferent, june 28, 1885, found himself acting third man in ring when called upon referee match fought near weatherford, texas between 6-foot-2-inch kid bridges , 5-foot-8-inch st. joe kid. decision of referee short st. joe kid won on foul.

jake johnson responsible making horse racing major part of short s sporting agenda. johnson , 2 partners opened fort worth driving park in january 1885. short bought own race horse named tobe, along jockey silks himself, , drove two-wheeled sulky in race held on november 13, 1886. short , tobe came in last in field of five.

selling interest in white elephant

1887 began short s younger brother, henry jenkins short, killing man named charles t. schuyler @ san angelo, texas on january 23. san angelo, 200 miles south-west of fort worth, town short s parents , other family members lived. initial reports indicated schuyler shot twice, bullets entering , coming out @ front, either 1 of have been fatal. henry short fled fort worth, before arrested, enlist aid , funds brother luke provide defense. luke , henry returned san angelo on january 29, , henry voluntarily surrendered sheriff , gave bond appearance in district court. money needed defend henry short have provided luke, had put money henry s bond. in addition, luke had @ time unrelated expensive legal problems of own looming in dallas court. amount needed handle of these legal issues more luke had on hand. in order raise needed funds, johnson agreed purchase luke short s one-third interest in white elephant on february 7, 1887. press informed public short had no intention of leaving town continue call fort worth home.

one historian has suggested short s selling interest in white elephant prompted problems short having timothy isaiah jim courtright, former marshal of fort worth, reportedly offered protection saloon , gambling house owners. short not intimidated , refused, saying provide protection saloon needed. irritated courtright, felt necessary show short happen if services declined. has been suggested short needed money start fresh in town not have worry courtright, had reputation excellent gunman. in reality, raising money needed brother s legal defense, funds needed own legal problems in dallas, short s top priorities. jake johnson assured source kind of cash needed, , had no interest in again being partner in white elephant, short needed johnson agreed buy short s share.

duel jim courtright

timothy isaiah jim courtright. photograph taken between april 6, 1876 , april 6, 1879, when courtright town marshal of fort worth, texas.

on night of february 8, 1887, argument broke out again between luke short , jim courtright. latter trying force protection racket on short s white elephant saloon luke rejected offer. infuriated courtright stormed off saloon, later returned 2 pistols visibly holstered in belt. yelled luke short come out jake johnson, friend of both men, managed calm courtright down can talk argument instead. luke short met 2 men outside , walked in street while talking dispute. group however, stopped @ ella blackwell’s shooting gallery. luke short facing courtright 3 4 feet apart when latter went pistol, making former draw own in return. in celebrated gunfight followed, short last man standing. in own words, short described happened:

early in evening getting shoes blackened @ white elephant, when friend of mine asked me if there trouble between courtright , myself, , told him there nothing. few minutes later @ bar couple of friends when 1 called me. went out vestibule , saw jim courtright , jake johnson. jake , had talked little while evening on subject in jim s name mentioned, no idea of difficulty entertained. walked out them upon sidewalk, , had quiet talk on private affairs. reminded him of past transactions, not in abusive or reproachful manner, assented, not in cordial way. standing thumbs in armholes of vest , had dropped them in front of me adjust clothing, when remarked well, needn t reach gun, , put hand in hip-pocket , pulled his. when saw him that, pulled pistol , began shooting, knew action meant death. must have misconstrued intention in dropping hands before me. merely adjusting clothing, , never carry pistol in part of dress.

the showdown witnessed bat masterson luke short @ time. in 1907, masterson published own account of events stated jim courtright, carrying brace of pistols , challenged luke short duel:

no time wasted in exchange of words once men faced each other. both drew pistols @ same time, but, usual, short s spoke first , bullet colt s 45-calibre pistol went crashing through courtright s body. shock caused him reel backward; got , still another, , time lifeless form had reached floor, luke had succeeded in shooting him 5 times.

investigations of gunfight concluded while courtright went pistol first, short outdrew , killed him. courtright s inability fire off shot due number of possible reasons; 1 pistol got caught on watch chain second drew it, , pistol broke when 1 of short s bullets struck , thumb.

the gunfight became known due notoriety of both men courtright s funeral being attended hundreds of fort worth residents. short arrested shooting , though lynched after shootout, never brought trial. 9 days after buying out short s one-third interest in white elephant, jake johnson sold william h. ward. finally, short able settle legal problems court in dallas. of cases against him dismissed no explanation.

marriage hattie buck

following resolution of legal problems, short financially stable. traveled kansas, married hattie buck (born october 5, 1863) in oswego, kansas, on march 15, 1887. harriet beatrice buck born in coles county, illinois on october 5, 1863. fourth of 8 children born between 1858 , 1878. buck s family later moved emporia, kansas, father died few years prior marriage. short , wife went fort worth, texas shortly after wedding boarded train brief stay in hot springs. a.g. arkwright later recalled, luke short came there, hotel staying, wife, beautiful , accomplished daughter of emporia banker, whom married under romantic circumstances.

the couple remained in hot springs 2 months, , in may returned fort worth 11 days before leaving town again kansas city, arrived on june 8. local paper reported short made appearance in city morning. on june 15, 1887, shorts attended wedding of william h. harris in new york. harris , short both had interest in horse racing. short , hattie followed racing circuit saratoga springs, new york. reporter albany described short quiet little man whom had met @ monmouth race track few days before. reporter wrote short accompanied wife , doing racing circuit.

horse racing , palais royal

doing racing circuit large part of short s career sporting man. , friend, jake johnson, along wives, attended inaugural running of futurity stakes on labor day 1888. event held in new york @ sheepshead bay racetrack on coney island. according new york times, one-quarter of in attendance women. 2 of women mrs. jake johnson , mrs. luke short. october 1888, short , johnson in fort worth. short no longer connected white elephant, , johnson had decided open local paper headlined super resort called palais royal, designed rival white elephant. short may have been part owner remained silent partner.