Luke Short
In his early days in Kansas Luke became lifelong friends with Wyatt Earp, his brothers and Bat Masterson. According to a biographical sketch penned by Bat, Luke was a small man, five-six and a hundred forty pounds. You wouldn’t think a man that small would have lasted very long in the life-style he lived save for one thing. Luke was fast, with a gun. He was also fearless as we shall see.
Luke and a partner established a ‘trading ranch’ in Dakota Territory, just across the line from an Indian reservation in Nebraska. They had a good business going trading ninety cent bottles of whiskey for ten dollar buffalo robes. The Indian agent wasn’t impressed. He called out the army to round up the whiskey traders.
They got Luke while his partner was away and took him to Sidney Nebraska for transport to trial in Omaha. As it happened Luke’s partner was in Sydney when the whole town turned out to see what sort of desperado needed a cavalry troop to guard him? Luke and his partner, speaking Sioux laid their plan. The train left for Omaha on schedule. Luke was back in Sidney by nightfall, having jumped the train. Did I mention he was fearless?
Luke reached Leadville Colorado in the fall of 1878. Leadville was in the midst of a mining boom and Luke managed to fall in with the wealthy upper-crust of boom town society. He became enamored with the game of faro and, though lacking formal schooling, became good at it. He got into a dispute one night with a man of bad reputation who expected he could mop the floor with the likes of little Short. When the bully went for his gun, Luke beat him to the shot. The bully didn’t die; but his reputation did. Luke’s on the other hand, was born.
In 1881 Wyatt acquired ownership of the gambling concession at the Oriental Saloon in Tombstone. He sent for Luke and Bat Masterson to cash in on the boom town gambling action. Luke got into a dust-up with the notorious gambler gunfighter Charlie Storms.
Masterson, knowing both men, stepped between them and hustled the drunken Storms off to bed. Charlie should have stayed there. Later as Bat and Luke were leaving the Oriental, Storms accosted Luke, drew and got his shirt set on fire when Short shot him through the heart at close range.
Luke left Arizona not long after the Storms incident, leaving the Earp brothers and his new friend, Doc Holiday to the gunfight near the OK Corral. In 1883 Luke formed a partnership with W.H. Harris and another man in ownership of the Long Branch Saloon in Dodge City, Kansas.
Next Week: Dodge City War
Return to Facebook to comment.
Ride easy,
Paul
Luke and a partner established a ‘trading ranch’ in Dakota Territory, just across the line from an Indian reservation in Nebraska. They had a good business going trading ninety cent bottles of whiskey for ten dollar buffalo robes. The Indian agent wasn’t impressed. He called out the army to round up the whiskey traders.
They got Luke while his partner was away and took him to Sidney Nebraska for transport to trial in Omaha. As it happened Luke’s partner was in Sydney when the whole town turned out to see what sort of desperado needed a cavalry troop to guard him? Luke and his partner, speaking Sioux laid their plan. The train left for Omaha on schedule. Luke was back in Sidney by nightfall, having jumped the train. Did I mention he was fearless?
Luke reached Leadville Colorado in the fall of 1878. Leadville was in the midst of a mining boom and Luke managed to fall in with the wealthy upper-crust of boom town society. He became enamored with the game of faro and, though lacking formal schooling, became good at it. He got into a dispute one night with a man of bad reputation who expected he could mop the floor with the likes of little Short. When the bully went for his gun, Luke beat him to the shot. The bully didn’t die; but his reputation did. Luke’s on the other hand, was born.
In 1881 Wyatt acquired ownership of the gambling concession at the Oriental Saloon in Tombstone. He sent for Luke and Bat Masterson to cash in on the boom town gambling action. Luke got into a dust-up with the notorious gambler gunfighter Charlie Storms.
Masterson, knowing both men, stepped between them and hustled the drunken Storms off to bed. Charlie should have stayed there. Later as Bat and Luke were leaving the Oriental, Storms accosted Luke, drew and got his shirt set on fire when Short shot him through the heart at close range.
Luke left Arizona not long after the Storms incident, leaving the Earp brothers and his new friend, Doc Holiday to the gunfight near the OK Corral. In 1883 Luke formed a partnership with W.H. Harris and another man in ownership of the Long Branch Saloon in Dodge City, Kansas.
Next Week: Dodge City War
Return to Facebook to comment.
Ride easy,
Paul
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