Cowtown’s Western heritage lives through reenactment by KC Jones, reporter

    A gunfight occurred in Fort Worth Feb. 8, right in front of the White Elephant Saloon. But unlike most of the shootings that make the news these days, this gunfight was a re-enactment from 1887.

    Texans are particularly fond of incidents that invoke the spirit of the Wild West, and more than one hundred years ago, Fort Worth was a major stop for weary cowboys herding their cattle on the Chisholm Trail. Lonely cowboys could find what they were looking for at the White Elephant Saloon.

    Back in the 1880s, Luke Short, a friend of Wyatt Earp and Doc Holiday, had an interest in the White Elephant Saloon’s gambling concession. A quiet man with a talent for gambling, Short didn’t take it lightly when a man named Jim Courtright tried to demand protection money from him.

    Short felt very confident he could take care of his saloon without the protection of Courtright.

    T.I. “Longhaired Jim” Court-right was renowned for his skill and speed using guns. He had been a marshal in the New Mexico territory, cleared of murder charges; he was welcomed in Fort Worth as a hero. He opened a detective agency, but was backed by big money investors with interests in other saloons, so he ran a protection racket on the local saloon owners and gambling houses.

    Eventually, the state of affairs between Short and Courtright came to a head. Courtright tried to meet with Short in the White Elephant, but they took the discussion, which was becoming tense, outside.

    The discussion turned into an argument, and as the two walked along the sidewalk, gunfire erupted. When the smoke and dust cleared, Courtright was on the ground with five bullet wounds.

    Newspaper headlines across Texas and the West reported the clash between these legends. Eyewitnesses gave conflicting testimonies: some cried murder; others said self-defense. Short posted a $2,000 bond but was never tried for the killing. Short sold his interest in the saloon and moved to Kansas.

    After his death in 1893, Short’s body was returned to Texas and buried near Courtright’s in Fort Worth’s Oakwood Cemetery.

The right to bear arms has always been an issue close to the heart     of a Texan. In 1887, Short chose to reach for his gun to settle his differences. After Short’s gun blazed, Courtright’s red blood ran across the red bricks of Fort Worth’s dusty main street in front of the White Elephant Saloon.

    Courtright’s death would become legend as one of the last face-to-face shootouts in western history marking the end of an era.

    The re-enactment is held every year on the anniversary of the shooting to entertain as well as educate.

    Quentin McGowen, a local historian, has been playing the part of Luke Short for several years.

     “It’s a look back at that time in history. It’s a chance to teach,” he said.

    Organizers hope that parents explain the lesson that disagreements must be settled by peaceful means, not by reaching for a weapon.

    Although the re-enactment happens only once a year, tourists can visit the White Elephant Saloon and other points of interest associated with Fort Worth history at any time.

    Located at 106 East Exchange Avenue in the Stockyards National Historic District, the White Elephant offers a step back into authentic Old West atmosphere but with traditional live country and western music and dancing.

    Esquire magazine included the saloon in its list of 100 Best Bars in America.

    During April through October, an outdoor, tree-shaded beer garden adjacent to the White Elephant features live music on weekends. Organization and businesses in the area also plan other events throughout the year.