Jim Courtright
Encyclopedia
Timothy Isaiah "Longhair Jim" or "Big Jim" Courtright (1848 - February 8, 1887, Fort Worth, Texas
) was an American
lawman, outlaw
and gunfighter.
He was born in Sangamon County
, Illinois
in the spring of 1848, the son of Daniel Courtright. Not much is known about his early life except that he had 4 older sisters and one younger brother. He was also said to have practiced shooting frequently. He enlisted in the Union Army
during the Civil War
, but he had to lie about his age in order to join. He served under General Black-Jack Logan, and took a bullet trying to save his life, earning the General's admiration. He was rootless, and traveled around often until he finally settled in Fort Worth
, Texas
. During his short time there, he was at various times a jailer, city marshal, deputy sheriff, deputy U.S. Marshal, hired killer, private detective and racketeer. During his travels, Courtright had developed a reputation as being fast with a gun.
of Fort Worth
, Texas
, and had to keep peace in the notorious Hells Half Acre section, the town's wild red-light district
. At that time, Fort Worth was a very dangerous place, with altercations between unruly drunks and lawmen being commonplace. On August 25, 1877, Deputy Marshal Columbus Fitzgerald was shot and killed while attempting to break up a street fight. Marshal Courtright shot and killed the suspect in that shooting that same night. On August 2, 1879, Deputy Marshal George White was gunned down by the family of a man arrested for horse theft, and his assailants were sentenced to prison
, although the conviction was later overturned on allegations that White was not a sworn law officer. On October 2, 1884, Deputy Marshal W.T. Wise was killed in Oxford, Mississippi
while attempting to arrest suspects who had committed a murder in Fort Worth. One suspect in Deputy Marshal Wise's murder was executed by hanging, and the other two received prison sentences.
That was the Fort Worth, Texas
that Courtright inherited and which he was tasked with controlling. Although the Hells Half Acre district was known for being the most dangerous area of the city, Courtright seemed to have been in his element, as few crossed him, and most who did were killed by him. During his time there, it is believed that he killed at least five men during altercations and shootouts, including Deputy Marshal Fitzgerald's killer.
He became known for his long hair, and his reputation of using his badge as a matter of convenience. He was believed, during this time, to have taken part in several assassination
s as a part of a protection service he was running. Basically, in the city's most dangerous area, he would offer his protection to business owners, for a price. Most would pay that price, as business owners understood that to decline his services meant that you would make him an enemy. Few who declined survived, and those who did eventually caved in to making payment.
was a gunfighter, gambler and bar owner who had drifted down to Fort Worth from Dodge City, Kansas
. While in Dodge City, Short had dabbled in gambling, and became friends with several other noted old west figures, like Bat Masterson
, Jim Masterson
and Wyatt Earp
, who had also become friends with Courtright. In Fort Worth, he managed the White Elephant, a saloon
/gambling house.
Some claim that Marshal Courtright was running a protection racket at the time, and needed to make an example of Short, who also had a sizable reputation as a gunfighter mostly due to an 1881 gunfight with a gunslinger named Charlie Storms
, at the Oriental Saloon in Tombstone, Arizona
. Most historian
s tend to support the claims that Courtright had previously offered his protection to the White Elephant, and that Short informed him that he didn't need his protection. Whatever the case, the two men did not get along.
On February 8, 1887, at about 8:00pm, Courtright called Luke Short out of the White Elephant. When Short walked outside, both men walked up the street one block, until they were in front of bar and brothel owner Ella Blackwell's Shooting Gallery. According to reports, few words had been spoken, and the two men moved apart facing one another. Words were passed, and evidently Courtright, who had been drinking considerably, had made some indication about Short having a gun. Short assured Courtright he was not armed, although he was, of course.
Short moved slowly toward Courtright, saying that he could have a look himself, at which point he pulled open his vest. Probably mostly for the sake of bystanders and justification, Courtright said loudly "Don't you pull a gun on me."
With that statement, Courtright drew his pistol, but according to reports it hung for just a second on his watch-chain, and in that second Short produced his pistol and fired one shot, which took off Courtright's thumb on his shooting hand. As Courtright attempted to shift his pistol to his other hand, Short fired four more shots in quick succession. Courtright fell backward, and died shortly thereafter.
was posthumous.
Despite Courtright's reputation for strong-arming local businesses with his protection service, he did reduce Fort Worth's murder rate by more than half its previous number during his time there. He built a small force that included himself and two deputies, which would eventually grow into today's Fort Worth, Texas
police force.
Fort Worth, Texas
Fort Worth is the 16th-largest city in the United States of America and the fifth-largest city in the state of Texas. Located in North Central Texas, just southeast of the Texas Panhandle, the city is a cultural gateway into the American West and covers nearly in Tarrant, Parker, Denton, and...
) was an American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
lawman, outlaw
Outlaw
In historical legal systems, an outlaw is declared as outside the protection of the law. In pre-modern societies, this takes the burden of active prosecution of a criminal from the authorities. Instead, the criminal is withdrawn all legal protection, so that anyone is legally empowered to persecute...
and gunfighter.
He was born in Sangamon County
Sangamon County, Illinois
Sangamon County is a county located in the U.S. state of Illinois. According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 197,465, which is an increase of 4.5% from 188,951 in 2000...
, Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
in the spring of 1848, the son of Daniel Courtright. Not much is known about his early life except that he had 4 older sisters and one younger brother. He was also said to have practiced shooting frequently. He enlisted in the Union Army
Union Army
The Union Army was the land force that fought for the Union during the American Civil War. It was also known as the Federal Army, the U.S. Army, the Northern Army and the National Army...
during the Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
, but he had to lie about his age in order to join. He served under General Black-Jack Logan, and took a bullet trying to save his life, earning the General's admiration. He was rootless, and traveled around often until he finally settled in Fort Worth
Fort Worth, Texas
Fort Worth is the 16th-largest city in the United States of America and the fifth-largest city in the state of Texas. Located in North Central Texas, just southeast of the Texas Panhandle, the city is a cultural gateway into the American West and covers nearly in Tarrant, Parker, Denton, and...
, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
. During his short time there, he was at various times a jailer, city marshal, deputy sheriff, deputy U.S. Marshal, hired killer, private detective and racketeer. During his travels, Courtright had developed a reputation as being fast with a gun.
Lawman career
In 1876, he became the first elected MarshalMarshal
Marshal , is a word used in several official titles of various branches of society. The word is an ancient loan word from Old French, cf...
of Fort Worth
Fort Worth, Texas
Fort Worth is the 16th-largest city in the United States of America and the fifth-largest city in the state of Texas. Located in North Central Texas, just southeast of the Texas Panhandle, the city is a cultural gateway into the American West and covers nearly in Tarrant, Parker, Denton, and...
, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
, and had to keep peace in the notorious Hells Half Acre section, the town's wild red-light district
Red-light district
A red-light district is a part of an urban area where there is a concentration of prostitution and sex-oriented businesses, such as sex shops, strip clubs, adult theaters, etc...
. At that time, Fort Worth was a very dangerous place, with altercations between unruly drunks and lawmen being commonplace. On August 25, 1877, Deputy Marshal Columbus Fitzgerald was shot and killed while attempting to break up a street fight. Marshal Courtright shot and killed the suspect in that shooting that same night. On August 2, 1879, Deputy Marshal George White was gunned down by the family of a man arrested for horse theft, and his assailants were sentenced to prison
Prison
A prison is a place in which people are physically confined and, usually, deprived of a range of personal freedoms. Imprisonment or incarceration is a legal penalty that may be imposed by the state for the commission of a crime...
, although the conviction was later overturned on allegations that White was not a sworn law officer. On October 2, 1884, Deputy Marshal W.T. Wise was killed in Oxford, Mississippi
Oxford, Mississippi
Oxford is a city in, and the county seat of, Lafayette County, Mississippi, United States. Founded in 1835, it was named after the British university city of Oxford in hopes of having the state university located there, which it did successfully attract....
while attempting to arrest suspects who had committed a murder in Fort Worth. One suspect in Deputy Marshal Wise's murder was executed by hanging, and the other two received prison sentences.
That was the Fort Worth, Texas
Fort Worth, Texas
Fort Worth is the 16th-largest city in the United States of America and the fifth-largest city in the state of Texas. Located in North Central Texas, just southeast of the Texas Panhandle, the city is a cultural gateway into the American West and covers nearly in Tarrant, Parker, Denton, and...
that Courtright inherited and which he was tasked with controlling. Although the Hells Half Acre district was known for being the most dangerous area of the city, Courtright seemed to have been in his element, as few crossed him, and most who did were killed by him. During his time there, it is believed that he killed at least five men during altercations and shootouts, including Deputy Marshal Fitzgerald's killer.
He became known for his long hair, and his reputation of using his badge as a matter of convenience. He was believed, during this time, to have taken part in several assassination
Assassination
To carry out an assassination is "to murder by a sudden and/or secret attack, often for political reasons." Alternatively, assassination may be defined as "the act of deliberately killing someone, especially a public figure, usually for hire or for political reasons."An assassination may be...
s as a part of a protection service he was running. Basically, in the city's most dangerous area, he would offer his protection to business owners, for a price. Most would pay that price, as business owners understood that to decline his services meant that you would make him an enemy. Few who declined survived, and those who did eventually caved in to making payment.
Courtright vs Short
Luke ShortLuke Short
Western frontiersman Luke L. Short was a noted gunfighter, who had worked as a farmer, cowboy, whiskey peddler, army scout, dispatch rider, gambler and saloon keeper at various times during the four decades of his life.- Early life :...
was a gunfighter, gambler and bar owner who had drifted down to Fort Worth from Dodge City, Kansas
Dodge City, Kansas
Dodge City is a city in, and the county seat of, Ford County, Kansas, United States. Named after nearby Fort Dodge, the city is famous in American culture for its history as a wild frontier town of the Old West. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 27,340.-History:The first settlement of...
. While in Dodge City, Short had dabbled in gambling, and became friends with several other noted old west figures, like Bat Masterson
Bat Masterson
William Barclay "Bat" Masterson was a figure of the American Old West known as a buffalo hunter, U.S. Marshal and Army scout, avid fisherman, gambler, frontier lawman, and sports editor and columnist for the New York Morning Telegraph...
, Jim Masterson
James Masterson
James Masterson, also known as Jim Masterson, was a lawman of the American West and the brother of gunfighters and lawmen Bat Masterson and Ed Masterson.-Lawman career:...
and Wyatt Earp
Wyatt Earp
Wyatt Berry Stapp Earp was an American gambler, investor, and law enforcement officer who served in several Western frontier towns. He was also at different times a farmer, teamster, bouncer, saloon-keeper, miner and boxing referee. However, he was never a drover or cowboy. He is most well known...
, who had also become friends with Courtright. In Fort Worth, he managed the White Elephant, a saloon
Bar (establishment)
A bar is a business establishment that serves alcoholic drinks — beer, wine, liquor, and cocktails — for consumption on the premises.Bars provide stools or chairs that are placed at tables or counters for their patrons. Some bars have entertainment on a stage, such as a live band, comedians, go-go...
/gambling house.
Some claim that Marshal Courtright was running a protection racket at the time, and needed to make an example of Short, who also had a sizable reputation as a gunfighter mostly due to an 1881 gunfight with a gunslinger named Charlie Storms
Charlie Storms
Charlie Storms was a professional gunfighter and gambler of the Old West, who is best known, unfortunately, for having been killed during a gunfight with noted gunman Luke Short, in Tombstone, Arizona....
, at the Oriental Saloon in Tombstone, Arizona
Tombstone, Arizona
Tombstone is a city in Cochise County, Arizona, United States, founded in 1879 by Ed Schieffelin in what was then Pima County, Arizona Territory. It was one of the last wide-open frontier boomtowns in the American Old West. From about 1877 to 1890, the town's mines produced USD $40 to $85 million...
. Most historian
Historian
A historian is a person who studies and writes about the past and is regarded as an authority on it. Historians are concerned with the continuous, methodical narrative and research of past events as relating to the human race; as well as the study of all history in time. If the individual is...
s tend to support the claims that Courtright had previously offered his protection to the White Elephant, and that Short informed him that he didn't need his protection. Whatever the case, the two men did not get along.
On February 8, 1887, at about 8:00pm, Courtright called Luke Short out of the White Elephant. When Short walked outside, both men walked up the street one block, until they were in front of bar and brothel owner Ella Blackwell's Shooting Gallery. According to reports, few words had been spoken, and the two men moved apart facing one another. Words were passed, and evidently Courtright, who had been drinking considerably, had made some indication about Short having a gun. Short assured Courtright he was not armed, although he was, of course.
Short moved slowly toward Courtright, saying that he could have a look himself, at which point he pulled open his vest. Probably mostly for the sake of bystanders and justification, Courtright said loudly "Don't you pull a gun on me."
With that statement, Courtright drew his pistol, but according to reports it hung for just a second on his watch-chain, and in that second Short produced his pistol and fired one shot, which took off Courtright's thumb on his shooting hand. As Courtright attempted to shift his pistol to his other hand, Short fired four more shots in quick succession. Courtright fell backward, and died shortly thereafter.
Aftermath and legacy
Short was placed on trial for the shooting, but it was ruled justified self defense, and that was the end of it. The gunfight would become the story of a famous show-down, due to the notoriety of both men as gunmen, and is what both men would become best known for. Unfortunately for Courtright, that fameCelebrity
A celebrity, also referred to as a celeb in popular culture, is a person who has a prominent profile and commands a great degree of public fascination and influence in day-to-day media...
was posthumous.
Despite Courtright's reputation for strong-arming local businesses with his protection service, he did reduce Fort Worth's murder rate by more than half its previous number during his time there. He built a small force that included himself and two deputies, which would eventually grow into today's Fort Worth, Texas
Fort Worth, Texas
Fort Worth is the 16th-largest city in the United States of America and the fifth-largest city in the state of Texas. Located in North Central Texas, just southeast of the Texas Panhandle, the city is a cultural gateway into the American West and covers nearly in Tarrant, Parker, Denton, and...
police force.