William H. Harris, whom Short had met in Tombstone a few months earlier, gave Luke a job as a faro dealer at the Long Branch Saloon in Dodge City, Kansas.

On April 28, 1883 three prostitutes employed at the Long Branch were arrested by City Marshal Jack Bridges and policeman Louis C. Hartman.

The Ford County Globe reported: “It was claimed by the proprietors that partiality was shown in arresting [the] women in their house when two were allowed to remain in A.

B. Webster’s saloon, one at Heinz & Kramer’s, two at Nelson Cary’s, and a whole herd of them at Bond & Nixon’s dance hall.” The paper suggested that if the owners' claim was true, “it would be most natural for them to think so and give expression to their feelings.”[3] That evening Short and Hartman got into a gunfight.

[5] Short told the Globe, "their policeman attempted to assassinate me and I had him arrested for it and had plenty of evidence to have convicted him, but before it came to trial they had organized a vigilance committee and made me leave, so that I could not appear against him.

Upon learning the details of how Luke and five others had been forced out of town using extra-judicial means, told Sheriff George T. Hinkel, this action “simply shows that the mayor is unfit for his place, that he does not do his duty, and instead of occupying the position of peace maker, the man whose duty it is to see that the ordinances are enforced by legal process in the courts, starts out to head a mob to drive people away from their homes and their business.” Glick arranged a 10-day cooling off period to allow Short to return to Dodge and sell the saloon.

Thirteen men published a statement in the Topeka Daily Capital on May 18, in which they said that if Short overstayed the 10 days, they "would not be responsible for any personal safety.

[8] Mayor Deger's action during the height of the seasonal cattle drive boom would ruin the saloon's and related company's business.

Governor Glick and the Santa Fe Railroad, which did considerable business in Dodge, urged the mayor to quickly resolve the conflict.

Seeking to avoid a confrontation with the deputized gunmen, and under pressure from Governor Glick and the Santa Fe Railroad, the mayor and city council backed down.