The Lowes made good money with their saloon, until Edward “Red” Beard entered town. He set up a saloon 50 feet from the Lowes' saloon, and the two establishments were soon in hot competition. Friendly at first, tempers flared when a young soldier shot a woman from Red's saloon. In response Red opened fire on the soldiers. They retaliated later that night by burning his saloon down.
As Red rebuilt his saloon, the Lowes profited from his misfortune. Red began to begrudge the Lowes' prosperity. After a day of heavy drinking on 27 October 1873, he looked through the window of his dance hall and, as Joe appeared at the window of his, took a shot at him grazing Joe's neck. A shooting match followed where Joe's shot went wild and passed across the bridge of bartender Billy Anderson's nose, permanently blinding him. A shot fired by Red went wild and hit one of his girls in the stomach.
Later that night, Red took to the streets looking for Joe. Joe shot Red from behind, thus ending the rivalry. He gave himself up to Marshal Mike Meagher, claiming he remembered little of the fight because he was drunk at the time. A short trial ensued where Joe was found not guilty. (Most considered he had done the town more good than harm by getting rid of Red.) However, when Joe was charged for the shooting of Billy Anderson, he and Kate decided to skip the state rather than go on trial.
The Lowes spent some time is Dodge City, but were eventually told to leave. They then traveled to Tombstone, Arizona where they set up a bar and brothel with Big Nose Kate. The facility developed a reputation for ruthlessness, with no rules except that "no man should leave with money in his pockets." Some said the price of the drinks varied with the degree of intoxication, and high rollers might be drugged, robbed and tossed in a gully out back.
Joe Lowe was killed in Denver, Colorado on 11 February 1899 following a row with former policeman, E.A. Kimmel. Kate Lowe disappeared into the pages of history.
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