By Parker Anderson
One of the best known outlaws in Arizona western history, and without question the least deserving of the notoriety, is the female stagecoach robber Pearl Hart. Her story has been told countless times, with very few versions that match each other.
According to interviews that Pearl herself gave, she was born in Ontario, Canada, and came to the American Southwest to flee an abusive husband. She moved around Colorado and other states, eventually winding up in southern Arizona, where she found work in various mining in and around Pinal County and Globe. It was 1899.
Pearl said that while in Globe, she received a telegram that alerted her to the fact that her mother was seriously ill, and that it would be advisable to come home. She did not have the money to make the trip, so after trying to raise funds by working a small mining claim owned by a male friend of hers, Joe Boot, she and Boot decided to rob the Globe to Florence stagecoach and split for Canada as fast as they could.
Later historians would deride these claims by Pearl without offering any proof of their falsity. Many after the fact accounts have contended that Pearl and Joe were bandits, or that they were partners in a brothel, or that Pearl was the leader of an outlaw gang, or, incredibly, that Pearl was a suffragette who robbed the stage to make a statement for women's rights! None of these claims seem to have any documentation behind them, and this author has to wonder if Pearl's own story might be the closest to the truth after all.
All that is known for certain is what happened next. As the Globe stage rounded a lonely bend, the two masked robbers fired their guns in the air and ordered the coach to stop. They robbed the passengers, but did not get very much. After the bandits had ridden off, the stagecoach driver reported the robbery in Florence. Even though Pearl was masked and wearing men's clothes (unheard of for women in 1899), her figure gave her away as a woman. Pearl and Joe, inept as bandits, had not gotten very far when they were caught by the Pinal County Sheriff.
Even though it had just been a third-rate stagecoach robbery, unspectacular even by the criminal standards of the day, the Arizona newspapers had a feeding frenzy over the case. Contrary to what has been seen in latter-day western movies, there simply weren't very many female bandits in America. The national press soon jumped on the bandwagon, and reporters were clamoring for interviews with the suddenly famous female stagecoach robber. Even the New York women's magazine Cosmopolitan (then in its infancy, and much different than it is today) sought out an interview. Since Pearl remains a very prominent figure in pulp western magazines to this day, it can be safely said that the public's fascination with her has never died.
Pearl Hart and Joe Boot were tried and convicted of the robbery, and sent to Yuma Territorial Prison. Contrary to a widely accepted myth, Pearl was not the only woman to do time in Yuma. However, the prison Warden liked the attention she brought to the prison, and accommodated her with a larger than usual cell as well as a few other perks. Joe Boot (whose only known name was almost certainly as alias) managed to escape from the prison in 1901, and was never recaptured or heard of again. It is likely he fled to Mexico and stayed there.
As for Pearl, the prison let her entertain visitors and reporters, and pose for pictures. She was eventually paroled in 1902, and for all intents and purposes, virtually disappeared after that. Some newspaper articles reported that she was planning to appear in a play based on her story, but this seems not to have materialized. I have read numerous, conflicting accounts of her fate, none of which seem to have any more documentation than the other stories of her life. The most popular legend of Pearl's end contends that she later married a farmer in Pinal County and lived quietly under a different name until her death in the early 1950s, staunchly denying she was Pearl Hart. This may be true; it may not be. For those who want solid documentation for their history stories (and I am one of them), the exact date and location of Pearl Hart's death is unknown.
On August 2-4 and 9-11 (call the Museum at 445-3122 or visit sharlothallmuseum.org for exact times and ticket information), Sharlot Hall Museum's Blue Rose Historical Theater is presenting LADY WITH A GUN, a play based on the story of Pearl Hart. In writing the script, I have tried to stay away from the countless bizarre legends that continue to be told about Pearl. I used as source material Pearl's interview with Cosmopolitan, as well as some first-hand newspaper accounts of the story.
The story of Pearl Hart is interesting, and it should be remembered, but I find it undeserving of the legendary status it has obtained. At worst, Pearl was a poor soul who needed money and was desperate. Many historians disagree with me. Come to the play, and decide for yourself.
(Parker Anderson is an active member of Sharlot Hall Museum's Blue Rose Historical Theater)
Our readers' thoughts...
REgarding your article about Pearl... I think you should look at more microfiche newspaper stories of the day. You will find in them quotes of her standing on the train platform when she was brought in by the Sheriff, calling on the women of Arizona to ban together in defiance of the law until they have the right to vote. That is what landed Pearl on the front page and made her famous.
Anonymous
June 16, 2008
Anonymous, eh? That's the problem with the Internet; you can sound off without having to put your name to it. I am still interested in the story of Pearl Hart, and would have been very receptive to any solid data you would have cared to include, but you didn't do that. While I have seen quite a few first-hand accounts of Pearl's story, I haven't seen ALL obviously. What I have seen included nothing of what you say. If you wish to contact me, I am very willing to listen to anything you have to say, but please stop with the anonymous posting.
Parker Anderson
July 26, 2008
Like you I am interested in the true story of Pearl Hart and have not found any of the women's suffrage quotes mentioned by your anonymous commenter.
What I have found is a somewhat spoiled, somewhat vain and very manipulative individual. Not real bright in some areas but not really stupid either.
She seemed very aware that her attractiveness could be used to her advantage but made very poor choices.
When you read her own words in letters she sounds a bit like a spoiled brat honestly. I still find her very interesting and am continuing my research
Dave Cripe
June 15, 2010
Sharlot Hall Museum Photograph Call Number: (t139p). Reuse only by permission.
Many after the fact accounts of Pearl Hart's hold-up have contended that she and Joe Boot were bandits, or that she was a suffragette who robbed a stage to make a statement for women's rights! This staged stage robbery is not Pearl Hart's work, but it demonstrates our romantic notion of the Wild West, of which Hart was a part.