The Bandit Queen
Women in male fields, criminal edition
In 1899 Cage Springs Canyon, Arizona, a couple held up a stagecoach. The woman had cut her hair short, dressed as a man, and brandished a .38 revolver, ordering the passengers to file out of the coach so she could raid their pockets. She realized how easy this job could be by how the scared men left their revolvers on the seat and followed their instructions.1
This woman went by the name Pearl Hart.
Her life story is the stuff of legends. A blend of facts and lore make her childhood hard to trace. She was born in Ontario Canada, moved to Toronto sometime in her childhood, and left a boarding school at sixteen to elope.
Her husband turned out to be abusive and drug-addicted. She left him and headed west, taking up with a dance hall musician. She frequented brothels and gambling halls, and when her new man went to war, she moved to the mining town of Globe, Arizona. Here, she would have an affair with a drifter named Joe Boot.
Since they were low on cash, Pearl got the wild idea to rob the last of the stagecoaches traveling through the area. Interesting choice, seeing as how neither had any experience as bandits.
They surprised a coach and stole $421 dollars from the terrified men. Pearl felt bad for the passengers and gave each back $1 so they could buy themselves lunch. 2
They weren’t very skilled at bandit work, so they were easy to track down. A sheriff arrested them four days later. The press went wild with the notion of a female robber, and Pearl was happy to oblige. She learned how to spin her story and step into notoriety, hosting photographers and reporters in her cell, while playing up the role of woman criminal.3 Gives Roxy Hart vibes, doesn’t it?
She was so good, she convinced the guards to help her escape. She was caught again, creating even more intrigue.
Her trial was a sensation, with Pearl playing up the demure woman, out to find money to care for her sick mother. She told the court, “I shall not consent to be tried under a law in which my sex had no voice in making.” While this was another attempt at manipulating the jury, her words still ring true—with badass wit. She makes an excellent point that we still struggle with today: How do we operate in a world that is built and upheld by men with the intent purpose on domination and subjugating women?
The jury bought her story, and acquitted both bandits. But the prosecutors couldn’t let it go. They brought another case against them for mail tampering, and had them arrested again.
While her accomplice received a thirty-year sentence, Pearl only received five. Neither would carry out their terms. Joe Boot snagged a prison job doing fieldwork, only to walk off the job one day, never to be heard from again. Pearl was up to her usual antics, making such a sensation that the federal prison in Yuma gave her a private cell with visitation privileges. After eighteen months, Pearl claimed to be pregnant.
The governor didn’t want to deal with explaining how a female inmate ended up pregnant, and he pardoned her on December 19, 1902. Of course, no child materialized, but Pearl Hart was free.
The rest of Pearl’s life is a mystery. Some reports have her hitting the Vaudeville circuit, while others say she traveled with Buffalo Bill’s Wild West show. Many historians claim she settled down with a rancher for a quiet, boring life.
We don’t know, because she dropped off the historical record. Maybe she quit while she was on top. Or maybe, she continued her antics with a bit more secrecy. You decide.
What a ride, Pearl.
Want more badass women in history? Check out my book. Or click below for other ways to support my work
https://www.truewestmagazine.com/article/a-real-woman-bandit/#:~:text=Pearl%20Hart%20was%20famous%20for,’ll%20do%20the%20rest.%E2%80%9D
https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/may-30/pearl-hart-holds-up-an-arizona-stagecoach
https://time.com/4575757/pearl-hart-stagecoach-robber/
That’s another book FOR SURE!
Kerry, Great story telling. A woman after my own boots. Love it all and this: "The governor didn’t want to deal with explaining how a female inmate ended up pregnant, and he pardoned her on December 19, 1902. Of course, no child materialized, but Pearl Hart was free." HA! Well done!