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Pearl Hart (1871-1956*), aka The Lady Bandit of Arizona, acquired her legend as the last bandit to rob a stagecoach (though she wasn’t–Ben Kuhl was), the only woman ever caught robbing one (also not true, there was Jane Kirkham), and maybe the only person in history to attempt suicide by ingesting talcum powder (this I can’t refute). Though Pearl was raised in a well-off, conservative Canadian family, she had a weakness for bad boys and at seventeen became the spunky appendage to an abusive gambler and his afflicted ilk. In her new surroundings, she became a lively, crossdressing saloon singer who dreamed of moving West.
When a series of disappointments conspired to grant her this wish, it wasn’t quite so sanguine. While working in a coal mine, Pearl met a miner named Boot who agreed to help execute the robbery–her first and last–so that she might be able to cover medical expenses for her ailing mother. 
The two were caught and Pearl was sentenced to five years in jail (she only ended up serving eighteen months) but not before retorting to the judge that “‘I shall not consent to be tried under a law in which my sex had no voice in making.’” When the first jury came back with an acquittal, the judge demanded a new–and all male–jury, and this one capitulated with a sentence.
Pearl’s hardly the first female criminal to possess charm and attract supporters. My question to you is: have you ever empathized with a female criminal? Maybe you didn’t go as far as pleading for a stay of execution–or hey, maybe you did–but maybe you’ve just secretly felt bad for this person. Or maybe you just liked Charlize Theron’s portrayal of Aileen Wuornos (Nick Broomfield’s two documentaries on her are good chasers).
*Various reports claim she either died in obscurity in San Francisco, or that she married a happy rancher and became Pearl Bywater.
Comments (8)
Comment
When I was in the first grade I can remember my teacher telling our class that Julius and Ethel Rosenberg had just been executed and were now dead. Since they were both tried and convicted traitors to our country their trial and executions were news worthy current events. But even at six years old I remember feeling sorry for Mrs. Rosenberg because for one thing it took three electrical shocks for her to finally die whereas it took only one shock to kill her husband Julius. But mostly I felt sorry for her because she was a mom with two young sons and after all these years I still feel the same way.Very tragic!
posted by Melinda on 10-5-2007 at 7:22 pm
After reading Sharon McCrumb’s “The Ballad of Frankie Silver” part of which was based on true events, I felt a lot of sympathy for Frankie Silver. She was the first woman hanged in North Carolina. I learned a lot about our legal system as it was in 1832 and how it played a role in her execution that many felt unfair at the time.
posted by Kate on 10-5-2007 at 9:28 pm
yeah, but sometimes people might take it too easy on criminals just because they’re female too.
even more so if they’re pretty. just look at all these pretty female teachers that get on tv when they have sex with there pre-teen students, but the men have all they can do not to get lynched. lol
our country’s weird. what can you do?
posted by Sue on 10-5-2007 at 10:12 pm
Couple of folks come to mind, but I don’t recall names:
Woman who set her abustive husband on fire - was made into a movie w/Farrah Fawcett, “The Burning Bed”.
Elizabeth Borden allegedly killed her abusive parents (”Lizzie Borden took an axe and gave her father 40 whacks, and when the job was neatly done she gave her mother 41.”) She was finally aquitted of the crime, FWIW. Too late for her, as she was executed for the crime.
I’m with Sue on the cute blonde teachers having sexual relations with their students. Makes me wish I was back in High school. Had a 5th grade teacher I had a crush on, but suspect the feeling wasn’t returned.
posted by Doc on 10-6-2007 at 7:20 am
>>”Elizabeth Borden…was executed for the crime.”
Nope. She was acquited–the jury only needed an hour to come to a decision–and lived another 35 years after to murders. See Wikipedia for an interesting biography.
posted by bcarter3 on 10-6-2007 at 9:46 am
Speaking of Lizzie Borden, I was internet surfing about stuff in Massachusetts and came across a website for Lizzie Borden’s house. It’s a “Bed & Breakfast” now. You can stay there, sleep there, and hear the whole story about her life. Ya wanna spend a night in Lizzie Borden’s house??? I didn’t save the website but you can search for it if you want to.
posted by Tdave on 10-7-2007 at 3:49 am
I have always felt bad for those mothers, wives, daughters, and sisters who are accused of murdering a family member. Even if it is some wacko who pushed her sleeping sons into a lake, I would probably pity her.
Melinda, the Rosenbergs’ story bothers me to no end! Poor Ethel. Poor Julius, too.
I also pitied Mary Read and Anne Bonny. Mary Read died in prison, either of a fever or childbirth, and Anne Bonny reportedly was bought out by her wronged husband.
posted by Allison on 10-7-2007 at 8:54 am
bcarter3:
Thanks for the clarification. I was working from memory, which is getting exponentially more fragile as I age. Too damn lazy or cantankerous to Wiki or google things. :-)
Doc
posted by doc on 10-7-2007 at 3:17 pm