Great Falls tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1887-1890, 1888-02-11
HARTT HANGED.
THE SENTENCE OF THE COURT
CARRIED INTO EFFECT TODAY.
The Story of the Crime as Told by Hartt
Himself---Convicted by Three
Montana Juries---Other
News of the Day.


hanged today for the murder of John
Pitts, November 8, 1885, The number of
persons present at the execution was
small, but it was the subject of much
public concern. Hartt was resigned to
his fate, aud had received the ministra-
tions of religion from the Catholic
priests.
Hartt had been found gully three
times of the murder, but in two instances
the verdict was set aside by the courts.
A few days ago Hartt told the story of
the crime. He said:
81 boarded at the Foster House in Elk
horn, and there became acquainted with
Miss Sarah Starkweather, daughter of
Mrs. Pitts, and stepdaug John Pitts,
a miner. [ visited her frequently, and
she became as sister to me, her COM
panionship keeping me out of the
saloons. On the morning of November
Z, 1885, 1 found Sarah Starkweather at
breakfast crying. / asked her what was
matter. She said her stepfather had
deserted her mother. I went TO see Mrs.
Pitts. She told me that Pitts had gone
to Boulder to have me arrested and get a
divorce from her Mrs. Pitts then said:
If a man had talked about me as Pitts
has about you, would cut his legs off :"
"Then," continued Hartt, 81 saddled up
and went to Boulder. / sought Pitts at
various places in Boulder. [ found him
about 10 o'clock in the morning of the
7th of November, at Jerry Smiths saloon.
Not wishing to talk to him before the
men in the saloon, quietly took a
until he came out. Then we had talk
/ told him what his wife had told me and
asked him if he had said that had
lived at Chicago Joe's in Helena (that
being;what Mrs. Pitts had said ne accused
me of.) He said he had not. Then /
asked him if he said had frequented
houses of i'll fame in Bozeman. Here
piled, ''yes, you know you did" denied
it and we had further words, he accusing
me of running his daughter and bringing
disgrace upon the family, ending by Say
ing that hewas going to have me arrested.
Then we parted. [ pondered over the
situation, and became convinced that
must do something to clear my name.
was innocent and knew Pitts had trumped
up these charges simply as pretext for
getting divorce from his wife. Shortly
after, | went to the court house, saw
Pitts there in Wells office, presumed he
was getting out papers for my arrest, and
shot him. My hand shook when [ fired
the first shot, and as he staggered up and
came towards me I shot him again.
felt relieved as soon as had done the
deed, and relying on my innocence of the
crime charged and thinking the charges
justification for the shooting, | at once
gave myself up to an officer"
According to his own account Patrick
John Hartt was native of st. John, New
Brunswick. His age was 25. He went
to sea at the age of Is and migrated from
the ceast to Iowa and thence to Montana.
He was employed by the mining company
in Elkhorn at the time of the murder.
Hartt was short in statue and of rather
light complexion.
little jail yard at the rear of the prison,
around which had been erected high
board fence in order that no view of the
occurrence could be obtained from the
street. The spectators were few. They
included the officers of the law, the
jurymen in the case, the sheriffs of the
respective counties and reporters. Out
side the premises were large crowds, all
bent On viewing