Over the years this column has offered accounts of various trials in the history of Wellington – for homicide, robbery, and other crimes. Perhaps the most sensational of them all was that of William H. Harvey in 1889, involving embezzlement, murder, and an execution.
Not a great deal is known of Harvey’s background. His father and uncle ran an iron works in England that failed in the early 1870s. Harvey immigrated to Montreal in 1875, where he secured employment with the Dominion Paper Company, and then the Dominion Bolt Company until the latter moved to Toronto in 1881. A year later Harvey showed up in Toronto, asking his former employer for a loan. This he was given, and a couple of weeks later he rejoined the firm, but left when the plant moved to a new location in 1883.
Harvey did not tell his wife Matilda that he was out of work, but she discovered the truth one day when she called at the plant. All who dealt with him agreed that Harvey was well educated and well mannered, and an extremely quiet and guarded man in habit.
Both Harvey and his wife were proud people, and refused assistance. Unable to obtain work, Harvey became increasingly depressed, sometimes pacing the floor most of the night, and refusing food so the family could eat. He was unemployed for more than six months, and the family relied almost exclusively on its 12-year-old son, who was skilled with his hands. He made small ornaments and decorative items, cut from wood with a scroll saw. Those who knew him said that Harvey was never the same after that winter of poverty, which was compounded by the loss of two of his five children through diphtheria.
In the spring of 1884 Harvey secured employment with E.R. Clarkson, a well-established Toronto accountant who specialized in bankruptcies. Clarkson quickly recognized Harvey’s abilities. In 1887, Clarkson sent him to Guelph to sort out the affairs of the World Publishing Company, owned by J.W. Lyon, an American expatriate.
Though largely forgotten today, the World imprint was a famous one in its day. The firm specialized in illustrated biblical subjects, memoirs, and travel books, distributed through networks of door-to-door salesmen across North America, Great Britain, and Australia. Lyon’s staff was small. He contracted for production with outside printers and binders. The Guelph office consisted of a half dozen clerks and bookkeepers.
Lyon himself spent much of his time travelling, and relied heavily on the office staff. A previous head bookkeeper had left the accounts in a mess, and Lyon hired the Clarkson firm to put them in order. He was so satisfied and impressed with Harvey’s work that he offered him the position of accountant and office manager.
Lyon did not hesitate to spend money for good value. He offered Harvey a salary of $25 per week, and allowed him to set his own hours of work. That was double the wage of a skilled workman. It put the Harveys in the upper ranks of Guelph’s middle class. William and Matilda rented a four-bedroom house on the northwest corner of Woolwich and Edwin Streets, one block south of London Road. He assumed his duties at the World Publishing office on Douglas Street in December 1887.
The Harveys soon became involved with St. George’s Anglican Church, and William took on duties as a Sunday school superintendent. Otherwise his life centred entirely on his family. He was often seen walking with one of his daughters. Neighbours believed the Harveys were a close and happy family, but none had a close relationship with them.
William Harvey cultivated no close friends, and refused to say anything of his life before coming to Guelph. His only personal extravagance was a fondness for good cigars. He was a large man, over six feet tall, broad shouldered and weighed close to 200 pounds. He wore a full beard, which was rapidly turning grey. He was in his mid 50s when he came to Guelph, and his bearing and posture suggested that he had a military background. When speaking he struck people as absolutely sincere and honest.
All seemed to be going well in Guelph for the Harveys. But in the spring of 1888 Harvey told his wife that they must economize on household expenditures. Nevertheless, he continued to keep his youngest daughter, Geraldine, in a private school across the street from his house, and to put on lavish birthday parties for members of the family.
J.W. Lyon spent most of 1888 out of town on business trips. He left the office entirely in the hands of Harvey. In March 1889 he was back in Guelph for an extended period. On March 16, he looked over the company books, and noted that they had not been posted for four months. He asked Harvey to bring them up to date at once. Harvey completed the work on March 21 after continual prodding from Lyon.
On Friday evening, March 22, Lyon had time to examine the books without interruption. To his dismay he found a series of false entries, changes, and incorrect additions, going back to April 1888.
The discovery upset Lyon greatly, and he was not a man who was easily shocked. Normally a superb judge of character, Lyon had been convinced of Harvey’s absolute honesty. Adding to Lyon’s dismay was the fact that Harvey had been brought in to clean up the books after a major theft by the previous accountant.
Lyon spent a largely sleepless weekend deciding what to do. On Monday morning he confronted Harvey with his findings, first sending the other employees on various errands so that he and Harvey could discuss the matter in private. Lyon still had difficulty believing that Harvey was capable of embezzlement, and he had hopes that Harvey could explain the discrepancies and apologize for them.
Harvey at first denied that there was any irregularity in the accounts, but under Lyon’s withering stare, he admitted that he had falsified entries, but stated the amount was not much, certainly not over $1,000.
Lyon became angered at Harvey’s reluctance to answer questions fully and directly. He told Harvey to make out a statement of the amounts he had embezzled. By late afternoon Lyon had decided that his only course was to have Harvey arrested.
Lyon spoke to crown attorney Henry Peterson and to Chief Randall of the Guelph police.
He laid two charges of embezzlement, one for $200 in April 1888, and the other listing various sums totalling about $500 from October 1888.
Randall arrested Harvey at the World office in the late afternoon of Monday, March 25. Before leaving the office, Harvey asked to make a phone call to Dr. Stephen Lett, medical director of the Homewood Sanitarium.
The doctor came at once to the office. Chief Randall took his prisoner to the magistrate, and Dr. Lett readily agreed to post bail of $2,000 for Harvey. Harvey’s seemingly close connection to Dr. Lett was never explained.
The magistrate scheduled a preliminary hearing for the charges for the following morning at 11am. William Harvey then went home, acting as if nothing was amiss. Lyon, meanwhile, had a suspicion that Harvey would flee. He went to the Guelph railway stations to watch all the departing trains that evening.
Harvey apparently said nothing of his difficulties to his wife or to his two daughters. The next day would be the most fateful one of his life.
Next week: a multiple homicide, flight to Toronto, and arrest.