A new Guelph walking tour is bringing a theatrical experience on a storytelling walk to tell the story of the Willam Harvey murders, an infamous crime story of 1889 Guelph.
It's a story so detailed, you wouldn't find it in history books.
Like any city, Guelph has historic stories beyond those you will find in books. Some require a little digging and storyteller Jay Wilson did just that to create the JayWalking Guelph’s The Unfortunate Man Tour for a unique storytelling experience.
Wilson went beyond traditional history books and looked in old newspaper stories to find leads that helped him go further into the story, an idea inspired by a lecturer at the University of Waterloo, Cameron Shelley, whose blog looks at the city’s history through old postcards.
“For some reason, I'm fascinated by this story of William Harvey. It's actually a horrific story. It's a domestic murder/suicide except he doesn't get to kill himself. So we find a little bit more about him which is unusual,” said Wilson.
Harvey, an accountant, was in trouble with the World Publishing Company for embezzling money. He went to Bond’s Hardware in St. George’s Square, purchased a gun, charged it to J. W. Lyon, went home and shot his wife and two daughters. He then took the train to Toronto to kill his son but was arrested right before he could.
But the story isn't as simple as that.
Wilson said the story explores the possibilities of Harvey’s motivation for his family’s murder in a time when the law of not being guilty by reason of insanity didn't exist.
“What happens is, we don't know what motivated him. It happened in 1889, the exact same time that Homewood Retreat was being established. So we have this idea of mental health. It's sort of the first time that we've ever come across the idea. This was sort of a first test case. That law wouldn't have come until a couple of years later,” said Wilson.
“Was he insane or did he do it out of love? He was going to go to prison and he realized his family would go to the poor house and we started to realize what would happen to them.”
Wilson said the story makes you wonder what you would do in order to save your family from suffering.
Harvey was later charged for murder and hanged at the courthouse that same year.
“It happens at such a fascinating time because we're beginning to understand the human mind,” said Wilson.
As a volunteer for the Guelph Art Council and a former director of Backyard Theatre at McCrae House, Wilson uses the storytelling walk as a platform that has a pre-existing set design and sound effects. He creates an opportunity for a theatrical experience with a zero carbon footprint.
“So rather than bringing sets and lights and sounds and all the things we use for theatre, that stuff is already there. I just come and impart a story to you and I leave that memory in your head and when we leave, you’d never know we were there,” said Wilson.
The entire tour takes place on Douglas Street because there are so many references to Harvey's life.
"There's St. George's Church where he was the superintendent of the public school. There's World Publishing Company where he worked for J. W. Lyon. Bond’s Hardware is just across on St. George’s Square so that's where he bought the pistol and across the street is the Wellington country courthouse where he was hanged."
"Douglas street is such a fascinating street too because so many of the buildings are still there."
Tours will take place every Friday of every month from May to Sept. Tickets can be purchased here.
