By Taylor McClure, Special to The Record – The Record was recently reminded by one of our readers about a criminal case that took place in Sherbrooke in 1913. Known as one of Sherbrooke’s most famous criminals, the case of Harry Thaw took North America by storm.
Born on February 12, 1871 in Allegheny City, Pennsylvania, Harry Thaw grew up in a privileged home but was a troubled child from the get go. He was consistently paranoid as a child and he was always getting into trouble at school due to his angry outbursts. Despite having low grades, his father was able to get him into the University of Pittsburgh to study law where he would turn to alcohol and partying. He would eventually be expelled from the prestigious school for chasing after someone with a shotgun. Following his expulsion, Thaw turned to drugs and started to split his time between Allegheny and New York where he attended Broadway shows. Going to New York was the first step that would lead to Thaw’s eventual incarceration. While spending time in New York, Thaw met respected architect Stanford White. White would become Thaw’s rival as they both had feelings for the same woman: Evelyn Nesbitt. See full story in the Friday, June 14 edition of The Record.
The habeas corpusy case of Harry Thaw
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