One of Hadleyburg’s Nineteeners, and one of the two richest men in town. Harkness is running a political race against the other wealthiest man, Pinkerton. When the stranger wins the sack of lead coins and reveals his plan to stamp the names of the disgraced Nineteeners onto them, Harkness leans over and asks how much he wants for the coins. He then agrees to pay the stranger $40,000, which the stranger eventually gives to Edward and Mary Richards. Harkness ends up winning his political race by printing Pinkerton’s name on the coins and distributing them throughout Hadleyburg three days before the election.
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“Dr.” Harkness Character Timeline in The Man That Corrupted Hadleyburg
The timeline below shows where the character “Dr.” Harkness appears in The Man That Corrupted Hadleyburg. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Section 3
...the other hand, stand and protest, though one of them remains seated. This is Dr. Harkness, one of the two richest men in Hadleyburg. In this moment, Harkness sees an opportunity...
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Still whispering to the stranger, Harkness says he will come to the man’s hotel at ten the next morning to deliver...
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Section 4
The next morning, Harkness meets the stranger and gives him $40,000. The stranger then goes to Edward and Mary’s...
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...they actually add up to $38,500. More alarmingly, they’re not signed by Stephenson, but by Harkness. They also find a note, written in Stephenson’s handwriting (but unsigned). This letter begins: “I...
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...I were dead, Mary, I wish I were out of it all.” During this period, Harkness wins the election and circulates the lead coins with Pinkerton’s face stamped upon them.
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