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The Infamous Harry Hayward: A True Account of Murder and Mesmerism in Gilded Age Minneapolis
A fascinating tale of seduction, murder, fraud, coercion—and the trial of the “Minneapolis Monster”
On a winter night in 1894, a young woman’s body was found in the middle of a road near Lake Calhoun on the outskirts of Minneapolis. She had been shot through the head. The murder of Kittie Ging, a twenty-nine-year-old dressmaker, was the final act in a melodrama of seduction and betrayal, petty crimes and monstrous deeds that would obsess reporters and their readers across the nation when the man who likely arranged her killing came to trial the following spring. Shawn Francis Peters unravels that sordid, spellbinding story in his account of the trial of Harry Hayward, a serial seducer and schemer whom some deemed a “Svengali,” others a “Machiavelli,” and others a “lunatic” and “man without a soul.” Dubbed “one of the greatest criminals the world has ever seen” by the famed detective William Pinkerton, Harry Hayward was an inveterate and cunning plotter of crimes large and small, dabbling in arson, insurance fraud, counterfeiting, and illegal gambling. His life story, told in full for the first time here, takes us into shadowy corners of the nineteenth century, including mesmerism, psychopathy, spiritualism, yellow journalism, and capital punishment. From the horrible fate of an independent young businesswoman who challenged Victorian mores to the shocking confession of Hayward on the eve of his execution (which, if true, would have made him a serial killer), The Infamous Harry Hayward unfolds a transfixing tale of one of the most notorious criminals in America during the Gilded Age.
On a winter night in 1894, a young woman’s body was found in the middle of a road near Lake Calhoun on the outskirts of Minneapolis. She had been shot through the head. The murder of Kittie Ging, a twenty-nine-year-old dressmaker, was the final act in a melodrama of seduction and betrayal, petty crimes and monstrous deeds that would obsess reporters and their readers across the nation when the man who likely arranged her killing came to trial the following spring. Shawn Francis Peters unravels that sordid, spellbinding story in his account of the trial of Harry Hayward, a serial seducer and schemer whom some deemed a “Svengali,” others a “Machiavelli,” and others a “lunatic” and “man without a soul.” Dubbed “one of the greatest criminals the world has ever seen” by the famed detective William Pinkerton, Harry Hayward was an inveterate and cunning plotter of crimes large and small, dabbling in arson, insurance fraud, counterfeiting, and illegal gambling. His life story, told in full for the first time here, takes us into shadowy corners of the nineteenth century, including mesmerism, psychopathy, spiritualism, yellow journalism, and capital punishment. From the horrible fate of an independent young businesswoman who challenged Victorian mores to the shocking confession of Hayward on the eve of his execution (which, if true, would have made him a serial killer), The Infamous Harry Hayward unfolds a transfixing tale of one of the most notorious criminals in America during the Gilded Age.
280 pages, Paperback
First published April 1, 2018
About the author
Shawn Francis Peters
12 books23 followersAn internationally-recognized expert on religious liberty issues, Shawn Peters has been featured by CNN, PBS, Court TV, Time magazine, The New York Times, and The Wall Street Journal. He is the author of four books and has twice been recognized by the American Society of Legal Writers for outstanding achievement. He currently teaches in the Integrated Liberal Studies Program at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews
March 3, 2022
This is the perfect choice for a university press: a well-written historical account of local interest. Harry Hayward was a narcissist and a psychopath--unaware that human lives had value beyond how they could amuse or serve him. The author has done an excellent job of extracting the story from public records: newspapers, trial transcripts, letters, etc. The narrative style makes the book an easy read, even if the subject matter is repulsive.
Harry, seeing an opportunity to make money, decides to murder a successful businesswoman in Minneapolis. Being a bit of a physical coward (his constant bragging about his physical exploits--lies, in my opinion--proves the point) he wants somebody to do the killing for him. Also, he makes the mistake wealthy psychos usually make of thinking that an intermediary will insulate him from the police. The opposite is true: the police have a much easier time identifying the low-life who did the actual killing, and said low-life (Claus Blixt) has every incentive to reduce his own punishment by implicating Harry. Had Harry killed the woman himself, had he been less of a braggart (he acted as though he were in a Columbo episode--always speculating about who could have done the crime and why,) he would probably have escaped punishment and left a mystery for the ages. Good riddance, Harry, and well-told, Peters.
Harry, seeing an opportunity to make money, decides to murder a successful businesswoman in Minneapolis. Being a bit of a physical coward (his constant bragging about his physical exploits--lies, in my opinion--proves the point) he wants somebody to do the killing for him. Also, he makes the mistake wealthy psychos usually make of thinking that an intermediary will insulate him from the police. The opposite is true: the police have a much easier time identifying the low-life who did the actual killing, and said low-life (Claus Blixt) has every incentive to reduce his own punishment by implicating Harry. Had Harry killed the woman himself, had he been less of a braggart (he acted as though he were in a Columbo episode--always speculating about who could have done the crime and why,) he would probably have escaped punishment and left a mystery for the ages. Good riddance, Harry, and well-told, Peters.
May 31, 2018
Netgalley #40
Many thanks go to Shawn Francis Peters, University of Minnesota Press and Netgalley for the free copy of this book in exchange for my unbiased review.
A well dressed, attractive young woman was found dead on a secluded road on the outskirts of Minneapolis shot in the head. She was an upstanding citizen with her own dressmaking shop and home. No debts, good friends, supportive family. Who would want to hurt her? Harry Hayward, playboy extraordinaire, was charged. What follows is a study of their relationship and the investigation into her death.
I love true crime novels especially ones from the golden age of America before CSI and DNA when investigations included newspaper reporters. This is a prime example. Very well written. It follows a timeline and is narrative form instead of that awful method some historical writers have where they write the whole story in chapter one then wrote filler for the ready of the book. Peters way was perfect. I'm completely satisfied for having added this book to my collection.
Many thanks go to Shawn Francis Peters, University of Minnesota Press and Netgalley for the free copy of this book in exchange for my unbiased review.
A well dressed, attractive young woman was found dead on a secluded road on the outskirts of Minneapolis shot in the head. She was an upstanding citizen with her own dressmaking shop and home. No debts, good friends, supportive family. Who would want to hurt her? Harry Hayward, playboy extraordinaire, was charged. What follows is a study of their relationship and the investigation into her death.
I love true crime novels especially ones from the golden age of America before CSI and DNA when investigations included newspaper reporters. This is a prime example. Very well written. It follows a timeline and is narrative form instead of that awful method some historical writers have where they write the whole story in chapter one then wrote filler for the ready of the book. Peters way was perfect. I'm completely satisfied for having added this book to my collection.
November 21, 2018
I find myself profoundly meh about this book, so much so that I'm having a hard time thinking of anything to say about it. It wasn't a bad book, but it wasn't terribly interesting. (Also, the subtitle, "A True Account of Murder and Mesmerism in Gilded Age Minneapolis," is take a few liberties with the truth. Hayward was BELIEVED to mesmerize people, but there's not a lick of evidence to say he actually DID, and he was not a professional, or even amateur, mesmerist.) Hayward was, as Peters says, a textbook psychopath, charismatic, amoral, reckless, homicidal when bored. He devised an elaborate plot to cheat a young woman named Catherine Ging out of all her money and then kill her and collect on her life-insurance policies. The only really remarkable thing here is that he actually found a catspaw to commit the murder for him--on the mistaken theory that if he didn't pull the trigger himself, he couldn't be convicted of her murder. His second line of defense was to throw all the blame on his brother, and I suppose the other remarkable thing here is the Hawyard family dynamics, where in their parents' eyes the bad brother (and Harry Hayward was clearly a bad man long before he met Kittie Ging) could do no wrong and the good brother could do no right (and a third brother apparently stayed the hell out of it).
Competently written (although badly copy-edited) but without the particular gift for exposition that could make me fascinated by this case.
Competently written (although badly copy-edited) but without the particular gift for exposition that could make me fascinated by this case.
September 30, 2018
This is the true story of the Mpls MN murder of Catherine Ging in December 1894.
Her body in dumped from a carriage near Lake Calhoun with a bullet in her head.
What transpires is an elaborate scheme form Harry Hayward, a man who has Catherine sign over her life insurance policy to him shortly before her death. He then hired Claus Brinxt to drive the carriage and shoot the fatal shot while he has an alibi.
The police are instantly on to him and the book delves into the scheme and the mental state of Harry, who looked at this woman as not a person but a profit.
There a re photos and newspaper articles through out the book. The interviews with Harry while he was imprisoned prior to his hanging could only be compared to Ted Bundy, arrogant and without remorse.
Just prior to him death he confesses to the murders across the US, again without remorse.
Interesting story but sad commentary on the loss of this woman’s life.
Her body in dumped from a carriage near Lake Calhoun with a bullet in her head.
What transpires is an elaborate scheme form Harry Hayward, a man who has Catherine sign over her life insurance policy to him shortly before her death. He then hired Claus Brinxt to drive the carriage and shoot the fatal shot while he has an alibi.
The police are instantly on to him and the book delves into the scheme and the mental state of Harry, who looked at this woman as not a person but a profit.
There a re photos and newspaper articles through out the book. The interviews with Harry while he was imprisoned prior to his hanging could only be compared to Ted Bundy, arrogant and without remorse.
Just prior to him death he confesses to the murders across the US, again without remorse.
Interesting story but sad commentary on the loss of this woman’s life.
August 3, 2018
I've lived in Minnesota my entire life and had never heard of Harry Hayward until this book. I'm sure that my grandparents had heard of him, though! Harry Hayward appears to have had great powers of persuasion. A downright Svengali hypnotist. He seduced, coerced, and/or blackmailed his innocent friends and family. They did his dirty work so that he could enjoy his gambling, carefree life. This included duping Claus Blixt into killing dressmaker and business owner Kitty Ging for him. Harry's parents doted upon him to the point of placing the blame of murder on his brother rather than on their perfect son. He might be categorized as antisocial (which includes histrionic and borderline personality disorders) psychopath (lack empathy, mimic emotions, carefully planning every detail of a crime and often having a contingency plan in place). A cool, calm, meticulous con-artist. If he were alive today, he might be president!
March 20, 2018
As a true crime buff, I enjoyed this book. It was well-written and researched but not too densely layered. It's always interesting to think how different such a case would be handled now with the sophisticated forensics now available.
My thanks to NetGalley for providing me with an eARC in exchange for my honest review.
My thanks to NetGalley for providing me with an eARC in exchange for my honest review.
October 9, 2018
I tried. I can't stick with it. It's too much of a slog.
I live in the Twin Cities metro.
There's a murder, with locations I've been to, and political intrigue.
But, somehow, this is still dull as dirt.
My favorite parts were the old maps and pictures.
I live in the Twin Cities metro.
There's a murder, with locations I've been to, and political intrigue.
But, somehow, this is still dull as dirt.
My favorite parts were the old maps and pictures.
August 24, 2018
While the history and pictures were interesting, the density of details in this book made it a bit of a slog.
September 22, 2018
Drawn Out
I was unimpressed with the book. About a third of the way through it lost my interest when it became, in my opinion, boring.
I was unimpressed with the book. About a third of the way through it lost my interest when it became, in my opinion, boring.
September 9, 2018
Interesting since I live in Minneapolis and many of the places talked about are familiar to me. The story could have told more quickly, it dragged in spots.
September 2, 2018
What it is about the taking of human life that so fascinates us? From at least the time of Edgar Allen Poe’s The Murders in the Rue Morgue (1841) up to the present day, the “whodunit” has proven to be a perennial favorite among the many genres of world literature. Even more riveting to the popular imagination is the real life homicide narrative. The list of books and magazine articles concerning the life and crimes (?) of Lizzie Borden now must number in the thousands.
The answer, whatever it might be, is beyond the scope of this book review. However, the fact that manslaughter grips the emotions and thoughts of the reading public probably ensures healthy sales of this latest study in depravity. For those who prefer the Reader’s Digest condensed books treatment, here it is: Harry Hayward was a late 19th Century Minneapolis career criminal who made his living gambling, carousing, and killing people for their money. Through intimidation and manipulation, just two of the supposedly myriad tools in his kit, he managed to persuade a weak-willed/minded Swedish immigrant by the name of Claus Blixt to murder a well-to-do local dressmaker, one Catherine “Kitty” Ging. Hayward, with a charm offensive, had gotten into the young lady’s good graces, to the point where she had a life insurance policy taken out, making Hayward the beneficiary. Not to spoil anyone’s enjoyment as to how this tale is ultimately told, let’s just say that Blixt spent the rest of his life in Stillwater Prison, and he was the lucky one.
Author Shawn Peters does an excellent job of maintaining the reader’s interest throughout the pages of this compact volume. It begins with a description of the crime itself, then flashes back to trace the trajectory of events, personalities, newspaper headlines, and so forth, the flesh out the story. It is well illustrated with black and white photographs, maps, and sketches. As a professor at the University of Wisconsin – Madison, Peters has a background in law, journalism, and history, all of which serves him well in weaving the many threads that make up this terrible tapestry. Befitting his academic background, Peters provides ample documentation regarding the sources he relied on during his research; appendices titled “Further Reading” and “Bibliography” are self-explanatory. If there is a criticism to be made, it would concern “filler” in the form of side trips to hypnotism, spiritualism, and other Victorian era fads that are, at best, tangential to the main plot line. This reviewer suspects that, because of the thinness of the actual story – a murder is committed, the miscreants responsible are held to account, justice is served – that the book would only be about a third as long if all the popular culture nonsense had been omitted.
Nonetheless, this is a first rate telling of a long forgotten crime and serves as a reminder, along with The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair that Changed America by Erik Larson, that serial killers in this country aren’t new, they just get better press coverage these days.
The answer, whatever it might be, is beyond the scope of this book review. However, the fact that manslaughter grips the emotions and thoughts of the reading public probably ensures healthy sales of this latest study in depravity. For those who prefer the Reader’s Digest condensed books treatment, here it is: Harry Hayward was a late 19th Century Minneapolis career criminal who made his living gambling, carousing, and killing people for their money. Through intimidation and manipulation, just two of the supposedly myriad tools in his kit, he managed to persuade a weak-willed/minded Swedish immigrant by the name of Claus Blixt to murder a well-to-do local dressmaker, one Catherine “Kitty” Ging. Hayward, with a charm offensive, had gotten into the young lady’s good graces, to the point where she had a life insurance policy taken out, making Hayward the beneficiary. Not to spoil anyone’s enjoyment as to how this tale is ultimately told, let’s just say that Blixt spent the rest of his life in Stillwater Prison, and he was the lucky one.
Author Shawn Peters does an excellent job of maintaining the reader’s interest throughout the pages of this compact volume. It begins with a description of the crime itself, then flashes back to trace the trajectory of events, personalities, newspaper headlines, and so forth, the flesh out the story. It is well illustrated with black and white photographs, maps, and sketches. As a professor at the University of Wisconsin – Madison, Peters has a background in law, journalism, and history, all of which serves him well in weaving the many threads that make up this terrible tapestry. Befitting his academic background, Peters provides ample documentation regarding the sources he relied on during his research; appendices titled “Further Reading” and “Bibliography” are self-explanatory. If there is a criticism to be made, it would concern “filler” in the form of side trips to hypnotism, spiritualism, and other Victorian era fads that are, at best, tangential to the main plot line. This reviewer suspects that, because of the thinness of the actual story – a murder is committed, the miscreants responsible are held to account, justice is served – that the book would only be about a third as long if all the popular culture nonsense had been omitted.
Nonetheless, this is a first rate telling of a long forgotten crime and serves as a reminder, along with The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair that Changed America by Erik Larson, that serial killers in this country aren’t new, they just get better press coverage these days.
July 13, 2019
I was looking forward to this book as it seemed intriguing. However I found it slightly boring. A lot of time was spent on the history of Minneapolis and various aspects of the 1880s before really getting to the meat of the plot. Once the plot did focus on Harry Hayward it was still somewhat boring. It took a long time to get interesting to the point I wanted to keep reading and didn't fall asleep. I found the confession in the end to be the most interesting part as well as some of the information in the epilogue.
It was well written and easy to follow. It just didn't have the flow I expected. I thought it would read more like Jack the Ripper stories or even books about other notorious serial killers.
It was well written and easy to follow. It just didn't have the flow I expected. I thought it would read more like Jack the Ripper stories or even books about other notorious serial killers.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 7, 2024
As disturbing as the topic is, I enjoyed this one. Very well documented and researched. Earlier this year I read “The Mesmerist,” which is historical fiction about the murder of Kitty Ging. I knew that Mr. Hayward was a piece of work, but just didn’t realize what a psychopath he was. This work brings everything together, including Hayward’s “confession.” What I really found impressive was how the author went through the numerous newspaper accounts of the events and wove them into the book.
August 27, 2024
The book was, honestly, better than I thought it would be. Sometimes regional, niche tales like this aren't done well - but this was well-written and researched. I also liked the map at the beginning and the numerous photos throughout. This story of an 1890s high-profile murder and murderer held my interest.
May 12, 2026
Peters does a tremendous job telling the story, enriching it with deep context about the era, local history (Minneapolis, MN), and the cultural norms of the time, while also highlighting the national and international fascination the events inspired.
Harry himself is almost unbelievable — a man whose actions and moral character mark him as a true scoundrel.
Harry himself is almost unbelievable — a man whose actions and moral character mark him as a true scoundrel.
December 5, 2018
I had never heard of the murder of Catherine Ging in Minneapolis in 1894 until I started reading this book. It is a well researched book about the facts of the murder, trial, and sentencing of Harry Hayward. This is a must read for people who enjoy reading about history and true crime.
July 22, 2020
Workman-like retelling of a fascinating story from Minneapolis history. Trues to make more of the "mesmerism" than is actually there. Well researched, but never soars in the recounting. A good read if you are interested in the subject.
May 4, 2021
A wonderful read and an incredibly well researched book. Super intriguing background information was provided about the inner workings of 1800s Minnesotans as well as information about their daily lives as this murder and trial were going on.
January 29, 2024
Fascinating true story of one of the most heinous crimes in Minneapolis history (until lately!). Loved learning about late 29th century local history and trying to figure out current locations of long gone places mentioned
January 9, 2019
If you’re a Minneapolitan and are interested in local history, check out this book. It paints a clear portrait of our city at a very different time.
January 6, 2020
Well-written, concise but thorough and eminently readable account of local history.
April 9, 2020
Really interesting book . Not much discussion of mesmerism to be included in the title, but still very good
January 24, 2022
An interesting read about a very interesting person.
March 1, 2025
Rounded up for the local angle/photos.
August 20, 2018
Harry Haywood’s life is examined in this book including his different crimes but discusses his plan to kill a dressmaker for the money he would get from the insurance he had bought in case of her death. He had loaned Catherine Ging large amounts of money to help her with her dressmaking career. Sadly, Harry was a gambler and just couldn’t keep his money on him for long. Harry appeared to be an expert on mesmerism. He would use that skill on people to get his way. Harry was one of the most notorious criminals in Minnesota.
As much as I found the book fascinating, there were times I found it confusing. I did find that the life of Harry interesting as I have never thought that about what happened during the Gilded Age. It is amazing to get a glimpse of history that one doesn’t normally see.
Disclaimer: I received an arc of this book free from the author/publisher from Netgalley. I was not obliged to write a favorable review, or even any review at all. The opinions expressed are strictly my own.
As much as I found the book fascinating, there were times I found it confusing. I did find that the life of Harry interesting as I have never thought that about what happened during the Gilded Age. It is amazing to get a glimpse of history that one doesn’t normally see.
Disclaimer: I received an arc of this book free from the author/publisher from Netgalley. I was not obliged to write a favorable review, or even any review at all. The opinions expressed are strictly my own.
July 15, 2019
It was interesting to read about Minneapolis, the murder, and the press. I thought it had lot of redundancy which made it a long read.
March 14, 2018
Harry Hayward is a local legend in Minneapolis for the plot to murder Kitty Ging but this book does more than tell that story, it gets into a mind of a madman and does so effectively. Highly recommended for true crime and Minnesota history buffs.
September 13, 2018
A fascinating insight into Harry Haywards life and crimes. Shawn Francis Peters does an excellent job of telling the story without making Hayward into any kind of celebrity. I was riveted from page 1 and couldn't put it down.
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May 18, 2019Interesting
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