intrigue 174 P r t L a n d montHL maga ine courtes atLantic oceanside a Pit uLL f a man ir Harry Oakes was a self-made co- nundrum, his personality formed partly by his early years in New England, partly by the hard times he’d ex- perienced as a hard-pan miner, and part- ly by his miraculous transformation from poor prospector to a figure of unimagina- ble wealth and standing. The stocky 5'6" Oakes–once described as a “pit bull of a man”–was gruff and often unpleasant. He didn’t suffer fools or flatterers, nor did he believe in mincing words. And while he made many friends through his charitable works, he was just as much of a genius at making enemies. His son-in-law, Count Alfred “Freddie” de Marigny, referred to Sir Harry as “eccen- tric and complicated…crude and ill-tem- pered,” adding, “Oakes would never look like anyone’s idea of a multimillionaire. He looked like a union boss or a butcher…He bought a title from the British Crown, but he did not find nobility.” Kaitlin McKay, manager of Kirkland Lake’s Museum of Northern History, which is located in Sir Harry’s chateau in Ontario, makes allowances for his abrupt manner. “Yes, Harry was gruff, stern, and cranky, but he gave jobs to more than 1,000 people. He was also very generous, but he preferred to donate things, rather than money, in keeping with people’s needs.” John Marquis, a chronicler of what has been called the “crime of the century,” writes that “Sir Harry was a complex man with a number of personal demons.” On the night of July 7, 1943, those de- mons got very personal indeed. the night in ueSti n A violent tropical storm struck the Baha- mas, drenching Nassau in thick sheets of rain. It was while this tempest was raging that a person or persons brutally slew Sir Harry Oakes. While Eunice and the children trav- eled ahead to Maine to enjoy the cool breezes at “The Willows,” their summer mansion in Bar Harbor, Sir Harry was still wrapping up some business in the Bahamas, rattling around alone in the vast emptiness of Westbourne, except for the servants and a longtime island friend, Harold Christie. Christie, an island in- vestor and would-be real estate mogul, had been staying at Westbourne over- night. According to his own account, he entered Sir Harry’s room early the follow- ing morning to wake him for breakfast, i ht heWill s in . da the e teri r re ains largel the sa e as in arr akess da ut the uilding is n part Atlanti eanside tel and ent enter. e A edr suite at heWill s tel. While unice and the children traveled ahead to Maine to en oy the cool breezes at “ he Willows,” their summer mansion in ar Harbor, Sir Harry was still wrapping up some business in the ahamas, rattling around alone in the vast emptiness of Westbourne.