Who is Harmon Whitney?

In Edgar Lee Masters's opus Spoon River Anthology, each character is sketched out in short first person poems that express how they should be remembered. In the case of Harmon Whitney, it is revealed that he is a tortured soul that used alcohol and sex to help treat what he calls "self-contempt" and "a wounded pride."
Whitney is made out to be a sort of poet, or one who appreciates "the lore of golden years." He is seemingly a provocateur who "[raises] laughs with filthy wit." Whitney idolizes Lord Byron, the eighteenth century poet who was known for his sexual promiscuity. Whitney wishes he could perform a noble act or compose songs like Byron, instead of turning on himself.
Later, it is revealed in the story of Judge Selah Lively that Whitney was one of the men who bullied the judge because of his clothing and size. The judge suggests that it is because of this bullying that he decided to make it difficult for Whitney, likely imposing a harsh sentence upon the man.
It is never blatantly revealed what Whitney did to become a criminal, though his alcoholism, promiscuity, and frequent sexual relations are all suspects.
http://www.blueridgejournal.com/poems/elm-whitney.htm