The New Bloomfield, Pa. times. (New Bloomfield, Pa.) 1877-188?, 1879-08-26

oner's Jury had sat in the case of Fan
ny Layman or Miller, and returned
verdict of wilful murder against some
party or parties unknown.
Two years passed away. Layman
went to London on pleasure or busi-
ness, and as countrymen are won't, Wis
tied the House of Commons. He saw
gentleman coming out of st. Stephens
who attracted his attention. The young
man, Miller, stood before him--there
was no doubt of that. He inquired who
he was, and learned that he was James
Aubrey Seldom member of Parliament
from the North Riding of Yorkshire,
and that this was his first session in the
House.
Layman returned the next day and
watched for the arrival of the members.
In due time Seldom came, and Layman
had good view of him. No doubt re-
mained on his mind as to his being
Miller Layman was in doubt what to
do. He had ESQ pounds in his pocket
book, and he said to himself that he
ought to secure the services of lawyer.
He asked for the Courts, and meeting q
host of lawyers coming out in wig and
gown, he stopped one. This happened
to be none other than the renowned
Brougham, who listened to the man pa
tently. Calling a younger lawyer, he
briefly informed him of the facts, and
he asked Layman to wait where he was
for a moment. The lawyer returned
with a cab, and he and Layman drove
to Bow street. A warrant was procured
and Seldom was arrested.
Now follows the most remarkable part
of the strange narrative.
Seldom denied all knowledge of Lay
man or his family, or that he ever went
by the name of Miller. His hand
writing, however, was shown to cores
pond exactly with that of Miller, and
that of the man who signed "Seldon"
to the scrap of paper found in the Chin
ney of the inn.
Seldon's father was also positively
identified by Layman as the gray-haired
man who thrust him away from the car
riage on the night of Fanny's disappear
ance. A host of witnesses, however,
swore that the elder Seldom was at home
at that time and sick in bed. To crown
all, while Seldom was still under exam
ination, a young man answering Mil
ler's description somewhat, surrendered
himself to the authorities, and confessed
that he was Miller,and had enticed Fan
ny away and murdered her. The ad-
mission of this cold-blooded murder
aroused the Indignation of all who heard
it. He was tried, convicted and sem
fenced to be hanged within forty-eight
hours. At the last moment he was re-
prieved, and his sentence was subse-
quently commuted to banishment for
life.
Layman persisted in his belief to the
very last that Seldom was the real man,
and his conviction was intensified by
what occurred some years later. There
was hunt at Rock Hall, the seat of
| Sir Joseph Rockcliffe, Layman's land
| lord. Seldom was there, and following
the hounds he took a path which no one
| knew but those acquainted with Lay
mans farm. This strengthened the far
mer's belief that Seldom and Miller were
| identical.
But the most confirmatory and dam
ming proof is yet to be given. Inquiry
showed that the man representing him.
self as Miller was pardoned the very day
his sentence of death was commuted to
transportation, and that he was actually
keeping hotel at Richmond, in York
shire, within few miles of the coun-
try seat of the Seldons, and passing un-
der his own name, Marfit. This fact
was ascertained in 1882. The very same
4 year one King was hanged at York
for highway robbery. Before the execu-
ton he made q confession of his crimes,
and among other things admitted that
he was one of the gang who assailed
Layman, near Selby, soon after the
groom with the Seldom family, and
confessed that he was hired to aid two
gypsies in dispatching Layman and
getting rid of his sister. He declined to
say who hired him, but enough escaped
him to show that his employer was the
elder Seldom.
Finally, in 1911, the wife of James
Aubrey Seldom filed bill of divorce
against her husband, asking for a sepa-
rate maintenance. One of the facts set