The Hattiesburg news., 1913-08-01
bogus LORD
SEEKS Freedom
FREDERICK SEYMOUR GIVEN LIFE
TERM FOR MURDER OF j. P.
M'cANN IN 1902.

secure pardon for Frederick A. Sey- |
mour otherwise Lord Darlington" |
who Is serving a life sentence for the {
murder of James P. McCann near this ,
city in 1902, has served to recall to
the public mind this pseudo-nobleman,
whose career is one of the most ro-
mantle in the annals of crime.
The further announcement that
"Barrington's" fight for freedom will /
be based on an allegation that the man
he was convicted of Staying is now
alive in the person of James T. May ,
bray, whose band of swindlers was
broken up by the Federal authorities
several years ago after Maybray and
others had been sent to prison, is
generally regarded as but another IL
lustration of the subtlety and resource
fulness of the bogus lord who is now
behind prison bars.
There are those, however, who be-
lieve that the story is worthy of in
vestigation. 1t is considered a rather
strange coincidence that the three ini-
tials of Maybray should be the same
as those of the alleged murder victim.
Both McCann and Maybray were gam
blers and followers of the races. When
Maybray was arrested and tried in
Iowa little could be learned as to his
past history. And, the strongest point
of all. there were many persons who,
at the time of "Barringtons' arrest,
conviction and condemnation to DEATH
still believed that positive proof was
lacking that Mccain had ever been
killed
There is little doubt that the pre-
vious bad record of Lord Barring
ton" had much to do with his convic-
tion on the murder charge. He was
known in Europe and America as one
Of the most picturesque figures in
"polite" crookdom. for although he
was of lowly origin his speciality OF
passing as a member of the British
peerage went we'll in many cities and
helped him to live without work for
years.
He began his unique sauntre through
the calendar of crime when 7-year
old boy gy setting fire to number OF
cottages near Brighton, England
where he was born. At the age O.
16 he was given sentence of ter
years for burglary, the proceeds o.
which had netted him $4,000. Foul
years later he escaped, deceiving the
police when apprehended by produc
ing pardon which was not discoveret
to be forgery until later
About this time, having previousl.
taken the name of Frederick Syden
ham Burgoyne, he decided it woul
be to his advantage to give himsel
new surrounding by joining tn
army. A year after he enlisted h
forged furlough, fled from the arm
and committed a burglary for whic
he did ten years stretch. He ais
was arrested for the murder of a
army officer, whose valet he had beer
but was released for lack of proof
While in prison he devoted himse
to improving his education. When h
came to America after his release
1891 he was a well polished frau
He posed here as the son of an En-
Iish nobleman of rank and wealtl
AS such he won Miss E. Celestin
Miller. OF Brooklyn, an heiress with
fortune in her own right. With h
bride he had the effrontery to retur
to England and establish himself
a home at Brighton. Soon Stripe
of every penny by her husband, II
unhappy wife returned to AmeriC
with her child, and Darlington" W;
arrested and sent back to prison
serve out an old sentence.
Upon his release he again came
the United States and as Lord Bu
goyne," of the British peerage, wi
received in Philadelphia society. He
he welded Miss Margaret Raffert
also an heiress. After borrowing
large sum from her he disappear'
and was next heard of in st. Lou
as Lord Darlington, In this city
met and married Miss Wilhelmir
Grace Cochran, of independence. low
Miss Cochran later had her marriat
annulled and was instrumental
sending him to prison. One of Il
strangest phases of the case at pre-
ent Is the fact that Miss Cochran
said now to be aiding him in his fig
fol freedom.
The crime for which 'Barringto
is serving life term was commit
just ten years ago. James McCar
the alleged victim. was reckless.
daanI lnar.ilsr ,uanf Nth a osnnrt