Tales of the “Wayland Murderess” set to be published March 10th, 2026
From the author of “Murder and Mayhem in the Finger Lakes”
From Arcadia Publishing,
Charleston, SC—Arcadia Publishing is pleased to announce the publication of Murder in Steuben County, a new history of the area by author R. Marcin.
About the Book
Since the hanging of Robert Douglass in 1825, the county has been the center of a series of murders that resulted in controversial outcomes. Seaman Simons, part of an alleged love triangle, cheated his death sentence after killing his rival. The “Wayland Murderess” Mary Hess inexplicably shot her neighbor and brother within minutes of each other. David Dunn became the only person from the county to die in Auburn Prison’s electric chair, and Hugh Bray’s delusions about a young man breaking up his landlord’s home climaxed in a fatal scene. R. Marcin, author of Murder and Mayhem in the Finger Lakes, presents a century of this picturesque county’s darkest history.
About the Author
R. Marcin, a resident of the Finger Lakes region, studied languages at Elmira College and has a master’s degree in French literature from the State University of New York at Binghamton. Her work has appeared in Bluff & Vine, the Watkins Review & Express and The Observer. She is the author of Murder & Mayhem in the Finger Lakes (The History Press, 2020).
About Arcadia Publishing: The History Press is an imprint of Arcadia Publishing
Arcadia Publishing is the nation’s leading publisher of books of local nonfiction and rarely explored pockets of history. Our mission is to connect people with their past, with their communities and with one another. Arcadia has a catalog of thousands of titles exploring the story of America one city, state, or county at a time.
