The Portland daily press., 1880-09-21
THE CORONER's VERDICT.

guilty to the charge of wilful murder, he
equivocated and would give no direct answer
He said he supposed he shot her but he didn't
intend to kill her. He declared that he
couldn't have been in his right mind or he
would never have thought of such thing as
shooting his wife. He said he must have been
out of his mind, or he wouldn't have drunk
any liquor, for he hadn't tasted it for a num-
Der OF years. His whole plea was given in a
whining tone of voice. Upon his own state
ment, which amounted to plea of not guilty,
he was committed to Jail. No bail was al.
lowed.
Yesterday noon Mr.. William E. Miller, Mrs
Fairs father, and Nellie A. Britto, her daugh
ter by her first husband, arrived in this city
from Rockland. Mr.. Miller made the follow
ing statement:
Lizzie, when quite yonng, married man
named Britto, in Rockand. She had by him
two daughters and son. One daughter, Nell
lie and the sou, little boy, are now living
The couple did not get along well together,
and Lizzie left Britto and afterwards procured
a divorce. Farr came to Rockland as cook on
the same vessel with Mr.. Miller and his son
and Mrs. Britto did some washing for him.
Farr knew that Lizzie was divorced woman,
He also knew that she had children. After
being about the city five or six years, he
wanted to marry Lizzie. She went to her
father and asked his advice. He told her that
she had better not marry him, for he didn't
believe she would be happy with him. Mr..
Miller was in straitened circumstances and
Lizzie thought by getting married she would
relieve her fathers burdens. They were ac-
cordingly married. All went we'll for about
year. Then Farr began to abuse his wife and
her children. He seemed to be Jealous of Mel
lie and didn't like to have her about him. He
always drank more or less and often laid in
bed all day to sleep off the effects of nights
debauch. At one time Nellie was sent from
her grandfathers, where she was living with
pot OF beans for her mother. Nellie arrived
before Farr and his wife were up and asked to
be admitted. Farr refused to get up to let her
in, but Mrs. Farr declared that sne might en-
ter. Thereupon Farr caught his wife in his
arms, threw her over the side of the bed and
choked her until she was black in the face. At
one time Nellie was. holding the baby, of
which Farr was the father, and not being
very strong she accidentally dropped the in
FAINT. The child was not hurt, but Farr was
so enraged that he pounded Nellie and beat
her head against the wall until her face was
covered with blood. At one time while he was
having one of his drunken spells, he abused
his wife so fearfully that Mr. Miller, her
father, gave him thrashing. Farr went to
bakers shop and procured a butchers knife
with which he declared that he was going to
kill the old man. So things went on for some
time. Farr still got drunk and finally refused
to support his wife. He wrote her letter tel
ling her that he should no longer provide for
her and that if she wanted anything to eat she
must get it for herself. Soon after she came
to Portland, leaving her children in Rockland
with their grandparents.
The daughter Nellie is about eighteen years
of age. She was greatly excited at the death
of her mother and said that Farr had dis
graced her. She said all the lies which Farr
has told will always cling to her.
Miss Britto had an interview, in the cell
room of the station, with her step-father after
he was remanded by the judge. In this inter-
view, which lasted about fifteen minutes she
poured out upon him her opinion of him as
man and fat her. She reminded him of the
abuse and cruelty he had heaped upon her as
child, and upon her dead mother, to all of
which he only replied in vague denials uttered
in the whimpering tones that characterized
him in the courtroom. Once he lifted up his
crippled hand and said ''there is specimen of
your mothers work. to which she quickly
and sharply replied that it was lie, and he
knew it, and that he knew also how he came
home once and told them all that he had re-
ceived a paralytic shock in the hand.
There is one matter Farr has made an ex-
PLANTATION about to Deputy Marshal Black.
The statement was made that the shots which
killed his wife were fired at the bend of the
stairs. Farr now says that he fired only two
shots on the stairs and neither of them hit his
wife. She ran into Mrs. Robertss room, at
the foot of the stairs, and pushed the door to-
Farr tried to press it open, and made a space
large enough to get his arm through, and fred
a third shot. This shot probably struck his
wife in the eye and she fell where she was
found, the door then falling open. Then Farr
fired the fourth shot at her as she lay on the
floor. This shot struck her in the cheek and
took direction up into the brain.
The remains of Mrs. Farr have been placed
in Eastern cemetery. They will be taken in
charge by Mr.. Miller.
Personal.
General H. M. Plaisted was expected at the
United States Hotel last night. He intended
reaching this city by the midnight Pullman.
Mr.. T. M. Plaisted, of Lincoln, and Charles
A. White, of Gardiner, are at the States.
Rev. Mr.. Hincks and Mr.. F. c. Payson ar
rived at New York in the City of Berlin Satur-
day from Europe, and probably arrived home
yesterday noon.
The many friends of City Treasurer Hersey
will be glad to learn that he is improving rap
idly. The operation for stone, performed a
week ago, proved great success The stone
weighed 225 grains and was crushed by the
operating surgeon.
Samuel B. Waite, who formerly kept a
crockery store in this city, died IN Boston at
the Quincy House Frilay after short illness,
aged 80.
AS the result of the report that the Fusion
lists had carried Maine, New York gentleman
who had given the Republican committee $50
and made arrangements to be absent from the
city on election day, sent to the committee his
check for $4,000 and wrote that he would be at
home to vote. Thousands of Republicans felt
just as he did over the earlier news from
Maine.
The Washington special of the Cincinnati
Commercial says:-"It has leaked out here
through private sources that Ben Butler had
much to do with upsetting things in Maine.
When he went there he took square look at
the situation with his straight eye and circum-
navigated with his revolving eye and conclud-
ed that Maine was his meat. He sent B.
Bradbury to Judge Abbott and other rich
Democrats in Boston to raise the financial
wind and swell the campaign fund. They
would not give cent No. said Ben, those
fellows are opposed to having the Democratic
party larger than the number of the federal
Offices So they won't help us Greenbackers
and Fusionists.' Thereupon he put $4,000
of his own money into the campaign pot, and
the result has been very satisfactory to him.
Gov. Davis is in the city and will visit the
Reform School to-day.
A Queer Fish.
nall E.la;sass saI,ee,,es l.