Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1899-12-21
Gilbert Farmer Talks With
Sheriff Reeves About the
Murder of Agnes Willis.
TELLS HOW she WAS KILLED
Pocket In which He Thrust tho Knife
Cut From His Trousers Liuine stain
ed with Blood Connecting Links
in the Details of the Tragedy
Heing Rapidly supplied.

There comes a moment i'm the life of al
most every murderer when he will talk of
his crime This comes sooner with some
criminals than with others and with fow
not at all II came with Gilbert Farmer
at an early hour Thursday morning and
Sheriff Reeves was there at the mcn,nt
Whcn hc was most needed as is his Gus
tom For a short time Farmer lost some
of his wooden attitude and spoke of the
details Of tho crime He had passed "a
bad night tossing upon his narrow couch.
and the bars i'm front Of the little window
of his cell probably had to him a look that
they would be with him for some time
Before breakfast Thursday the sheriff
went NJ stairs to Farmers cell and iu-
quired Of tho prisoner how he had slept
The TWO then had. the following conversa-
ton, the importance of which will easily
be recognized:
"Wol W. found the knife. Gibbic"
'N es. Eddie tod me YOU did. | suppose
mother hated TO give it to you?"
Yes sh" lid hate t. give it up"
81 didn't think she would give it up"
continued Farmer.
Your moth,' feels badly for YOU in this
natter" said the sheriff, but you said
enough TO Chief Smith and me to satisfy
MS that she knew all about the knife. A.
ter tho chief had talked to her until we
saw We could not coax her to give us the
tr .ot' HcI S"v Voui" give US 'll,
bring her down to Jail. nasmuch as she
had told 50 many lies about the crime, and
that she could produce the knife or put
on her things ana come with we. Finally
she said that she had not got the knifa. |
,o" htF We ui"h expect she mad tut she
n,''" "n'r' II was ana II Snc dldnt t,u
~, ""' t"'"7 i" JIl" 9"' thch S"lu
,''' ~ Puu 'Ho hHH' IN nH'i
'"" M" " AWAY "Hr SAL" 80" ana
, NV NJ" Nii'r' ""' HH"'iH 9H' a"n'ti q
.i'"' II W J." an ou'pul'ulnE. toId nor
,t,, ''''t WIZ me ana we ""9iu ma IL az
,,...,i ~, '''' !, T.i'' 9''e '"u "utl'u IT,
,,',. ,,l, 49, '''", ~. VIZ"
,t,,, al az, N'',t "''" "O' '"S i"'t'
vr,s ,i1 49, n,,, ,,,,,. , t i,o j.
IL. am ~ ""i' "i's 'i''l 'i'Gt
,I,o ,i ~ ''' ''-'' an" i'"'"
..(ftor ,,,,t ,h., l.,,tr,. .t.. .,,t 600, ,,,,.,
,.o,l c.,,no "a ,,,, ,,c',..,. ui.t, 49,,
Sin, told ,.,,, mat ~, i.,. A. tt,' ana i
ven cautioned bnr to ,,ut IL ,,h,r, i, ..o,,I5
NOT lac f,,nd SLo ..tiI ,o,, u.,s.h,, .',',.
hands AT ibn hons and th,r ,,,nt rtoht
out and thai thor. was MOOD or tho tnifo
when YOU gave If - her"
81 rold har tn bid. ina l,ire or nm, i
away ana not tell anvbodv had tcan
there" said Farmer .and | went an;
without washing my hand. as kn4v mae
the woman who boards there and some
one with her had passed mo on tho stree,
and that they v.ould rr mo i'm rigbt o-f
for ,hoy weat into a store. dd not want
they should see mo or know I had bon
there. but after ] went GU, / met the
woman and told her / was going back
down street. | then went TO my broth
crs"
At this point in the conversation the
sheriff told Farmer that whatever he said
10 him at the time would not make any
difference with him i'm the ond for there
was enough evidence 10 convict him any
way.
In fact h" was given to understand that
what lac SAID was given voluntarily and
tina il would probably not save him iuany
way This may he an important portion
Of the confession from a legal stasd-
point.
The conversation was then contiOued by
the Shcrin's asking Farmer:
How could YOU cut Az. Willis throat ana
not have a fight with her? knowing her
as well as do think she could handle
YOU My idea is that YOU must have come
up hchjnd her t. do it the way you did,"
Il didn't come up hch0d her" roplicd
the murderer, II was almost in front of
her"
Farmer, as he said this raised his right
hand to his throat and made "a quick
movement i'm imitation of his stroke at
the woman striking ass if almost in front
Of the imaginary object and silently
downward.
"Wcr, YOU having any trouble" asked
the sheriff.
1--WE were fooling." replied Farmer.
"Did she think YOU were going tn in
jLrc hvr?"
81 don't think she did" was the reply.
did YOU strike her more than once"
was the next question.