The Spokane press. [volume] (Spokane, Wash.) 1902-1939, 1908-11-10

A man and woman, husband
and wife, father and mother, James
and Mary Farmer will next month
follow each other to death in the
electric chair in Auburn prison.
For the first time in prison an
nails In America, man and his
wife will, on the same day, pay
the awful price which the state ex-
acts-their blood for the blood
they have shed.
A baby, pretty baby, whose
eyes have been opened to the
bright world little less than two
years, will be orphaned by the
lightning of the law. In an asylum
which the state provides the terri
Bile story of the crime of this
baby boys parents and sOciety's
vengeance will be kept from him
~until-the truth creeps into his
heart. Kindly disposed attendants
at this asylum, who have learned
to love this child, hope that some
childless husband and wife will
come to claim him, change his
name ard forever keep dark his un-
conscious shame.
Crouching in their cells in "mur-
derer's row. only few PAGES
away from the hateful instrument
that is soon to blot out their lives,
James and Mary Farmer sit, list
less and half dumb, with terror
they know not how to utter. They
are hard people. Their lives OF
drudgery and shiftless irresponsi-
bility have marked their faces.
They are Enthusiastically the prison
type. Their dull eyes, their mis-
shapen lips, the very creases in
their faces speak of sin-sick souls.
To pity them one must be tolerant
of human error, considerable Of en-
vironment and hold sympathy for
the weaknesses of their kind.
Death will remove in these two
little that the world will miss, but
death to James and Mary Farmer
holds all the terrors known to the
human breast. They are penitent-
they may find life on the other
side.
The story of the lives of James
and Mary Farmer is story of
poverty and black futility. The
story of their crime Is hideous, a
wretched offspring of their degrade
ton.
In Brownsville, Jefferson county,
they lived in a howell. Sarah Bren-
nan and her husband Patrick
were their next door and envied
neighbors. Patrick and Sarah were
rich, they had money in the bank.
They did not want for things to
eat or things to wear. They owned
their home and, SO the Farmers
envied them.
A year ago Mary Farmer present
ed herself in the Office of the coun-
ty clerk in Watertown. II am Sarah
Brennan" she said, and she fraud
ulently acknowledged a deed, trans
ferring the. Brennan home In
Brownville to James and Mary
Farmer, in consideration OF $2,100.
said to have been paid. Having thus
obtained by fraud legal possession
of the Brennan home, which had
been held In the name of Sarah.
the Farmers plotted to destroy the
life Of Mrs. Brennan and thus OBJ
tain actual possession of the house
and little patch of land they covet-
ed. II was crude and ugly plot
which any but stupid minds would
realize must surely fail.
There is evidence that the Far.
mer's considered failure. for before
they undertook to murder Mrs
Brennan they decided the property
to their infant. At least, then, they
possessed the grace of child love
On April % last neighbors saw
Sarah Brennan cross from her
home to the house occupied by
the Farmers about o'clock. In the
afternoon. She was never seen
alive again.
That evening her husband came
home from the Remington mill al
Brownville and found his house
locked and wondered why his wife
had failed to leave the key behind
the shutter. He decided to take
down the storm door while waiting
when Jim Farmer came to the
fence.
Don't take that down. Don't you
know l own that place now? he
asked.
Brennan was dumbfounded.
Eyes, the place is mine, all right
, bought 1t last October, and you
can see the deed at the county
clerks Office" he declared.
That's funny; my wife never
1yaid anything about It," commented
brennan.
. When Sarah Brennan failed to
come home Patrick became suspi.
cious, especially when Farmer an
nounced that he was tired Of re-