Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1909-04-07


after noon she went for her baby and
arranged for young daughter of the
neighbor to assist her in caring for
the child.
The girl, upon her arrival, found
Farmer and his wife at lunch and lat
where he was laying walk. Soon
after Mrs. Farmer went into the
Brennan house, she returned and told
the girl to go for her husband but
Farmer refused to return home. Mrs.
Farmer then went to the sisters home
the black oilcloth pocketbook of Mrs.
Brennan containing the deeds. insur-
ance and other papers, and said she
wanted 20 leave it for a while
Brennan upon his return from work
that afternoon was unable to get into
was in the habit of leaving were not
in their accustomed place. While
he was trying to get in he saw Farm
er standing nearby who remarked:
Brennan, don't you know l bought
this placer" Brennan finally Sc
cured ladder, entered a second
story window and occupied the house
that night. The next morning he
went to work as usual.
Mrs. Farmer that same morning
went to the sisters house, took Mrs.
Brennan's oilcloth pocketbook from
where it had been hidden in chair,
and with her husband went to Water
town where they had an attorney
prepare papers ordering Brennan off
the premises, which were served on
him that night.
Brennan went to WATERFOWL and
made inquiries for his wife but failed
to find her and Saturday morning left
for his work as usual after spending
the night in the house. He returned
home, however, later and found Mrs.
Farmer and her husband occupying
the house. Mrs. Farmer told him
that so long as he used the Farmers
well he could stay. Brennan reported
the matter to the district attorneys
Office and engaged a constable to
search for his wife.
The Farmers, in the meantime, with
others who were induced to help by
free access to ale which was furn-
ished, commenced moving their goods
to the Brennan house. In one of the
back rooms was a large black trunk
which Mrs. Farmer asked one of the
men to tie with rope. Mrs. Farm
er lifted the ends of the trunk while
a clothes line was wrapped around it
and tied securely. Mrs. Farmer
said "she had stuff in there she didn't
want broken and had two men carry
it to the Brennan house while she
walked along and directed where it
should be placed in a back room
where other things we're piled
upon it. She then proceeded to do
some washing.
When the constable, who had been
employed by Brennan went to the
house and asked where Mrs. Brennan
was, Mrs. Farmer told him she had
gone to Watertown to get her teeth
| fixed" She sent for the parish priest,
| told him a similar story and had him
bless the home.
| On the following Monday the sher-
| iff with several others again visited
the Farmers and asked Mrs. Faremr
to produce the deeds, and after some
| delay she pulled the black oilcloth
| envelope from a cradle and showed
the papers. Then search of the
| house was begun. Inquiry was made
in regard to the trund tied with a
clothes line whereupon Mrs. Farmer
denied that she owned it, saying it be-
| longed to her husband and he with an
| oath said it did not belong to him. The
rope was removed the lock broken
and in the trunk the sheriff found the
body of Mrs. Brennan fully dressed
The head and face were horribly NUT
Hated by many blows from a blunt
instrument but the body was not in
jured. The turban hat which the
woman wore was missing, but the
burned wire framework of hat SIM
Mrs. Farmers stove.
Mrs. Farmer and her husband were
arrested charged with the crime
which the woman at first stoutly de-
| MED. Then she stated that Mrs.
Brennan was in her house and stood
by the door looking out of the win
dow and that she stepped up behind
her and hit her with an axe. Suisse
quently she said to the sheriff that
she had not told the truth; and that
Jim" did it. She said Mrs. Bren-
nan had been with her uptown and
that when they came back Jim
was angry because she had left her
baby at neighbours. She said she
then went for the baby and on her
return "Jim" was putting the body in
the trunk.
AT the Jail Mrs. Farmer made an
other statement in which she said
that Mrs. Brennan came to her house
and said she was not feeling well.
She said that Mrs. Brennan said she
would give anything if she would
take taht old axe that laid there and
knock her brains out; and l said all
right. here she goes, I takes the axe