Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1909-04-07
WOMAN DIES IN
ELECTRIC CHAIR
MRS. MARY FARMER EXECUTED
IN AUBURN, N. Y.
BIDS HUSBAND GOOD-BY
Second Female to Be Put to Death by
Electricity in the United
States - Killed
Neiqhbor.

Auburn, N. Y, Mar. 29.-Mrs. Mary
Farmer, the second woman in the
United States to die in the electric
chair, paid the death penalty for MUIR
der in Auburn prison this morning.
The current of events and the final
hours of the life of Mrs. Farmer moved
on relentlessly, though dramatically,
after nightfall in the prison.
Brought from the woman's prison
to the receiving cell in the condemned
row Mrs. Farmer babe farewell to her
husband, who is also under death SEN
tence, and then was lodged in cell
that adjoins the execution chamber
there to await the call to the chair.
The husband was taken to another
part of the prison that he might not
hear the tread of the witnesses on
their way to the room of execution or
the march of his wife to her death.
Showed No Signs of Collapse.
Facing death with the dawn the
wretched woman showed no evidence
of collapse, though the last words be-
tween herself and husband, separated
in their parting interval by heavy bars
and an impenetrable screen, were af-
fecting to the two women attendants
and the captain of the guard. AS the
law does not permit 1t, there was no
farewell embrace when the time came
for separation.
After the steel door Of Mrs. Farm
er's cell had closed and James Farmer
weeping, had been led away, the wom-
an fell upon her cot and wept for a
few moments and then began to pray.
Her attendants did not tell her of the
death chair in the next room.
"Mrs Farmer will die good Cath
olic," said Father I. J. Hickey, last
night, land will go to her death
bravely. 1t may be, though, cannot
say positively, that some statement
will be made by Mrs. Farmer to the
public. If so it will not be given out
until after the execution"
Dresses Herself for Death.
By the subdued light that found it's
way into the cell, Mrs. Farmer dressed
last night for her execution. She
clothed herself in a prison gown and
waist, and then carefully arranged her
hair. Early today a woman attend
ant slit the gown and stockings to the
knee so that the electrode could be ap-
piled to the limb. A lock or two of
her hair was clipped from the head in
order to form a perfect contact with
electrodes.
The crime for which she was exc
cuted and for which her husband is
also under sentence of death, was the
murder Of Mrs. Sarah Brennan,
neighbor, in the village Of Brownsville,
Jefferson county, about four miles
from the city of WATERFOWL, on Thurs
day, April %, 1908. The body of Mrs.
Brennan was found on the following
Sunday In a trunk owned by Mrs.
Farmer and in her possession. It was
to gain possession of Mrs. Brennan's
property that the murder was COM
mitted
Tries to Clear Husband.
Mrs. Farmer, it was learned last
night, has made a statement which
she believes will exonerate her hus-
band. Mrs. Farmer prepared the
statement in the presence of a notary
public and Father Hickey, her spir-
itual adviser.
Father Hickey had told the con-
demned woman that if she could truth
fully make any statement that would
e. onerate her husband she should do
so. Mrs. Farmer replied that she had
no desire to make any confession, but
that she would make statement con-
corning the case. 1t was, however, at
the suggestion of Mrs. Farmer that
the notary public was called in.