Morgan County republican. (Versailles, Mo.) 1906-1914, 1909-04-01
THREE SHOCKS WERE APPLIED
AND MARY FARMERS LIFE
IS GONE.
CALM TO THE LAST MOMENT
Second Of Her Sex to Be Electro.
cuted In New York Makes No
complaint-Husband Only
a Few Feet Away.

AuDurH, new .-W half.
closed eyes and muttering pray
ers. Mrs. Mary Farmer walked to the
electric chair In historic Auburn pris.
on at 4 minutes and 80 seconds past
6 o'clock Monday morning and gave
up her life as penalty for the murder
of Sarah Brennan.
While the mystic power sufficient
to move the heaviest freight train or
drive the most ponderous machinery
was racing through the rigid, distend.
cd body. a%nnihilating every vestige of
human life, the husband paced his
cell within a stones throw of the OK.
ecutiOn chamber, condemned to die
In the same chair for completely In
the murder which has been styled by
W courts and the governor as one
Of the most deliberate and brutal In
the criminal annals of the state.
Child a Few Miles Away.
Two score miles away, within sight
OF the scene Of the murder, in the
little village Of Brownsville, an infant
son lay fretting in his crib, uncon-
scious of the Significance of this
dawn.
In a last word to Father Hickey Of
the Holy Family church, who had ad-
ministered to her spiritual needs
throughout the long Incarceration in
the dungeon of the condemned, Mary
Farmer dictated her confession, a per.
f%unctory, brief declaration of her hus.
bands innocence of the crime for
which he stands condemned to die.
Hair Arranged In Braids.
Capt. Marting and Electrician Davis
adjusted the wrist contact straps,
the heavy helmet and mask. To safe
guard an emergency, the hair Of the
condemned was arranged in little
braids, which hung loosely in the
back.
Electrician Davis signaled that all
was In readiness and stepped toward
the switchboard. Warden Benham
nodded his assent to the electrician.
The switch vas jammcd into its
socket at 6:05:3S, and the limp body
jumped into the creaking straps, re.
naming rigid in the distended posi-.
ton while 1,840 volts, ~ amperes, OF
electricity, raced through 1t.
A barely audible moa came from
the lips at the first shock. The con-
tact was maintained until G:OG:4O,
just ! minute and 9 seconds.
Flesh Flushed in Death.
AS the body relaxed into a limp pos
ture with the opening OF the switch,
Prison Physician John Germ advanced
with DR.. Spitzka, the alienist from
Jefferson medical college. Philadel.
phia. and Electrician Davis, to exam
inc the condition of the victim. DR..
Germ slit the waist and applied the
~stethOscOpe to the breast. Attracted
by the flushed condition Of the flesh,
DR.. Germ passed the instrument to
DR.. Spitzka, who manifested intense
interest in the peculiar color.
Slowly, under the examination, the
flush faded and, apparently, at the in
stance OF the Alicnist, Electrician Da.
Wis was signaled to apply a second
contact. The second shock of tho
same power was applied at G:OS:15,
and maintained for s seconds, and a
second examination revealed the body
as wax.
A third shock was applied at
G:11:50 and continued for 3 seconds,
and DR.. Germ again applied the steth.
oscope. Following the examination,
I'LL attending physicians applied tho
instrument. each nodding assent hat
life was extinct.
THE physicians say the oma Ia
dead" announced the warden. DIR.
Germ wishes to announce that the au.
topsy will take place at $40. You
will please return to the office aud
eign the death certificate"
Greed Cause Of Killing.
Mary Farmer killed Mrs. Sarah
Brennan In their little home In the
hamlet OF Hounsfeld, nea Browns
vile. Jefferson county, April 81. 1908.
the cause OF the murder being greed
to obtain possession Of the cottage
home owned by Mrs. Brennan. 1t was
shown at the trial that Mrs. Farmer
In November. 1907. had called at the
office of Francis p. Burns, an attor.
ney, declared that she was Mrs. Bren-
nan and executed a deed to her prop
erty to Mrs. Mary Farmer. Two
weeks later she had this deed trans.
ferred TO her infant son, Peter.