The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1909-04-01
STORY OF BOLD MURDER FOR
WHICH SHE WAS EXECUTED

\ 81 0ut UT OOLO OHOGn fOH
WHICH SHE WAS EXECUTED
Auburn. N. Y, March 29.-Mrs. Mary
Farmer is the second woman to meet
death in the electric chair. The crime
for which she vas executed and for
which her husband, James ID. Farmer,
is also under sentence of death, was
the murder of Mrs. Sarah Brennan, a
%neighbor, in he village of Brownsville,
jefferson county, about four miles from
the city of Watertown. on Thursday,
April %. 1908. TIL body Of Mrs. Bren-
nan was found OH the following Mon
day in a trunk owned by Mrs. Farmer
and in her possession. Mrs. Farmer
and her husband We're given separate
trials. and although the evidence was
circumstantial, both We're convicted
and sentenced to be clectrocuted. Mrs.
Farmers counsel attempted at the trial
to establish that she was insane and
irresponsible for the crime, but the
court OF appeales declared that it was
clearly q deliberate and intentional
act" and that there were no circum-
stances that "%mitigated against it's hei-
~nousness."
Mrs. Farmer came to this country
from Ireland in 1900 and worked for u
time as a domestic i'll Binghamton, go
ing from there to Buffalo, where she
married James D. Farmer in 1904.
EARLY in 1905 they moved to Browns
vile, where they remained for a few
months at one of Farmers relatives,
after which they kept boarders il an
adjoining village. In May, 1907, they
moved into q portion of an old building
Brownsville known as Paddy Hill.
Mrs. Brennan and her husband Pat
rick lived in a house near by, which
they had occupied for 20 years and
which was owned by Mrs. Brennan.
Mrs. Farmer became a frequent caller
| aft tho BRENNAN homo and MIRO Toror-
nan occasionally called on the Farmers.
Mrs. Brennan kept the deed to her
property, insurance papers and a saw
ings bank book in e black @oilclotl1
pocketbook in u tin case in her bed
room.
Forged a Deed.
Months before h homicide, in Oc-
tober, 1907, Mrs. Farmer went to a law
yer's office in Watertown, produced a
deed Of the Brennan property and, i'm
! ~personating Mrs. Brennan, had the deed
transferred to James D.. Farmer, sign
Ing the name Sarah Brennan The
deed was returned from the clerks Of
flee to James ID. Farmer on November
26, and on January Z. 1908, Mrs. Farmer
went to another lawyer in WATERFOWL
and a the deed drawn to Peter ].
Farmer. a child who had been born to
them the preceding September 2.
On the day of the crime Mrs. Bren-
mans husband left early for his work
his wife telling him she was going to
visit a dentist in Watertown. Between
8 n 10 o'clock she was seen to leave
her home INC enter the Farmer house.
She was never seen alive again. Early
the same day Mrs. Farmer took her
baby to the home of q neighbor and
left it saying h was going up town.
Between that time and the time Mrs.
Brennan went to the Farmer house,
Mrs. Farmer passed back and forth be-
tween the two houses several times.
Shortly afternoon she went for her
ter of the neighbor to assist her in car
ing for the child.
The girl. upon her arrival, found
Farmer and his wife at lunch and later
he left for h home of his sister, where
he was laying a walk Soon after Mrs.
she returned and told the girl to 70
for her husband. but Farmer refused to
return home. Mrs. Farmer then went
to the sisters home with a package
which proved to be the black oilcloth
pocketbook Of Mrs. Brennan contain
Ing the deeds, insurance N other pa
pers, and said she wanted to leave it
for awhile.
Brennan upon his return from work
that afternoon was unable to get into
his house. The keys which his wife
was in the habit of leaving were not
IA SIlSlE dCCuslOIlcN pace. Wnllc he
was trying to get in he Farmer stand
ing nearby. who remarked:
Brennan. don't you know I bought
this placer" Brennan finally secured q
ladder entered a second story window
and occupied the house that night. The
next morning he went to work as usual.
Order Brennan Out.
Mrs. Farmer that same morning went
to the sisters house. took Mrs. Bren-
mans oilcloth pocketbook from where
it had been hidden in a chair. and with
her husband went to WATERFOWL where
they had an attorney prepare papers
ordering Brennan off the premises,
which were served on him tina 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 then reported the matter to
lae~~Aee @1,.,e ~,,- e,, ..a-e