Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1909-04-02
MRS. FARMER
ELECTR0CUTED;;
SHE C0NFESSES
NEW YORK MURDERESS ADMITS
CRIME BEFORE DEATH, DEcLAR-
ING SPOUSE GUILTLESS.
KILLED MRS. BRENNAN ALONE,
Walks to Chair Murmuring Prayer, the
Second Woman in Empire State
to Be Executed.
PRIEST WATCHES AT DEATH CELL,

AUBURN, N. Y, March 29.-Mur-
muring prayer for her soul, Mrs Mary
Farmer was led to the electric chair in
Auburn prison shortly after o'clock
this morning and executed for the muir
| der of Mrs Sarah Brennan at Brown
vile last April.
The execution of Mrs. Farmer-the
second infliction of the death penalty
on a woman by electrocution IN this
| state-was effected without sensational
incident. Five women, two of whom
were prison attendants, were witnesses
| Father Hickey, spiritual adviser of the
| condemned woman, following the execu-
ton, gave out statement signed by
! Mrs. Farmer, in which she declared
that her husband, James Farmer, was
! entirely innocent and knew nothing of
the crime until after it had been COM
mitted.
Led by Father Hickey and with Mrs.
Dunnlgan and Miss German, who have
attended her constantly since she was
brought to Auburn prison, Mrs. Farmer
walked unfalteringly to the death chair,
her eyes half closed and clasping cruel
fix in her hands. AS she was being
strapped in the chair, Father Hickey
stood at her side and offered prayers
for the dying.
First Shock Is Fatal.
DR.. John Germ, the prison physician,
said that the woman was dead after the
! first shock, but as there was still a trem-
or of muscular reaction, two succeeding
| contacts were given. State Electrician
| Davis said that 1910 volts and ~ am
peres were the strength of the current.
! After Warden Benham had announced
| that the physicians had pronounced Mrs.
Farmer dead, DR.. Edward Spitzka of
! Philadelphia and DR.. Charles Lambert
: of the pathological institute at Wards
island, n. Y, performed the autopsy.
The statement which Mrs. Farmer pre-
| pared yesterday before she was taken
| to the condemned row, was written by
herself and addressed to Father Hickey,
who told her that if she could truthfully
| eXonerate her husband she should do so.
The statement, signed in the presence
! OF notary and dated March %, follows:
| To Rev. J. J. Hickey:
Ny husband James D. Farmer, never
| had any hand in Sarah Brennans death
nor never knew anything about it till the
| trunk was opened. l never told him any
| thing of what had happened. l feel he has
! was not at home the day the affair hap
pened, neither did James D. Farmer ever
! put hand on Sarah Brennan after ner
| death. Again | wish to say as strongly as
| can that my husband, James d. Farmer,
Is entirely innocent of the death, of Sarah
! in any plans that led to it and that he
| knew nothing whatever about it.
NARY H. FARMER.
| Spends Night in Prayer.
All night long the wretched woman
| had prayed within her cell after she babe
| farewell to her husband. Last evening
! the prisoner, her two women attendants,
Father Hickey and Warden Benham
walked from the women's prison to the
gate leading to the mems department,
where a carriage was in waiting. The
drive Of about 100 yards was quickly
over and the woman was placed in the
steel cell in the receiving room and her
husband sent for.
Warden Benham had earlier in the
day placed the five condemned men in
other parts of the prison, and Farmer
was given cell in the old condemned
row where he could not hear the foot
falls of the witnesses on their way to the
place of execution and know that his
wife was about to die
Separated by steel bars and an inter
vening screen, husband and wife spent
their final hour together in quiet con-
verse. The final word between them was
spoken, a last goodbye the weeping
husband returned to his cell and the help
less woman led down the narrow cor
ridor Early this morning Father HEX
ey Joined the watchers at Mrs. Farmers
cell door. In the pale light of the corri-
dor, the woman and priest prayed to-
gether, the last sacrament was admins
afraid to die.
Mrs. Farmer was dressed in q plain
hIacl. waist and skirt. Her hair was
brushed back from her forehead and fell
in two braids.
state Electrician Davis examined the
electric apparatus and then Warden
Rnnham nodded to Capt. Patterson
There was a low knock at the steel door,
n momentary pause and the condemned
uoman was brought in, the priest lead
inc the way Her hands clasped cruel,
fr and she murmured until the end
came: 1 L,-o ,,,orov
on my soul.
bofora fhe straps were adjusted, though
# seemed an interminable period OF time
70 those who sat there.
Current Halls Prayer.
The hand of State Electrician Davis
+racad slow arc with the switch be-
bind tbe curtain A half spoken prayer
was halted as the condemned woman
omnnyuIspd in the leather harness that
Tba first contact lasted a full minute,
tho voltings starting at 1910 and beng
rradually lowered to 200, then raised
again to the full limit OF Io4U golts.
Ar Germ and Dr. Spitzka applied the
Lto+boscoDe to the heart and noted action
on1 AGAIN the current passed through
a. 1yoman's body for a period OF few
Once more the physicians stepped for
I'D and applied the test and for the
+h;rd time the state electrician sent the
current through the body,
mo musicians among the states Wit
nesses were then called upon one af f
another to examine the woman, aIter
VCordpn Rpnha SAID.