Albuquerque citizen. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1907-1909, 1909-03-29
THOUSAND VOLTS
cur SHORT PRAYER
She Said Goodbye to Husband
Spent the Night in Prayer
and Died With an
Appeal for Mercy
on Her Lips.

Auburn, y Y. March 29-Mrs.
Mary Farmer was electrocuted in the
state prison at els O'Clock this
morning for the murder of Mrs. Sar-
ah Brennan at BrownvilIe, N. t.,
April 23, 1908. Murmuring a prayer
for her soul, with her eyes half clos
ed and with a crucifix in her hands,
Mrs. Farmer was quietly led to the
electric chair, strapped down. he
electrodes applied, and a nom mt
later current of 1,S4O volts passed
through her body. DR.. John Germ,
the prison physician, said that the
woman was dead after the first shock
but two more contacts were given.
Following the execution. Father
Hickey, the spiritual adviser of tne
condemned woman, gave out state
ment signed by Mrs. Farmer in which
she asserted that her husband j. d.
Farmer, now awaiting execution for
participation in the murder, was en-
tlrely innocent and knew nothing of
the crime until it had been COM
mitted
Five women, two of whom were
prison attendants, were witnesses of
the execution. Mrs. Dunnigan and
Mrs. German, who have attended
Mrs. Farmer constantly since she was
brought to Auburn, accompanied ner
in the walk to the death chair
Separated by steel bars and
screen the husband and wife spent
their final hour together last night
in quiet conversation. The weeping
husband was then led back to his cell
and the haples5 woman was led down
a narrow, corridor to ner own cell,
where she spent the night in prayer
Early this morning Father Hiekey
Joined the watchers at the cell door
In the pale ochrc light of the corri-
dor the woman and priest prayed to-
gether. The last sacrament was ad-
ministered and then Mrs Farmer
made her final statement.
II am not afraid to die" she said.
When all was in readiness the wit
ucsses were taken TO the death
chamber and seated The .dynamos
were tested by state Electrician Da
Wis and found to be in good working
order.
Warden Denham nodded to Cap
tain Patterson. There was low
knock at the steel door, the door was
opened and the wretched woman
was led in. Her hands clasped a
crucifix and she murmured until the
end came:
Jesus. Mary and Joseph have
mercy on my soul"
II was only "a few seconds before
the straps were adjusted, the rubber
mask placed over her eyes and the
head and leg electrodes attached.
The hand of Electrician Davis traced
a slow arch with the switch behind
a curtain.
The half spoken prayer was halted
as the condemned woman convulsed
in the leather harness that bound
her 10 the chair The woman at
tendant covered her face with her
hands. only the clicking of the
tightening straps and the murmer Of
the dynamos in the adjoining room
could be heard.
The first contact lasted full min
ute. Twice again 1t was applied and
the physicians pronounced the wo-
man dead. The body was then re-
moved to the autopsy room, the wit
ness sheet was signed in the war
den's office, a file Of witnesses, un-
strung and nervous, passed out from
the main prison gate and the official
proceedings of Mary Farmers execu-
tion were over.
story of the Crime.
Mrs. Mary Farmer is the second
woman to meet death in the electric
chair. The crime for which she was
executed and for which her husband,
James d. Farmer. is also under sem
tence Of death, was the murder of
Mrs Sarah Brennan, a neighbor, in
the village of Brownsville, Jefferson
county, about four miles from the
city of Watertown, on Thursday, |
April 23, 1908. The body of Mrs !