Kingsbury County independent. (DeSmet, Kingsbury County, S.D.) 1894-1929, 1909-04-09
STORY OF BOLD MURDER FOR
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 was executed and for
which her husband. James d. Farmer,
is also under sentence 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 WATERFOWL. on Thursday,
April 23, 1908. The body of Mrs. Bren-
nan was found on the following Mon
day In a trunk owned by Mrs. Farmer
| and in her possession. Mrs. Farmer
and her husband were given separate
trials, and although the evidence was
| circumstantial, both were convicted
and sentenced to be electrocuted. 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 Ii was
Clearly a deliberate and intentional
act and that there were no circum-
| stances that "mitigated against its he'll
nouSneSS."
Mrs. Farmer came to this country
from Ireland in 1900 and worked for a
time as a domestic In Binghamton, go
ing from there to Buffalo. where she
| married James d. Farmer In 1904.
Early In 1908 they moved to Browns
vile, where they remained for a few
| months at one OF Farmers relatives,
after which they kept boarders in an
| adjoining village. In May, 1907. they
moved into a portion of an old building
formerly used as q hotel In a part of
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 q frequent caller
at the Brennan home n Mrs. Bren-
nan occasionally called or the Farmers.
| Mrs. Brennan kept the deed to her
! property, insurance ape and a saw
ings bank book in a black oilcloth
room.
Forged a Deed.
Months before the homicide, in Oc-
| tober, 1907, Mrs. Farmer went to a law
| yer's Office In WATERFOWL, produced a
| deed Of the Brennan property and, m
! ~personating Mrs. Brennan, had the deed
| transferred to James ID. Farmer, sign
ing the name Sarah Brennan" The
| deed was returned from the clerks Of
| flee to James D.. Farmer on November
26. and on January z, 1908, Mrs. Farmer
went to another lawyer in Watertown
| and had the deed drawn to Peter j.
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 WATERFOWL. Between
8 and 10 o'clock she was seen to leave
her home and. enter the Farmer house.
She was never seen alive again. Early
the same day Mrs. Farmer took her
baby to the home of a neighbor and
left it saying she was going up town.
Between that time and the time Mrs.
Brennan went to the Farmer house,
- -wo- 10000 An,ir n~l fA~fh bn
tween the two houses several times.
Shortly afternoon she went for her
baby and arranged for a young daugh-
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 n later
he left for the home OF his sister. where
he was laying a walk. Soon after Mrs.
Farmer went into the Brenna house,
she returned and told the girl to go
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. contain
ing the deeds, insurance and other pa
pers, md said she wanted to leave 1t
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 We're not
In their accustomed place. While he
was trying TO get In he Farmer stand
ing nearby, who remarked:
brennan. don't You know l bought
this placer" Brennan finally secured a
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, too Mrs. Bren-
mans oilcloth pocketbook from where
1t had been hidden In a chair, n with
her husband went to WATERFOWL where
they had an attorney prepare papers
ordering Brennan off the premises,
which were served on him that night.
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
ne used the Farmers well he could stay.
Brennan then reported the matter &c