The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-03-30
PENALTY
tco.u.ses from Page One,

PENALTY | (Continned from Page OneD
 and for which her husband. James D. Farmer. Is also under sentence of death. was the murder of Mrs. Sarah Brennan. neighbor, in the village of I Brownville. Jefferson County. about four miles from the city of watertown. On Thrusday. April 2s. 1908. The body I or Mrs. Brennan was found on the following Monday in a trunk owned by Mrs. Farmer and in her possession. Mrs. FarmeS and her husband were given separate trials. and although the ] evidence was circumstantial. both were convicted and sentenced to be electro | cuted. Mrs. Farmers counsel at- tempted at the trial to establish that | she was insane and irresponsible for the crime but the Court of Appeals de- l clared that 1t was clearly a 'deliber- ate and intentional act" and that thore | was no circumstances that "mitigated against It's heinousness
 | Native of Ireland. Mrs. Farmer came to this country from Ireland fin 1900 and worked for | time as a domestic in Binghamton. 1 going from there to Buffalo, where she married James D. Farmer in 1904. | Early in 1905 they moved to Brown 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 portion of an old building formerly used as hotel in part of 1 Brownville known as Paddy Hill. Mrs. Brennan and her husband Pat l rick lived in house nearby, which they had occupied for twenty years, and | which was owned by Mrs. Brennan. Mrs. Farmer became frequent caller | at the Brennan home, and Mrs. Bren- nan occasionally called on the Farmers Mrs. Brennan kept the deed to her property. insurance papers and a saw | ings bank book in a black oilcloth pocketbook in tin case in her bed room.
 | Months before the homicide, in Oc- tober, 1907, Mrs. Farmer went to a | lawyers office in Watertown. produced | deed of the Brennan property and, impersonating Mrs. Brennan,y had the deed transferred to James D. Farmer I signing the name Sarah Brennan. 4" | The deed was returned from the clerks l oflce to James D. Farmer on Novem- Der 20. and On January 2. 1908. Mrs. Farmer and her husband went to an- other lawyer In watertown and had the deed drawn to Peter J. Farmer. a child who had been born to them the preceding September 2.
 Day of the Murder.
 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. Be- l tween 9 and 10 o'clock she was seen to leave her home and enter the Far mer house. She was never seen alive again.
 Early the same day Mrs. Farmer took her baby to the home of a neigh Dor and left 1t. saying she was going up town. Between that time and the time Mrs. Brennan went to the Far | mer house. Mrs. Farmer passed back and forth between the two houses sev. eral times. Shortly after noon she went for her baby and arranged for a l young daughter of the neighbor to assist her in caring for the child. The girl, upon her arrival, found | Farmer and his wife at lunch and later he left-for the home of his sister, where he was laying walk. Soon after Mrs. Farmer went into the Brennan 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 pack age, which proved to be the black oil- cloth pocketbook of Mrs. Brennan con- taining the deeds, insurance and other papers, and said she wanted to leave 1t | for a while.
 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 in thefr accustomed place. While he was trying to get in he saw Farmer standing nearby, who remarked: "Bren- | man, don't you know I bought this l placer" Brennan finally secured lad der entered Il second story window and occupied the house that night. The next morning he went to work as usual
 Mrs Farmer that same morning went to the sisters house, took Mrs. Brennan's oilcloth poGketbook from where 1t had been hidden in a chair, and with her husband. went to Water town, where they had an attorney pre- pare papers ordering Brennan off the premises, which were served on him that night.
 Brennan went to Watertown 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 nome, 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 the district attorneys office and engaged a constable to search for his wife.
 Body in a Trunk.
 The Farmers. in the meantime, with others who were induced to help by free access. to ale. which was furnish ed. commenced moving their goods to the Brennan house. In one of the back rooms was a large black trunk which Mrs. Farmer asked one of the