The star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1908-1909, 1909-03-29
In Death Chair, She Exr
onerates Husband
Of Crime.
----s as~sss'
UNFALTERING SHE GOES
TO PAY THE PENALTY
Killed Mrs. Sarah Brennan Last
{. April and Put Body in
Trunk. ~
SPOUSE HELD WITH
HER AS ACCESSORY
Clasps Crucifix and Repeats
Prayers Just Before She
Is EIectrocuted. - -

bHI HA, NJ n, A3rcb 4B-~--NurqaUFs
ing a prayer for her sonl, Nra, Mesy
Farmer ,vns quietly led to the eleetfle
chair in Auburn prison shortly a4tnf q,
o'clock this morning snd executed tev'
the murder of Mrs. sarah Brenns1- "a
BrownyIIIc. last April. ~
The execution of Mrs Farnlcr.-tle
second infection OF the death peHatsy
on a. woman by electricity in this state
was effected without sensational ~
cident Five women, two fsi.wfpT
we're prison attendants. were Nitileszeps
Father Hickey, spiritual adviser OF fae
condemned woman. followingl the e&-
ecution gave out a statement signed hy
Mrs. Farmer, In which she deelareds
that her husband, James Farmer wAs
entirely innocent and knew nothing Sof
the crime
Led by Father Hickey and With Mrs.
| Duggian and Miss German, who hzNs
attended her constantly since she rsAs
brought to Auburn prison, Mrs FAfnsar
walked unfalteringls TO the deAfh3
chair. her eyes half closed and cia.splnx
q crucifix in her hands, As she WI
being strapped in the chair EAt4r
Hickey stood at her side and oRor4d
prayers for the dying.
Two shocks Given. ..sfs
! DIR. John Germ, the prison physicienr
said that the woman was dead after
the first shock, but as there MAS still
tremor of muscular reaction two sue
ceeding contacts were given state
| Jp,, ,,.te, -uiI hot a
and 7ia amperes was the strength OF
the current that passed through the
womans body After Warden Bennara
announced that the physicians had pEo-
nounced Mrs Farmer dead DR. I'D
ward Spitzka, of Philadelphia, and pr,
Charles Lambert, of the Pathological
Institute at Ward leland New York.
performed the autopsy
4 The statement which Mrs. Farmer
prepared yesterday before she was
taken to the condemned row, VAS writ
ten 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: e
: Exoucrates HusbaNd.
ITO Rev J. j. Hickey: My ints-
band, James d. Farmer, never had
any hand in Sarah Brennans death
nor never knew anything aboutsit
till the trunk was opened. I never
told him anything what had hap
pened. ] feel he has been terribly
wronged. James ID. Farmer was
not at home the dav the affair hap
pened, neither did James p Farmer
ever put hand on Sarah Brennan
after her death. Again Wish to
say as strongly as I can that rzy
husband, James D. Farmer, Is en-
tirely innocent of the death OF Sarah
Brennan. that he knowingly had no.
part in any plans that led tosit ana
that he knew nothing whateyer
about II.
(signed) MARY II. FARMER
Subscribed and sworn to beforz sae,
. this 2sth day of March. 1909
"B. F. VINEGAR.
Notary public, Cayuga county.
. Separated by steel bars and an inter
vening screen, husband and wife spent
their final hour together in quietsc
versatiou. The women attendants were
, in the room and just without the door
. prison guard was Within call, i The
final word between them was spoken q
last good bye, the weeping husband re-
turned to his cell and the hapless wofll-
an led down the narrow corridor. EARLY
this morning Father Hickey joined tho
watchers at Mrs. Farmers cell door
> In the pale ochre light of the corridor
the woman and priest prayed together
, the last sacrament was administered.
| and Mrs. Farmer said she was not
afraid to die.
Hair in Brnids.
: Mrs. Farmer was dressed in a plain
black waist and skirt. Her hair was
brushed back from her forehead and
fell in two braids Two or three locks
we're cut from the scalp, SO that the
head electrode might be properly sd
iusted and the women attendants silt
the left side of the skirt as far az the
knee and cut the stocking
None except those having Official in-
: vitations were admitted to the execu-
tion The three women witnesses were
Dr. H. NJ. Westfall, of Moravia, N. Il;
Miss Agnes Baird, of Troy. N. n. and
} Miss Margaret T. Byrne. Of Auburn,
{ Miss Baird and Miss Byrne are nurses
When all was in readiness Ward3n
} Benham directed the witnesses to form
9 in line. two by-two, and cautioned them
4. against any demonstration in the cleo
trocution chamber - "
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