The Cairo bulletin., 1909-03-30
SEVENTH WOMAN TO PAY DEATH
PENALTY FOR MURDER IN
NEW YORK STATE.
KILLED SARAH BRENNAN
To Secure Possession of Her Prop
crty--Story OF crime-Cath'
olic Priest Believes She
is Innocent.

the electric chair at 6 O'Clock tbs
morning and gave her life as the
penalty for the murder OF Sarah
Brennan. There were three contacts
of the current and she was pro-
nounced dead at G:15 There were
1910 vols used. An autopsy was
held at $3.50.
Mrs. Farmer was escor'eI TO the
chair by Mrs. John Dunningan and
Miss Mary German, the death watch.
There was no hitch in the execution
plans. She Is the seventh woman ex-
ecuted for murder in this state and
the second electrocuted. The other
was Martha Place, killed at Sing Sing
in 1899
Father Hickey believes the Farmer
woman was innocent.
Sheriff Pe,lingar CT Jefferson
county, discovered Mrs. Breanan's
body and first accused Mrs. Farmer.
He declared "Shc was as sane as |
am"
story of the Crime.
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 sen
tence Of death. was the murder OF
Mrs. Sarah Brennan, a neightor, IN
the village of Brownsville. Jefferson
county, about four miles from the
city of Watertown, on Thursday,
April 23rd. 1903 The body ef Mrs.
Brennan was found on the following
Monday inv "a trunk owned by Mrs
Farmer and in her possosstcn. Mrs.
Farmer and her husband were given
separate trials and although the evl'
dence was circumstantial, both were
convicted and sentenced TO be e!ec-
trocuted. Mrs, Farmers counsel at
tempted at the trial to establish that
she was insane and irresponsible for
the crime but the court of appeals
declared that ii was clearly a de-
liberate and intentional act" and that
there was no circumstances that
"mitigatcd against its Nervousness
Mrs. Farmer came to this country
from Ireland in 1900 and worked for
a time as a domes ic in Binghampton
going from there to Buffalo where
she married James d. Farmer in 1904
Early in 1905 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 in to a portion of and old
| building formerly used as a hotel in
a part of Brownsville known as Pad
dy Hill.
Mrs. Brennan and her husband
Patrick lived in a house nearby which
they had occupied for twenty years
| and which was owned by Mrs. Bren-
nan. Mrs. Farmer became a fire.
| quent caller at the Brennan home
and Mrs Brennan occasionally called
on the Farmers. Mrs. Brennan kept
the deed to her property insurance
papers and a savings bank book in a
black oilcloth pocket book i'm a TIN
case in her bedroom.
| Months before the honlside, in Oc-
tober 1907, Mrs. Farmer went TO a
| lawyers office in Watertown, pro
drced a deed of the Brennan prop
| erty and. impersonating Mrs Bren.
nan. hal the deed transferred u
James d. Farmer. signing the namH
Sarah Brennan" The deed was re-
turned from the clerks office to
| James d. Farmer on November 2G.
and on January Z, 1908, Mrs. Farmer
and her husband went to another
lawyer in Watertown and had the
deed drawn 10 Peter ]. Farmer. a
child who had beea born TO them the
preceding September ?.
On the day of tine crime Mrs.
Brennans husband left for his work
his wife telling him she was going to
visit a dentist in Watertown. Pc
tween Q and 10 o'clock she was seen
to leave her home and enter the Far.
mer house She was never seen alive
again Early he same day Mrs. Far
mer took her baby to the home of a
neighbor and left IL saying she was
going up town. Between that time
and the time Mrs. Brennan went to
the Farmer house Mrs. Farmer
Ipassed back and forth between the
1.-TWO houses several times Shorty
after noon she went for her baby and
arranged for 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 CT his sis.
ter where he was laying a walk
Soon after Mrs. Farmer went into