The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1909-04-01
the district attorneys Office and en-
gagged a constable 70 search for his

Wife.
The Farmers, in the meantime, with
others who We're induced to help by free
access to ale which was furnished,
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 men to
tie with a rope. Mrs. Farm4r lifted
the ends of the trunk while & clothes
line was wrapped around it and tied
securely. Mrs. Farmer said she had
stuff in there she didn't want broken,'
and mad two mel carry 1t to the Bren-
nan house while she walked along and
directed where 1t should be placed in
a back room where other things were
piled upon it. She then proceeded to
do some washing.
When the constable who had been
employed by Brennan went to the
house and asked where Mrs. Brennan
was, Mrs, Farmer told him she a
gone to Watertown to get her teeth
liked h sent for the parish priest,
told him a similar story and had him
bless the home.
On the following Monday the sheriff
WIN several others again visited the
Farmers and asked Mrs. Farmer to
produce the deeds. and after some de-
lay she pulled the black oilcloth en-
velope from a cradle and showed the
papers. Then a search Of the house
was pegnn. Inquiry was made in re-
gard to the trunk tied with a clothes
l1ne, Whereupon Mrs. Farmer denied
that she owned it. saying it belonged
to her husband, and he with an oath
said it did not belong to him. The rope
was removed, the lock broken and in
the trunk the sheriff found the body or
Mrs. fully dressed. The head
and face We're horribly mutilated by
many blows from a blunt instrument
but the body was not injured. The
turban hat which the woman wore was
missing, but the burned framework Of
a hat similar to the one she wore was
found IN Mrs. Farmers stove.
Mrs. Farmer and her husband were
arrested charged with the crime
which h woman at first stoutly de-
MED. Then she stated that Mrs. Bren-
nan was in her house and stood by
the door looking out of the window
and that she stepped up behind her
and hit her With an axe. Subsequently
she said TO the sheriff that she had not
told the truth; that Jim did it. She
said Mrs. Brennan had been with her
uptown and that when they came back
Jim was angry because she had left
her baby at a neighbours. She said
she then went for the baby and on her
return Jim" was just putting the body
in the trunk.
Another Version.
AT the Jail Mrs. Farmer made an
OS'S1 ll MlllIl SIlc Sdlu VIA
Mrs. Brennan came to her house and
said she was not feeling we'll. She said
that Mrs. renn aid she would
give anything if she would take that
old axe that laid there and knock her
brains out" and I said all right. here
she goes. I takes the axe and kills
her" She said then h put the body
In the trunk, washed up the things
h a We're bloody and burned up the
things from which she could not re-
move the blood. She aid Mrs. Bren-
nan was sitting down in a chair by the
window when she killed her.
The cases of Mrs. Farmer and her
husband We're appealed to the court OF
appeals Which has yet to determine
the husbands case. Mrs. Farmers con-
viction was affirmed and f. r. Wilcox,
her counsel. asked the governor to
appoint a commission to examine into
the woman's mental condition, express
ing the belief that the woman was in
sane.