The Bon Homme County independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1904-1913, 1909-04-01
STORY OF BOLD MURDER FOR
WHICH SHE WAS EXECUTED

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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, q
nelghbor, In the village of Brownsville,
the city of WATERFOWL, on Thursday,
April 20, 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, n 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 1t was
clearly a deliberate and Intentional
act" and that there were no circum-
stances that "mitigated against it's hei-
| ~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 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 into a portion of an old building
formerly used as a hotel in a part of
Brownsville known as Paddy Hill.
Mrs. Brennan and her husband Pat
rick lived in a house neal by, which
they had occupied for 20 years and
which was owned by Mrs. Brennan.
Mrs. Farmer became a frequent caller
| at the Brennan home and Mrs. Bren-
nan occasionally called on the Farmers.
Mrs. Brenna kept the deed to her
| property, insurance papers n a saw
ings bank ook in q black oilcloth
room.
Forged a Deed.
Months before the homicide, I'M Oc-
tober, 1907, Mrs. Farmer ven to a law
yer's office In WATERFOWL, produced a
deed Of the Brennan property and, i'm
! ~personating Mrs. Brennan, had the deed
transferred to James d. Farmer, sign
ing the name Sarah Brennan" The
deed was returned from the clerks Of
fec to James D. Farmer on November
26, and on January 7, 1908, Mrs. Farmer
went to another lawyer in WATERFOWL
and had the deed drawn to Peter J.
! Farmer, a child who had been born to
| them the preceding september =.
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
9 and 10 o'clock she "a seen to leave
her home and enter the Farmer house..
She vas never seen alive again. Early
the same day Mrs. Farmer took her
baby to the home Of q neighbor and
left 1t saying h was going III town.
Between that time and the time Mrs.
Brennan went to the Farmer house.,
Mrs. Farmer passed back and forth be-
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 and later
he left for the home of his sister, where
he was laying a 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 package
which proved to be the black oilcloth
| pocketbook of Mrs. Brennan contain
| ing the deeds, insurance and other pa
pers, md said h wanted to leave 1t
for awhile.
Brennan upon his return from work
| IldI dIISIA lOoIl "a5 low W SCI 1IlJO
his house. The keys which his wife
was in the habit OF leaving were not
in their accustomed place. While he
was trying to get in he Farmer stand
ing nearby, who remarked:
Brennan, don't you know 1 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, took Mrs. Bren-
mans oilcloth pocketbook from where
1t had been hidden In a chair, and with
her husband went to Watertown where
they mad an attorney prepare 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 home
however, later and found Mrs. Farmer
and her husband occupying the house.
Mrs. Farmer told him that so long as
he used the Farmers we'll he could stay.
Brennan then reported the matter to