The Montgomery tribune. (Montgomery City, Mo.) 1892-1910, 1909-04-02
THREE SHOCKS WE'RE APPLIED
AND MARY FARMERS LIFE
is GONE.
CALM TO THE LAST MOMENT
Second Of Her Sex to BE Electro
cuted in New York Makes No
complaint-Husband Only
Few Feet Away.

AUBURN, New I0rK.-W1tn nalf-
closed eyes and muttering pray
ers, Mrs. Mary Farmer walked to the
electric chair in historic Auburn pris-
on at A minutes and 80 seconds past
6 o'clock Monday morning and gave
up her life as penalty for the murder
of Sarah Brennan.
While the mystic power sufficient
to move the heaviest freight train or
drive the most ponderous machinery
was racing through the rigid, distend-
ed body, annihilating every vestige of
human life, the husband paced his
cell within a stones throw of the ex-
ecution chamber, condemned to die
in the same chair for completely in
the murder which has been styled by
two courts and the governor as n
of the most deliberate and brutal in
the criminal annals of the state.
Child a Few Miles Away.
Two score miles away, within sight
Of the scene of the murder, in the
little village of Brownsville, an infant
son lay fretting in his crib, uncon-
scious of the significance of this
dawn.
In a last word to Father Hickey Of
the Holy Family church, who had adj
ministered to her spiritual needs
throughout the long incarceration in
the dungeon of the condemned, Mary
Farmer dictated her confession, a per-
functory, brief declaration of her hus-
larl'- sAD1annao zf thA in, f0r
which he stands condemned to die.
Hair Arranged in Braids.
Capt. Marting and Electrician Davis
adjusted the wrist contact straps,
the heavy helmet and mask. To safe
guard an emergency, the hair of the
braids, which hung loosely in the
back.
Electrician Davis signaled that all
was in readiness and stepped toward
the switchboard. Warden Benham
nodded his assent to the electrician.
The switch was jammed into it's
socket at 6:05:3S, and the limp body
jumped into the creaking straps, re.
naming rigid in the distended posi-
ton while 1,S40 volts, ~ amperes, of
electricity, raced through it.
A barely audible came from
the lips at the first shock. The con
tact was maintained until 6:06:40 Q,
just l minute and 2 seconds.
Flesh Flushed In Death.
AS the body relaxed into a limp pos.
ture with the opening of the switch,
Prison Physician John Germ advanced
with DR.. Spitzka, the alienist from
Jefferson medical college, Philadel
phia, and Electrician Davis, to exam
inc the condition of the victim. DR.
Germ slit the waist and applied the
%stethoscope to the breast. Attracted
by the flushed condition of the flesh
DR.. Germ passed the instrument to
DR.. Spitzka, who manifested intense
interest in the peculiar color. 81
Slowly, under the examination, the
flush faded and, apparently, at the in
stance of the Alienist, Electrician Da
Wis was signaled to apply a SECOND
contact. The second shock of tn,
same power was applied at $685. Is
and maintained for 5 seconds, and
second examination revealed the bod.
as a
A third shock was applied a
6:11:50 and continued for 3 seconds
and DR.. Germ again applied the steth
oscope. Following the examination
all attending physicians applied tn
3 instrument, each nodding assent tina
life was extinct.
r 1.-THE physicians say the woman l
dead" announced the warden. "Dl
Germ wishes to o that the al
topsy will take place at $3.50. Yo
will please return to the office an
a sign the death certificate"
q Greed Cause of Killing.
Mary Farmer killed Mrs. Sara
Brennan in their little home in tn
hamlet of Hounsfield, near Browns
Vile, Jefferson county, April q, 1900
Z the cause of the murder being gree
o to obtain possession of the cottag
Q home owned by Mrs. Brennan. 1t wa
shown at the trial that Mrs. Farme
q in November, 1907, had called at tn
g office of Francis p. Burns, an alto
d ney, declared that she Ia Mrs. Brel
nan and executed a deed to her pro
10 erty to Mrs. Mary Farmer. Tw
u weeks later she had this deed tran
ferred, to her infant son, Peter.
Supposed Robber Is Slain.