The evening world., 1909-03-29
Farmers Began by Forging
Deeds to Victims Property
Months Before Killing.
WOMAN WELDED AXE.
Packed Mrs. Brennan's Body
in Trunk, Then Moved Into
Her House.

"9eTate ana hOrrlOIe IN criminal history
Mrs Farme! and her husband killed
- cid woman-a lifelong freni-under
20 Inspiration OF the most sordId Of
"Io'lycs. the grcct for gain
They planned thu crime for months
preliminary 10 It they committed forg.
'y and perjury, After killing their
fhJor. Mrs. Patrick Brennan, and
..Hs The body In q trunk they dis
,':'r7soi ne husband % the dead won
20 "om ia" house she had owned by
.!e.Es )! forged Iced anG moved into
., a1Ise themselves.
Did I: for Their Child.
Tut there is one feature s5ou, the
"1Gsly :ha: forces. IN spite OF the nor.
''r inspired by the c.!mr, a feeling 0.
'Empa'hy Tor the guilty pair-they did
10; murder % benefit themselves. They
Killed Mrs. Brennan II he belief that
he property hey occurred oy her mur.
ie7 would eventually come INFO the pos.
SESSION .: their :ht!l, now two years
Old
Mr. 6rensnan vas present a, the
o!r'A Of .ae vaoy and oH!c!at-
81 as mise mi houseEeeper N
he A,:!e Farmer house While The
mother vas recovering from her IL.
.ssa. She Fls 4 <!ndly roul, Mrs.
3r"nn0n but saving and SAMMY. and
was reputeI to have considerable sum
n money h.ddca N secre, places IN her
comfortable nome She OWED the
house STE lived In and her husband
worked every day In factory and re.
!s!ous.y turned his savings IN 10 her
every Saturday night.
The Plot Begins,
In October, 1907. the Farmers went to
Watertovn and, with the assistance OF n
lawyer, drew up deed transferring the
Brennan house and lot and furniture to
Farmer for consideration OF 1880.
Mrs. Farmer, who was practically I'M
known In WATERFOWL. !mpersonated Mrs.
Brennan and forged her name The deed
was recorded In the Office OF the County
Clerk with every appearance o. regu-
larty. and the Farmers went back to
N.ic.l IlbAl4S anu IIIel ~ away,
All through the winter months and
into the spring the Farmers watched
Mrs. Brennan like tigers watching their
prey-alHays ready 20 kill her when The
opportunity should present Itself
They had decided that the murder
must be done In their own home SO that
they might have plenty OF time to wash
Away tie traces Of the crime. The meth.
cd had been decided upon The husband
was TO attract the attention OF the old
woman and the wife was TO step behind
her and brain her with an axe. And in
this way the murder was finally carried
out in April
Put Body in Trunk.
Then the guilty couple carried the
trunk from the other room and placed it
alongside the body Of Mrs. brennan
While the corpse was still warm and
supple they forced 1t into the trunk and
closing down the cover turned the key
In the lock
Old Patrick Brennan reached his
nome that night to find !. dark and de.
serted. He had been quarellng with his
wife, and was not greatly surprised
when Farmer strOlled up 10 him and
told him that Mrs. Brennan had gone to
WATERFOWL to vsi. relatives. After
some further conversation Farmer said:
Il might as well tell you the truth |
Canada, You Will never see her again. |
She told US TO tell you. And before so-
Ing she decided the house and furniture
10 me and NY wife. You will have TO
move out Tomorrow"
The poor old man was struck dumb |
with amazement. He walked into the |
house and all night long he sat by the /
din!ng-room table thinking. Early the |
next morning lie went to Farmers |
hnttgn ~ hu1 hat. al Lt,.,
The conversation occurred within |
sight Of the trunk In which the body Of 4
Mrs. Brennan lay crumped up and dis |
torted. Farmer repeated his statement /
that Mrs. Brennan had decided the |
house and furniture TO him and his wife |
and showed the deed. He then advised /
Brennan 10 go to WATERFOWL and see II !
the document had not been properly ex.
ecuted and recorded.
ousted From Home.
Brennan went 10 WATERFOWL and |
consulted Floyd l., Carlisle, a lawyer. |
MIR Carlisle. and Brennan visited the !
County Clerks Ofure and found that /
the deed had been recorded in October
They looked up the lawyer who had .
drawn the deed and he gave them the .
best description he could OF the woman
who had signed the name Of Mrs. Bren-
nan. The description was vague, but
bEeIIldil ueEldltu the woman could not |
have been his wife.
When Brennan got back to Browns
Vile that might he found that the
Farmers and their Toy with their |
household goods had moved into his
home. The trunk containing the body
OF Mrs. Brennan had been moved, too,
and was In back room on the second
loor-a dark, bare room which had
never been used BY the Brennans.
Farmer refused 10 allow Brennan 10
enter the house and the latter wen,
back 10 Watertown and spent the nlgh.
at the home OF relative,
The next day he consulted Mr.. Car
Isle again, and on the advice Of the
lawyer, who suspected that Mrs. Bren.
nan rad been murdered, he secured n
search warrant. On April rs the holse
was a,arched and the body found In Ile
TRUNK
Mrs. Farmer confes.es.
Mrs Farmer broke down and con.
festsd the next day. She told several
stories and out OF them was pleced the
real recital OF the crime, showing that
husband and wife were equally guilty
Indictments were found and Mrs Far
mer was placed on trial In WATERFOWL.
Size was found guilty on June Is, last.
by jury ard sentenced by Justice
iiogcrs to die in the electric chair dur
inE the week beginning Aug q. 1893
Hex lawyers took an appeal and on Feb.
5 the conviction was upheld.
The husband was not tried until Oc-
.oher. lie. too, was found guilty and
ssntsnesd W death aud 81 sppsa. 70
peHaASks