Mary Farmer

Irish born Mary Farmer was the third woman to be executed in the
USA during the twentieth century. She was 29 years old.

Whilst living in a rundown house on Paddy Hill near Brownville she murdered her neighbour Sarah Brennan with an axe then stuffed the body in a trunk. Following this, Farmer went to the offices of the Attorney Francis P. Burns and told him she was Sarah Brennan and wished to transfer the title deeds for her home to Mary Farmer.
Burns unwittingly carried out the transfer, Mary forged Sarah’s signature, and the deeds were filed with the county clerk. Mary then told her husband, James, a local mill worker, that she had purchased the house for $1,200 claiming she’d received money to buy the
house from an uncle in Buffalo.

Sentenced to death, Mary Farmer was electrocuted at Auburn State
Prison on the 29th March 1909.