Could a mere rumor lead to a man's execution? Join Hannah and Jess as we unravel the gripping murder trial of Daniel Davis Farmer from 1800s Manchester, New Hampshire, where hearsay played a pivotal role in one man's fate. This episode takes you through the chilling details of Anna and her daughter's brutal attack, with bloodied rocks and burn marks painting a haunting scene. We also scrutinize the public's fascination with the case and Daniel's alleged obsession with Anna, revealing how historical crimes were prosecuted in ways that might shock you today.
As we dissect the evidence—or lack thereof—against Daniel, we'll draw parallels to infamous cases like Lizzie Borden, highlighting the spectacle that trials often became in that era. Tune in for an engaging blend of true crime and historical analysis that promises to keep you riveted from start to finish.
Source: Witness Statements in a Small New Hampshire Town - Murder, New England - M.William Phelps
If you'd like to show your support for Wicked Wanderings and join our community of dedicated listeners, you can start contributing for as little as $3 a month. Your support helps us continue to explore the darkest and most intriguing mysteries, bringing you captivating stories from the world of true crime and the unexplained. Click the link to become a valued member of our podcast family.
We'd love to hear from you! If you have any questions or suggestions please feel free to email us @ wickedwanderingspodcast@gmail.com.
Wicked Wanderings is hosted by Hannah Fitzpatrick and Jess Goonan. It is produced and edited by Rob Fitzpatrick. Music by Sascha Ende. Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 L...
Could a mere rumor lead to a man's execution? Join Hannah and Jess as we unravel the gripping murder trial of Daniel Davis Farmer from 1800s Manchester, New Hampshire, where hearsay played a pivotal role in one man's fate. This episode takes you through the chilling details of Anna and her daughter's brutal attack, with bloodied rocks and burn marks painting a haunting scene. We also scrutinize the public's fascination with the case and Daniel's alleged obsession with Anna, revealing how historical crimes were prosecuted in ways that might shock you today.
As we dissect the evidence—or lack thereof—against Daniel, we'll draw parallels to infamous cases like Lizzie Borden, highlighting the spectacle that trials often became in that era. Tune in for an engaging blend of true crime and historical analysis that promises to keep you riveted from start to finish.
Source: Witness Statements in a Small New Hampshire Town - Murder, New England - M.William Phelps
If you'd like to show your support for Wicked Wanderings and join our community of dedicated listeners, you can start contributing for as little as $3 a month. Your support helps us continue to explore the darkest and most intriguing mysteries, bringing you captivating stories from the world of true crime and the unexplained. Click the link to become a valued member of our podcast family.
We'd love to hear from you! If you have any questions or suggestions please feel free to email us @ wickedwanderingspodcast@gmail.com.
Wicked Wanderings is hosted by Hannah Fitzpatrick and Jess Goonan. It is produced and edited by Rob Fitzpatrick. Music by Sascha Ende. Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 L...
Rob:
You got blue ink coming from your vagina.
Hannah:
Where did you see me touching my vagina?
Rob:
Well, you just went to the bathroom, which means you wiped yourself, and now you're complaining about blue ink and I washed my hands not once, but twice.
Hannah:
No, that was earlier. Okay, I washed my hands so, and I don't use my hand to wipe my vagina, I use a toilet paper.
Jess:
You have to appreciate him joking like that though. Yeah, it's very weird.
Rob:
So, now that I've been putting all these random things on our Facebook page, can you go on and respond to these people? Oh yeah, I'm not doing that Today I did what's the most common misconception about ghosts and killing? 15 minutes, which is a hilarious podcast.
Hannah:
What did they say? I wish I had all this time during the day to listen, but I don't.
Rob:
They have to be from years ago. Yes, what about the new ghosts that just popped up?
Jess:
Exactly Like. Why are all ghosts from the Victorian era Like that? When I think of hauntings, that's what I think Like 19th century, 18th century.
Hannah:
Well, I know there's also the talk of it takes a while for the spirit to Marinate. I guess in a sense because even if you go to an actual medium, if your grandmother passed yesterday, like she or him, she's busy. She got to get there first, she's gotta marinate yeah okay, hi, I'm jess and I'm Hannah, join us as we delve into true crime, paranormal encounters and all things spooky. So grab your flashlight and get ready to wander into the darkness with us. This is Wicked Wanderings. Hi Jess, hi Hannah, hi Rob.
Rob:
Hi Hannah.
Hannah:
So my episode is going to take place in the 1800s yes, in New Hampshire. Yes, is going to take place in the 1800s yes, in New Hampshire. Yes, and I like how last week you, for the Josh Whitaker case, you named it after the victim, but I am not so sure that this man was not a victim.
Jess:
Ooh, okay, a-a-rom.
Rob:
A-A-Rom.
Hannah:
Oh, shaq Kenny's the officer, okay.
Rob:
D-Nice.
Hannah:
Our person today is Daniel Davis Farmers, and his life changed on April 5th 1821. This tale takes place in Manchester, new Hampshire, where a woman named Esther came frantically to Daniel's door to ask for help because a woman named Anna and her daughter were found quote much abused, do tell. When Daniel got there he found a bloodied rock with hair on it and also a shovel that was obviously used for part of the attack. Strangely, he saw several burn marks on the floor, like a fire had started and then was smudged out. Anna was not dead yet but was badly beaten. Daniel asked her who had hurt her, but he got no response, though apparently a witness statement of esther's husband, who was the woman that went his home to get him, quoted anna saying I shall hope to live long enough to see that devilish, damned farmer hanged so it could be a farmer as in an occupation, not Daniel Davis Farmer Right.
Jess:
Is that Davis Daniel.
Hannah:
Daniel Davis, farmer.
Jess:
Oh, I got it right. You did One point for me Gold star.
Rob:
So when did this take place? Again, 1821. So way back in the day, some people just didn't have last names and they gave them last names based on their occupation.
Hannah:
Look at you with the history facts, so look at you, jonathan was supposed to be here today I'm sorry, no, it's just wow.
Rob:
Okay, cool did you not know that?
Hannah:
well, I knew that people were named like blacksmith Baker.
Jess:
Baker yeah.
Rob:
Banker.
Jess:
Candlestick maker.
Rob:
Farmer. Occupations Banker, so like my last name could be landscaper, rob landscaper.
Hannah:
This is so awkward. Why is this such an awkward episode?
Jess:
Okay, anyways, what would yours be? Mine would be therapist Hannah behavior analyst.
Hannah:
See it doesn't work nowadays. No, it doesn't. Anna lived for seven days and the attending physician said he did not hear her make that statement. Daniel was now having to defend himself in a murder case he was being accused of. Daniel was now having to defend himself in a murder case case he was being accused of. Daniel was now having to defend himself in a murder case. Anna was bludgeoned with a shovel and a wooden club and also the attack of her 14 year old daughter, who lived there as well. She also lived, by the way. Oh okay, he would be hanged for this popular case in new hampshire and thousands were said to have come and see the proceedings all because she supposedly said yes, I'll live long enough to see the farmer hang yes, and and there's.
Hannah:
There's more to it than I'm gonna okay witnesses said they saw daniel that day buy some alcohol and crackers. It was known that daniel had an obsession with anna. There was also a rumor about an illegitimate child between anna and daniel scandalous. Daniel used to work for anna's husband but apparently it did not end well because there was some dispute over landscaping. He had done that had to be paid, and his sudden departure also. Daniel has a wife and four children. Anna did have a husband that daniel worked for, but he had passed away. So basically this is all hearsay.
Hannah:
Nothing seemed to be corroborated in this case. So bullshit, yeah, and it gets more interesting. So anna's daughter also was a witness that said that daniel came to their house that day drunk and smelly. He asked to be let in and so her mother did, and daniel asked for her to have some drinks with him. He asked for her to come outside and the daughter kind of assumed what they were doing. For eight to nine minutes outside he came inside with her mother and a club in his hand. The daughter was wondering where the club came from, but there was no anger between her mother and Daniel. It soon became apparent that the club was going to be used and Daniel said to her mother. I'm going to kill you.
Hannah:
The daughter saw Daniel raise the club over his head and bash her mother's skull in. The daughter tried fleeing to get her mother help, but she ended up having a blow to the back of her head that caused her to become unconscious and when she woke up she was not in the same place where she fell. She was near the bed, so he must have apparently dragged her. The daughter watched as Daniel took pieces of clothing and lit them on fire and then used several embers from the fireplace and put them about the room, which is going to make those burn marks. The daughter was in a rock and a hard place. She was trying to pretend that her injuries were worse so he didn't come after her again, but also wanting not to burn alive with her mother in the house, he did end up leaving and she was able to find beer that was left over to use to put the flames out. She got her mother to the bed and she covered her.
Hannah:
When it was the defense's turn, individuals like the man who ran the general store that daniel supposedly bought the alcohol from said he never saw him buy alcohol that day. Another person said that the daughter should not be trusted the examiner that examined the mother after her death was asked if anna was pregnant and he said no, because there was that whole rumor that she was. Yeah, it also was apparent that anna was already ill before the incident and that she was obsessed with daniel and was angry with him for not showing affection back to her. So this was a play to get them and to spend eternity together. The trial finished at 11 o'clock on the evening of October 9th 1821, and the jury was asked to deliberate by midnight. The 18 men on the jury came back with a unanimous verdict of guilty. Everyone was asked to go home and return for the judge's sentence that morning. The judge gave a long and unnecessary lavish speech, and part of it reads as such so they based it off of the hearsay yeah, and the daughter that was there.
Hannah:
they just took everything she said as fact.
Jess:
Shady shit. No physical evidence.
Hannah:
These reflections on your deplorable destiny excite such commiseration in us as almost to disarm my tongue from its duty. But the great interest of society, whose peace you have disturbed, whose laws you have invaded and profaned and whose future tranquility you endanger, not to be betrayed. Listen, therefore, and reflect with solemnity as a sword of human justice trembles over you. The dread sentence must be speedily executed, and then you launch into an unknown world. The fate of your immortal soul is sealed forever. Let me therefore exhort that you stand at the eternal bar of Christ, that you seize upon the salvation by his cross. I could say no more except to pronounce the judgment of the law, which is that you be taken hence to prison, from prison to the place of execution, and there hung by the neck until you are dead. May the God of compassion have mercy upon your soul.
Hannah:
So basically I hope you suffer yeah basically burn in hell they had to build the gallows especially for daniel. Until the day of his execution was on a thursday, january 3rd 1822, at 2 30 in the afternoon. People piled in from everywhere and people even were on rooftops. There was even a roof that collapsed under the pressure of how many people were on it, oh geez. So this was quite a show for new hampshire. The coffin would be used when he died was even part of the procession. It said that the rope was placed around his neck and daniel was physically affected by the cold. The reverend there gave him his cloak and also a handkerchief. That he said when he was ready to die to drop it. When he finally did, he was hung and a loud crack was heard. He hung for about 20 minutes until he was pronounced dead by the surgeons present. So my question to you, jess, yes, and our lovely wanderers, is did the daughter concoct this whole story or did daniel really murder?
Hannah:
the daughter was beaten as well, right so the story is is that supposedly daniel went over there drunk and he was upset, yeah, and he wanted to drink with her mother. So they're having a couple drinks. They go outside, probably to do the dirty, apparently. They come back in. He comes inside with a club, sits back down with her, has a couple more drinks and then something occurs between the two of them. Where he just and then she tried helping to protect her mom, he bas, something occurs between the two of them where he just and then she tried helping to protect her mom. He bashed her on the back of the skull and then she went unconscious and that's what kept her from getting more blows.
Jess:
Okay, so she was actually hit on the back of the skull. My line of thinking was she's 14 years old, she's a teenager. Her mom did something to piss her off and she murdered. Her mom did something to piss her off and she murdered her mom. But then who hit her? Well, maybe in the argument. Like maybe she got in an argument with her mom and she pushed her and she hit her head during the fight and that could entirely be possible as well.
Hannah:
Uh, they had to put the trial off, or at least the witness statement of her, because it took her like six months to recover from the head injury so okay, so maybe, maybe not.
Jess:
I don't think he did it. There's not enough physical evidence. That's what I think I don't think he did it either, and usually if people have a head injury they don't really remember much and it sounded like she was pretty like the mother, at least was pretty bludgeon, yeah, but like the surgeons were like we can't do anything for her.
Hannah:
so like she was pretty like the mother, at least was pretty bludgeoned. But like the surgeons were like we can't do anything for her, so literally she was just having a brain bleed until she died seven days later.
Jess:
And from the beginning I'll live until I see the farmer hang. That doesn't seem to me like the farmer as in the occupation, not Daniel Farmer, but who knows if he really said that or not, or she really said that or not right, there's just too many unknowns to not prove beyond a reasonable doubt that he committed the murder and because it was such a deplorable act, they needed a scapegoat of some sort for sure I agree, and it sounded like there was quite a build-up between work that she didn't like.
Hannah:
That was completed by him. There seemed to be money owed of some sort.
Jess:
But why would she go outside and have sex with him if there was work that he did?
Hannah:
I mean, that's what. I'm just speculating why they would go outside for eight to nine minutes and then come back inside eight to nine minutes come on. Let's get real here that's on a good day. I mean, if you got all these petticoats and stuff, it probably takes a while to put them back on at that point, they didn't even take them off.
Jess:
True, lift them up yeah, I don't, I don't know, I I don't, I don't think you did it no, and I think during that time and we talked about it briefly during the Villisca episode is like people just getting involved in crime and being a big part of it and going and causing roofs to collapse. And I can see during situations like that, like just the rumor mill just going a million miles a minute, you know.
Hannah:
I think of Lizzie Borden, mm-hmm. And how big the case was and how many people were just like people were getting seriously hurt because everyone just wanted to get a glimpse of the woman that acts murderer.
Jess:
Yeah, my next episode has a slight connection to Lizzie Borden. I think you'll find intriguing. I love me some Lizbeth Mm-hmm. But yeah, I don't think if he did it they didn't prove it beyond a reasonable doubt. I think they, just like you said, needed a scapegoat yeah, it was the pomp and circumstance.
Hannah:
Like you listened to the the judge's speech like that was only part of it, like really I mean, it was just a show.
Jess:
It was a show for people to watch New England. They like to hang people here. I'm just saying that's a good story.
Hannah:
Thanks, hannah. I will say I thought the episode was fascinating. I wish I kind of knew more about it. But, working with what we got.
Rob:
Alright, now it's time for the massachusetts unsolved cases homicide and missing persons every episode, we're going to go through this deck, grab one card and read it out and if you know any info, call the number.
Jess:
Pick a card any card, miss hannah oh my god.
Hannah:
So this one is the five of hearts and this is for Jean Bones Cologne, On September 28th 2012,. The victim was fatally shot while he was outside Anthony's nightclub in South Hadley. That's the strip club.
Jess:
It is right across the street from a church which I sang at a competition at that church.
Hannah:
Oh, by the way.
Rob:
I think it's called life dream, right? I don't anyways church.
Hannah:
If you have any info about this case, please call 1-855-MA-SOLVE.
Jess:
That's all the info that I was shot outside the front.
Rob:
What's funny is my husband and the guys in his unit would tell people they're going to church and they really be going to the strip club yeah, you know what's kind of funny is if, uh, your significant other has your location on your phone, you say, oh yeah, I'm going to church, but you go to anthony's cross street. I mean, you really can't tell.
Jess:
Sometimes it's off. It's like when I go to work and it shows up magically at Barnes and Noble. I was at work the whole time, the whole time.
Rob:
I don't know why my phone Is your work close to Barnes and Noble, yep, oh it is. Do you know, whitney?
Jess:
Yeah, that's my cousin, oh yeah.
Rob:
So she's joining our wicked wanderings podcast group chat. Oh and there's some questions that you have to answer to get in, and the first one is what episode is your favorite? She says I love episode 25 where Hannah and her mom talk about Scotland. The Lizzie Borden episodes were very gripping Great cliffhangers on those and episode two is still a favorite, even though it's horrible to think about.
Jess:
Oh, yes, yes, that's the Hi-Fi Murders. Yeah.
Rob:
I haven't listened to any of the newest episodes yet. I need to do some catching up.
Hannah:
Get on it, Whitney. I love the long response. Thank you for actually giving feedback.
Jess:
It's appreciated and I miss your face.
Rob:
And then the next question is do you agree to the rules from the admin? I agree.
Jess:
Oh geez, Shout out to Whitney.
Rob:
Episode 25. That seems like a fairly newer one. Oh, we're on episode 39, so what was 25? Oh yeah, that was the scottish.
Jess:
Oh, feels like that was only a couple weeks ago. Yeah, time has been flying here at wicked wanderings oh okay, I haven't approved yet.
Rob:
I'm gonna going to approve her now, yeah do it.
Jess:
Her and her sister talk a lot about it.
Hannah:
And just so everyone knows, we will also put a picture up of the cards on our Instagram, facebook, just so, you guys can see them and sometimes we don't realize the info that we may have can help solve or find someone. So thank you everyone for listening.
Rob:
Make sure to send us a text. It's down in the show notes. It says send a text message. We want to read them on air.
Hannah:
Bye Wanderers.
Rob:
Bye.
Hannah:
Thanks for listening today, wicked Wanderings is hosted by Hannah Fitzpatrick and me, jess Goonan, and it's produced by Rob Fitzpatrick and me Jess.
Rob:
Gunan, and it's produced by Rob Fitzpatrick.
Jess:
Music by Sasha End.
Hannah:
If you enjoyed today's episode, don't forget to leave us a rating and review.
Jess:
And be sure to follow us on all our socials.
Hannah:
You can find the links down in the show notes and, if you're looking for some Wicked Cozy t-shirts or hoodies, head over to our merch store.
Jess:
Thank you for being a part of the Wicked Wanderings community. We appreciate each and every one of you.
Hannah:
Stay curious keep exploring and always remember to keep on wandering.
