The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1866-04-16
MONDAY, APRIL 16, 1866.
The Dearing Massacre.

already been disclosed, and yet the feelings
of this community will continue to be exer-
cised for an indefinite period by the almost
incredible atrociousness Of the massacre. 1t
Is especially singular in two respects-flrst,
the apparent disproportionatenes of the mo-
tive to the magnitude of the crime; and
second. the flendish ferocity which shed more
blood than was necessary to hide the guilt OF
the murderer. What could have induced the
assassin to take baby from its cradle and
knock its brains out? Not any design to de-
stroy witness who might lead to the detection
of the criminal, because child OF that
age could give no evidence worth guard
ing against: Why, then, did GANTHER
or PRoBsT, kill the baby? 1t is sug-
gested that having murdered all those
on whom it could depend for support
the mother, the father. the brothers and sis
ters-the infant was literally Drained to keep
it from sufering!l This il theory hardly
reconcilable with the diabohcal ruthlessness
of demon who had taken the lives of seven
other persons, for the sake of obtaining an
uncertain amount of money. What sum
GANTHER, or PBoBsT, really got is not
known and may never be discovered His
own story is that he received but three dol
larsl He says, moreover, that he killed but
one of the eight victims, and that an alleged
accomplice killed the rest and took all the
plunder except the paltry pittance which
GANTHER confesses that he received. Sup
posing this to be true, what fearful COM
mentary there is in the fact tnat man has
murdered fellow-creature for three dollars
1t shows at what cheap price some persons
can hold human life. The murderer expected
to get more. no doubt. But is it not terrible
to reflect that there are devils incarnate in
the shape of men, who can murder a whole
household of eight persons for an uncertain,
and In all probability very small, amount Of
money?
But there is something much more terrible
still In the reflection that there may be hun
dreds of GANTHFRs or PRoBsTs in our midst.
We may unconsciously brush against them in
our daily walks, and have no suspicion of their
presence. 1t is idle to talk about the impor-
tation of criminals from foreign lands. and the
demorafizing effects of service In the army
during our war. Crime is the growth of all
climes and soils, and fourishes in peace as
well as in seasons of military strife and
slaughter. 1t is probable that Mr.
DEARING never would have employed
in his service, in a remote and un-
guarded quarter of the suburbs, person
whom he regarded as capable of murder 1t
is also true that the william who slew him
and his family walked the streets
and played cards in the public
houses of this city for several days after the
assassination, without being suspected by
those with whom he associated. All this goes
to show that the criminal disposition or capa.
city exists in every community like ours to
an incalculable extent, and that there NAV
for all we know, be hundreds of uudeveloped
murderers passing us in the highways and
facing us IN public resorts without our being
in the least degree sensible of their existence.
Philosophers may speculate as they please
about the moral nature and the practical
motives of crime. Their general conclusions
may be altogether right. But philosophical
theories on the subject will never enable us
to distinguish murderer until he has be-
trayed his character in act. There are flow
ers in the ground that will soon come up to
the surface under the kindly influence of the
spring sunshine and rains. There are, also.
in the same soil, rank and poisonous weeds,
that will spring up to choke and blast them.
So it Is with human society. The tares come
up with the wheat. They are intermingled
in seeming confusion, and yet with this diff
ference, that while the farmer can tell the
Ioul grass from the true, the civil law must
regard all men as innocent until they have
exhibited their real character in their lives.
And here lies one great difficulty in the
economy of human society. A community
must harbor devils like GANrHER, without
the right to denounce and prescribe them
before they have committed the crimes which
place them in prison OR swing them from a
gibbet. Under this necessity we must be con
tent to dwell with all the resignation that phi
losOphy can afford us; and vet there is a sense
of self-defense which, in any society in which
crime is, for season, abundant and un-
. checked, not only impels but justifies every
citizen to go armed for his personal protec-
ton. Lynch law, which was threatened
against GANTHER, is to be deprecated. But
when it is discovered that fiends like GAN
THEIR prowl in our midst without detection
until they have murdered whole families. a
natural sense of selfpro lection will prompt
every head of household to keep himself
fully prepared to defend himself and family
from dangers and calamities which the law
Of society can only aVenge, but never indem-
nifty,