Delaware State journal and statesman., 1866-05-04
SENTENCE OF DEATH.
Judge Allison solemnly said;-

Anton Probst, you stand at the bar of thi.
Court convicted OF MURDER of murder in The
hrst degree. a jury OF your own selection
pronounced you, alter patient trial, guilty
ol a crime, tile punishment whereof il death
without cause, and with malice prcmcdi
lated, you took the life Of Christopher Dear
ing. This, the verdict recorded against vor
establishes as IL fact iudicially ascertained
after solemn and impartial trial, in whicl
your every right was most carefully guarded
No one OF the iOrms which the law has de-
clared TO be 0t the substance of such n trinl
IN the jealous watch and care which it keen.
over tile lle OF the citizen and the alien alike
has been neglected in your case. A slranpei
III II strange land; alone, but not lrieutlless
tor tic law itself beealle your friend; pro
vided you with able and conscientious conn.
sci; shielded you from popular violence
watched over and guarded your life " iii
sleepless vigilance; and by the direct inter
position ol IT'S might and It's power Obtained
tor you trial according to the forms OF tie
Constitution.
All this was secured to you. By non.
other but by legal evidence. not in the Irasl
degree by your own confession, but hy evi
dence from which there was no escape. mos
conclusive in its character, you have beer
found guilty of the commission of one of tho
most appalling crimes of which the record,
OF civilized jurisprudence makes any men
tion,
felony Of murder unparalleled. yom
heart conceived and your hands cyrcutcd. in
plan most comprehensive; in minulenpss q
detail unequalled; in execution relentless
brutal, savage beyond precedent.
husband and iathrr, returning to hi.
home, in all the strength and glory of hi,
mnnhood-a wife and mother, toling for the
little loved ones whom God had given hor-
toiling at her domestic altar her humble
treside-G companion of your daily labor
who with you shared your bed, who almost
slept in your arms; at peace with YOU; the
very breath of whose life you brcnthcd-
your fourth victim, an inotlensiye visitor.
whose sex should have not in vain appealed
to your compassion, if compassion YOU nos
sess, lad You but tllourht Cftlc Ii-tLet VIII,
case you Difth. And1our helpless children
OF these slaughtered parents, four little ones
who had never done you harm; Of three OF
these, in innocent and happy childhood, YOU
had been the daily witness; listened to tieir
young and merry voices and perhaps have
had them play in confidence and trust about
you; and the fourth smiling, tender, gentle
babe, who had not yet learned 10 lisp your
name, a. TO know you as a stranger in that
household - whose tiny bloody garments
brought here by otherhands leave testimony
most crushing against the monster, in tic
shape of man, who cut and hacked its Young.
est life away,
Of all who gathered beneath tic humble
roof oi Christopher DeaIing, but one re-
mains, A little, lonely, solitary boy, saved
not by your mercy, for mercy you had none.
but by an interposing Providence protectinr
him from your murderous arm and unh,l. 4
axe, with which yeW saagh, 10 Kill them hill
Ali this you performed alone, or aided bv
another, il matters not which so far as th1.
legal and moral guilt OF all these murder
committed by you is ceGGernod, and much
more hat human eye hath not seen, you did
with malice uncomfortable
Almost MulqPt MutiYo you went al your
york, sell-lnp0sed and eight inuoceni viz.
Tins you slew. Not suddenly, moi in A tenn.
pest ol ieslstiess passion, but in the Goodness
OF premedilated design-nna +" one NJ in.
,eryals, with solemn pause, with calm do
liberation, and with qucnchless thirst for
blood, you ceased not until all that you set
out TO do was fully accomplished, and you
found yourself alone with the dead YOU,
triumph was thou complete.
his is but poor lure of your work.
and Of this here remind you, that you may,
even now, at this dread hour for you, realize
if it indeed be possible for you to do so. tbc
enormity OF your deeds of blood, and before
God seek for II pardon for your Gnmo.
No ono may limit his power to forgive, but
you can lind mercy only in redceming love.
Man cannot, will not, dare not, pass by un.
avenged, n crime so fearful as 10 be almost
nameless. Society demands protection, and
violated law its yindication. But the Omni,
potcnt God hath said, HWhosoeycr will, let
him come" To His mercy commend Won.
But what you have to do, do speedily, for