The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1866-05-24
Confession of Pr0bst, tho
Murderer.

u
brutal murderer of the Dcering family
1t was voluntarily made to his spiritual
adviser on Sunday. and repeated to the
mayor and other officials on Monday.
lie says he came to the United States
in 1863, landing at New York; that his
father and mother are stil living in
Germany; that in two hours after arriv-
ing at New York he enlisted in the
Union army, was sent to Washington,
where he remained eight weeks, when
he deserted, came to Baltimore, aud
thence proceeded to Philadelphia aud
New York. He enlisted agaiu, was
sent to Charleston, remained there nine
mouths, and was again ordered TO
Washington Here he deserted immc.
diatcly, but was arrested at the Balti-
more depot, detained FIVE days, and was
released aud proceeded to Philadelphia
Enlisting for the third time he served
until he was discharged at Richmond
He then gives an accoRut Of bis subse-
quent movements. including three weeks
employment by rhilidelphian in pick
ing peaches ia Maryland and than
states the circumstances under which he
was employed on the DceTing farm---
Of the murder Of the eight members Of
this unfortunate family, his statement
is 10 the following effect
lie states that he had no aeeomplicc,
aud conceived the horrible crime uuaid-
cd aud alone. He conceived the mur-
der on Friday, aud that night slop, with
the boy Carey, whoia be intended to
mako his first victim lie kacw that
Carey was working near the hbyrick
aud he proceeded there with tho large
axe, bat his heart failed bim three times
( before he could induce himself 20 strike
the uususpcctng boy the fatal blow r.
I At last he mustered sufficient courage
aud went AZ his fcudish work killing
( Carey Just in the manner be Frequently
described. The sight Of the biool oi
the boy, PrObst states. produced IN him
dcyilish aud blood thirsty feeling. and
/ be determined 90 once 80 mutdsf the en-
| tire family
Iic disposed Of the body Of the boz
A. described before 20 often. aud then
deliberately walked Over to the house
/ He entered. anl told Charlie. the little
I boz next in years 20 Willie. Who was
I absent. that be- wanted him 10 help him
DO some work iu the barn Tho hile
| fcllow followed him. aud a. soon - be-
I got him inside the baruioor hede patch.
I cd him with the small ske be had se.
cured. iIc thuu went back to the
I house. and told Mrs. bcerine lhsl s0mc.
Z thing was illc matter with one 81 thr
COWS, aud hc wanted her ta come 20 the
barn She went and be followed and
as soon ~ she entered inside. hy struck
{ hcy ia the head aud kiIlcsl her
I llc then states that b. wcut back 10
| the house and brought the children eui
one ht a time. and taking them Inside
the barn, despatched them, ono by one
with the SAME axe. iu each instance
ho cut their throat% aud placed the
| bodies in the curu-cgib himself, just Iu
the position they were found lie .hen
covered them up. and proceeded to wipo
out al evidence of bis guilt lie then
went back to the house and awaited the
arrival of Mr DceriDg, not expecting
/ Miss Dolan would accompany him a,
soon MS Mr. Dccriue arrived ia the car
riagc, he (peoring) got out, and Probst
told him something was wrong with one
Of the cows, aud asked him 10 ~ over
to the barn with him Decriug went
along with him, and Miss nglau wont
into the house. upstairs aud took on
her bouuct and inrs Mr. Dgcriug did
not even take oT his glove, before go-
ing 10 the barn, bat proceeded there al
once. followed by PFobst. Who bad the
axe concealed ready for use As soon
~ Mr. Dccring entered the b8rb-dopr
Probsi states that hc struck him Ia the
head aud iellcd him 20 the earth. and
then chopped at his neck with the edge
Of the axe. Miss bolun wls the next
aud last victim She proceeded to the
barn after coming down stairs, not 6ud-
ing nny Of the family in The house,
aud Probst, who was IN waiting, trea-
tod her as he had done the rest Of the
family.
lie put away the bodies as has alrca.
dy been described covered them with
hay, and then went to the house for
plundcr lie solemnly swcars to his
confcssoF that he got not Que dollar, nor
one article beyond the triAing matters
exhibited at the coroncr's inquest, not
worth. all told the sum Of Glty dollars
Finding no money, the murderer says,
his chagrin WAS terrible. and he literally
cursed himself 10 his despair aud disap-
pointmeut. lie packed up the pinch
back watch, the common silver watch
and few miserable articles of cheap
jewclry that he took from the eorpsos
aud the house together with the two
plstols---the only thing Of actual value
that he found--in Miss Dolan's black
vanished muslin bag, aud at night
came up on foot to the city, with the
blood Of eight people upon his head, and
not sufficient money to pay week 1
board as the reward of his butehery.
During the trial and even at the
time of his capture, he states that he
had disposition to make confession
but the yells ofthe crowd when he first
saw them frightened him into the be.
lief that if they knew the extent of his
crime all the police in Philadelphia
could not save him from their clutches
Caleb Gushing, ut a recent dinner al
the Marquis de Montholon's, addressed
the French Minister in elegant French
the Spanish Minister in Castilian, the