American citizen. [volume] (Butler, Butler County, Pa.) 1863-1872, 1866-05-16
80. 90. .--e-s-----
THE BUTCHER PEsOBST.
Full and Frank Confession.
He Alone Murdered the Dearing
Family.

he Alone Murdered the bearing
Family.
We have already given a brief tele-
graphic account of the confession of Anton
Probst, the murderer of the Dearing fam
lily of eight persons, which, while it eased
the public mind in reference to the es-
cape of an alleged accomplice, gave but
slight sdea of the ferocity of the beast
who made it. The Philadelphia Inquirer
of Tuesday morning contains phono-
graphic, and therefore complete report of
the confession. From it we learn that
Anton Probst is native of Baden, aged
"a years, and arrived in this country
on the 9th of May, 1868. The afternoon
of his arrival he enlisted in the fist New
York Infantry, served nine months, de-
serted and re-enlisted in the twelfth Pa.
Cavalry, from which he subsequently
deserted, again enlisted in the 9th Pa. Cav,
from which he was discharged May 2Sth,
1865. He. worked at odd jobs in New
York, New Jersey, Maryla and about
Philadelphia until last winter when he
was employed by Mr.. Dearing, for whom
he worked three weeks. He was ordered
to do some work in a field on a rainy day,
which he refused to do, and said he would
leave, when Mr.. Dearing paid him and
he left He had seen Mr.. Dearing coun-
ting large amount of money, and he re-
turned to Bearings on the I'd of Febru-
ary, having made up his mind, he said,
to get some of the money. Mr.. Dearing
again gave him work, and now COM
menced
HIS NEFARIoUs SCHEMES.
I was watching an opportunity some
time, to get hold of this money. (The
prisoner kept on slowly, drawing deep
breaths for few moments.)
[ planned every day to get the money,
and never had chance. | never thought
of numbering before that morning mur-
dered them. I had tried no way to get
the money before that.
Mr. Perkins, Jr.-Probst, what did
you say beforc-about eight days before
the murder?
Probst-Yes; eight or ten days before
| had thought of that, of numbering him
and the whole family. My first plan was
to kill him and get the money; I could
not get the money in any other way. ]
thought of killing them in the house, as
hey came down in the morning. got
the axe sometimes ready for them when
they came down, in the evenings some-
times. | did not do it then; / never
could do it. | got sometimes good
chance, but my heart failed it. Dearing
was home always IN the evening.
HOW THE HORRIBLE MURDERS WERE
DONE.
That morning was dark, raining and
cold, and Dearing went to the city; then
made up my mind to do it that day I
calculated to kill Dearing as he came
home; did not know whether the mon,
ey was in the house or not; | did not
know whether he had it.
THE KILLING OF THE BOY CORNELIUS.
Me and the boy were working out on
the bank; we went to work that morning
about II or 8 o'clock, guess; Mr.. Dear
ing went up to the city before we went
out; he said he would be back about one
O. o'clock; we went to work in the meadow
about one hundred yards from the hay
stack; we took the horse and cart and
went to work together; I took with me to
kill him the axe, the big axe for cutting
roots out also.
We were standing under the big tree
when I killed him; it was raining little;
he sat down under the tree, and l stood
above him, behind him, with the axe in
my hand; he sat there and talked of
about work while stood right
behind him; | was going to kill him, and
drew my hand back three or four times;
hit him on the left side of the head; he
die not holler; he fell down | gave him
one or two more blows, and then cut his
threat; be bled much (the prisoner stop
ped, looked down on the rosary, and ran
his finger over the small beads of the ro-
sary) on the tree; lifted him up and put
him into the cart; he had the strap every
time round him, to keep his coat mp; that
was all in full view of Mr.. Wiles' house;
was not afraid of them seeing me; I