The Carolina Spartan. [volume] (Spartanburg, S.C.) 1852-1896, 1866-05-31

ltuat ADVISER, the pastor Of st. Alphonsus
Catholic Church, Mr.. Perkins, the super
intendent of the prison, Anton Probst made
free, voluntary and open confession
such confession as stamps him to be the
most bloodthirsty wretch known in the an
nails OF history. He killed all the men,
bers of the Dearing family.
Probst, after the lapse Of few minutes,
proceeded to make the following statement
by way ofa
CONFESSION.
He stated that he had no accomplice,
and conceived the horrible crime unaided
and alone. The theory of the murder rs
produced on the trial, and the one general.
ly accepted by the public, is entirely true
in its main parts. He states that he con-
ceived the murder on Friday, and that
night he slept with the boy whom he in
tended to make his first victim, namely,
Cornelius Carey.
He knew that Carey was near the hay.
rick, and he proceeded there with the large
axe, but his heart failed him three times
before he could induce himself to strike
the unsuspecting boy the fatal blow. At
lrst he mustered sufficient courage, and
went at his 6endish work, killing Carey
just in the manner he frequently described.
The sight of the blood of the boy, Probst
states, produced in him devilish and
blood thirsty feeling, and he determined at
once to murder the entire family. He dis
posed of the body OF the boy as described
before so often, and then deliberately walk
ed over to the house. He entered, and
told Charlie, the little boy next in years to
Willie, who was absent, that he wanted
him to help him do some work in the barn.
The little fellow followed him, and as soon
as he got him inside the barn door, he dis
patched him with the small axe he had Sc.
cured.
He then went back to the house and
told Mrs. Dcaring that something was the
matter with one of the cows, and he want
cd her to come to the barn. She went, and
he followed, and as soon as she entered, he
struck her on the head and killed her.
de then went back to the house and
awaited the arrival of Mr. Dearing, not OK.
pecting Miss Dolan would accompany him.
AS soon as MIR. Dearing arrived in the car.
riage, he (Dearing) got, and Probst told
him that something was wrong with one OF
the COWS, and asked him to go over to the
barn with him. Dearing went along with
him, and Miss Dolan went into the house,
up stairs, and took off her bennett and furs.
Mr.. Dearing did not even take off his gloves
before going to the barn, but proceeded
there at once, followed by Probst, VINO had
the axe concealed ready for use AS soon
as Mr.. Dearing entered the barn door,
Probst states that he struck him in thu
head, and felled him to the earth, and then
chopped at his neck with the edge of the
axe.
Miss Dolan was the next and last victim.
She proceeded to the barn after coming
down stairs, not finding any of the family
in the house, and Probst, who was in wait.
ing, treated her Us he had the rest of the
family.
After laying out the bodies and covering
them up with hay, the murderer went into
the house and commenced searching for
valuables, but he states he got no money,
but expected to secure a considerable
amount He states that Miss Dolan's pock-
ct book had very little in it, and he said
nothing whatever of the two $50 compound
interest notes, and the $40 bill of the same
character. He remained about the house
for some time, picked up the articles found
in the black valise, and left about dark.
His further movements were pretty much
as brought out on the trial, and which are
patent to the minds of the whole commu
nifty.
LATER.
The confession of Probst is phonograph-
ically reported by the Inquirer. The facts
agree mainly with the above report. He
says he had no thought of committing the
murder at the time of hiring with Dearing
but calculated on robbing him of the
money which he had seen him counting.
He had never said anything about it to any
one. He came to this country in 1868,
in the Columbus, from Bremen, and never
did anything wrong in Germany. His
father and mother were still living at Ba.
den. He is "a years old. He enlisted
twice and deserted-frst in the forty. first
New York and then in the fifth cavalry.
He planned every day to get Bearings
money but never had a chance.
" My first plan was to kill him and get
the money. 1 could not get the money in
any other way. thought Of killing them
at the house as they came down in the