Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1866-05-16
CONFESSION OF PRoBsT'

and therefore complete report OF the con-
fession. From it we learn that Anton
Probst is a native of Baden, aged twenty
four years, and arrived in this country on
the 9th of May, 1863 The afternoon of
his arrival he enlisted in the forty first New
York Infantry, served nine months. deserted
and re-enlisted in the twelfth Pennsylvania
cavalry, from which he subsequently de-
serted and again enlisted in the fifth Penn
sylvania cavalry, from which he was dis
charged May 2Sth, 1865 He worked at
odd jobs in New York, New jersey, Mary
land and about Philadelphia until last win
ter, when he was employed by Mr.. Dear
ing, for whom he worked three weeks. He
was ordered to do some work in a field on
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
counting a large sum of money, and he re-
turned to bearings on the I'd of February,
having made up his mind, he said, to get
some of the money. Mr. Dearing again
gave him work, and now commenced
HIS NEFARIoUs SCHEMES.
was watching an opportunity some time,
to get hold of this money. (fhe prisoner
kept on slowly, drawing deep breaths for
few moments.
Iplanned every day to get the money, and
never had chance. L never thought of
numbering before the morning | murdered
them. | had tried no way to get the money
before that.
Mr. Perkins, Jr.-Probst, what did you
say before, about eight days before the muir
der?
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; | could not get
| the money any other way. | thought of
| killing them in the house, as they came
| down in the morning. got the axe some
times ready for them when they came down.
in the evenings sometimes. did not do it
| then; | never could do it. [ got some
| times 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; / calculated
| to kill Dearing as he came home; | did not
know whether the money 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
| I! or S clock, | guess Mr.. Dearing went
up to the city before we went out he said
| he would be back about one o clock !; we
went 10 work in the meadow about one hun
dred yards from the hay stack; we took the
horse and cart and went to work together;
L took with me to kill him the axe, the big
axe Tor cutting roots out also.
We were standing under the big tree
when L killed him; it was raining little :;
he sat down under the tree, and / stood
above him, behind him, with the axe in my
hand he sat there and talked of something
| about work while stooG 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 did not hollow :;
he fell down; l gave him one or two more
blows, and then cut his throat; he abled
much lthe prisoner stopped, looked down
on the rosary on the tree lifted him up
and put him into the cart he had the strap
every time round him, to keep his coat up ;
that was all in full view of Mr. Wiles'
! house | was not afraid of them seeing me :;
looked first; then | drove the horse up,
and lifted him up and laid him on the hay,
stack, and covered him up with hay; there
was little blood on the cart took little
hay and wiped it off, | took some outside
| hay and threw it over him.
BUTCHERY OF THE MOTHER AND LITTLE
| CHILDREN.
Then L went, took the axe with me to the
house, and also took the horse with me ;
| this was about after ten O clock in the
morning; L came to the house with the
horse and cart, and | had little load of
wood on the cart and put the wood down in
| the yard left the horse and cart stand at
the machine house; did not unhitch the
| horse; L went into the stable and laid the
two axes and hammer in the corner, right
on the left corner, near the narrow door
| hot IL ,@,l~a. Il +
over in the house and had little blood on
my pants | took hay and took it off; then
l went over in the house and the children
were all in the house, and the woman was
out at the dicth for water % d
took the oldest boy, John is his name,
and told him to go over in the stable and
help me with something [ had to do; he
goes | stood inside the door, got my axe
in my hand, the little axe, and then he
comes in /; through the long entry first he
comes, right on the corner; [ knocked him
| down and he fell inside, where, the little
blood was; he did not holler; | gave him
one or two OF the same, and cut and chop
ped his throat; brought him in. hauled
him in through the hole, and put a little hay
on him Then put the axe to the same
place at the door; then [ came out in the
| house and told the woman to come over.
there was something the matter with the
little horse, the colt, l could not tie it my
self
| went over, she comes in two or three
minutes, alone; | said nothing to her; she
comes in the stable; [ stood inside and
struck her on the head, she did not holler:
| gave her two or three more blows, and
chopped her throat; | took her on my
shoulder and hauled her in ; then 1 put the
axe in the same place as before, at the door
Then [ go over and bring the boy over
there, Thomas is his name, the next Oldest =