Maryland free press., 1866-06-14
EXECUTION OF PRoBsT
His Last Moments and Letters-He
Dies Processing C0ntritf0n.

Deering family, was executed to day. VERY few
were admitted to witness the execution, although
there was large and excited outside interest
man ifested. s.....
As the day approached no change whatever
was perccptible in Probst. He ate as heartily
and conversed as unconcernedly as when first re-
ceived into the prison.
During yesterday the Rev. A. N. Grunder,
pastor of the Church of st. Alphonsus, Was in
attendance upon the condemned man. lie e1-
horted him earnestly to place his trust in his Re
deemer, and the wretched criminal appeared to
he devout and penitent. Early this morning
Rev. Mr.. G. was in attendance, together with
Rev. Peter NJ. Carbon, pastor Of Trinity Church,
Probst received the communion this morning,
having tasted for the purpose. The attending
clergymen then, engaged in prayer and exhorts-
tions with the prisoner, and continued these ex-
erciscs until the arrival of Sheriff Howell who
announced to Probst that he was about to ex,-
ute the sentence Of the law.
The preliminaries were proceeded with, and
having been concluded, the prisoner, dressed in
white vest and striped pantaloons, was led
from his cell, supported by the Rev. Messrs.
Grunder and Carbon. He had q cruciix in his
h''iiui "hiSh bS iSpSoeSuiy hisocu Ou Hfb WY 10
the gallows. On reaching the scafold Probst as
cended with much 6rmness. After engaging in
prayer with the attending priest the sheriff hand-r
cuffed him, and the moose rope. being adjusted
the white cap was drawn over his head AT pre-
cisely fifteen minutes before eleven o'clock
Sheriff Howell drew the fatal cord, aud Probst
paid the penalty of his crimes The body fell
about three feet, and after a spasmodic jerking
of the legs and hands, which lasted two or thr, o
minutes death resulted. '. ... .......i
| Yesterday Probst wrote the following farewell.
letter TO his parents in Germany.
! PHILADELPHIA, June Ith lS66.-Dear Pdrents
BTofheTS and Sisters;-I do not know whether
or not you received my last letter, In which
sent yon the sad intelligence of my fate ! de-
sire TO write TO you once again to inform you how
have spent my time here in prison. | have now
spent eight weeks in this cell, and have endesvor-
| ed to prepare for my death as well as possibly
could. The clergyman has visited me every day.
and has instructed Inc well. have several tim
confessed and received holy communion: besides
this, many prayers offered up for me through
out the entire city, AMI there ore 7 am no 90
cheerful and consolcd that can galdly offer my
life as an atonement for my fearful crime. I
trust that you also will be consoled and chcerfu,
as am. 't ... ..l.t..... .........
The clergymen will send you all the particulars
ofmy death. only entrcate you all to pray for
me. Have the holy sacrifice of the mass offered
up irequentlytt for the repose ofmy poor SOUL
Joseph Waechter has also visited me several times
during my Imprisonment He will send you NV
picture and lock of my hair. The sth of June
has been appointed as the day of my death and
Tomorrow will be the 9Th of June, on which
am really 10 offer up my life with greatest ioy for
my sins. trust to meet you all in eternity. in
happier aud better place, and this hope makss
me rejoice with my whole heara will now
close my letter with many thousand greetings to
ail oI you. send most heartfnl farewell.
May we meet again in a better world. 80 ..-..
/ 'a. "ANToN PRoBsr"
Joseph Waechter, who is alluded to in the
above letter, is the only person known 10 bs
connected with Probst's family In America III.
sister is married to brother of Probst' in G.r
many.
The letter to which Probst refers was written
10 ms parents on the 18th Of April soon after his
arrest. lie acknowledged in this letter that he
had murdered an entire family, and asks his par
ents to forgive him, and to pray for him, and then
adds: . ...
,'W hen only think how good and kind you
always were 10 ME, and how happy and comfort
aoie always was while l was with you, and
now have sunk SO low here in the years of my
youth that must die on the gallows, Iwould dc.
sire but one more hour to spend with you, then
wouid. willingly die. When think of you at
nome' ia'her, mother, brothers and little sister
Mary, my senses almost leave me-" -sH o..
-Thad. Stevens would consign the whole
South to the "Penitcntiary of He'll" This figure
of speech, says the New York Ntw., shows the
m 'gnanimity and large heartednessiof Thad-hs
would take the South to--his own bosom,
Judging from the number and nastiness o.
The hard names which the self-stylcd Union or
gans apply to Andrew johnson, the wonder il