North Branch democrat. [volume] (Tunkhannock, Pa.) 1854-1867, 1866-05-16
The DEERTNG FAMILY MURDER.
Full Con fessiOn OF Probst.

PHILADELPHIA, May 7.-Probst has
made full confession to his priest of all
the murders of the Deering family, COM
mencing with Cornelius Carey, the hired
boy. He had no accompllce in his bloody
work
After describing the murder of the boy
Carey, he says
The sight of the blood of the boy pro
Auced in me devlish and blood thirsty
feeling, and determined at once to mur-
der the whole family" lie disposed of
the body of the boy as described before,
and then deliberately walked over TO the
house. He enterek 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 lie got
him inside the barn door he dispatched him
with a small axe he had secured. He then
went back to the house and told Mrs Deer
inc there was something the matter with
one of the cows, and he wanted her to
some to the barn She went, and he fol-
| lowed. and as soon as she entered inside he
struck her in the head and killed her. He
| then went back to the house and brought
the children out one at time, and taking
them inside the barn dispatched them one
by one with the same axe. In each in
stance he cut their throats and placed their
bodies in the corn crib himself just in the
position they were found. lie then cover
| ed the bodies up and proceeded to wipe out
all evidence: Of his guilt lie then went
back to the house and awaited the arrival
of Mr. Deering, not expecting that Miss
Dolan would accompany him. AS soon as
Mr.. Deering arrived in the carriage he got
ont, and Probst told him something was
wrong with one of the COWS, and asked him
to 90 over to the barn with him. Dr.
Deering went along with him, and Miss
Dolan went into the house and took off her
bonnet and furs, Mr.. Deering did not even
take eff his gloves before going into the
| barn, but proceeded there at once, folio" ed
! BY Probst WHO had an axe concealed ready
for use. As soon as Mr.. Deering entered
the door, ProbSt states that he hit him in
the head and fell him to the earth, and
then chopped at his neck with the edge of
|
last victim. She proceeded 10 the barn af-
ter coming down stairs and not finding any
of the family in the house, and Probst
who was in waiting for her treated her as
he had done the rest Of the family. After
carving out the bodies and covering them
up with hay, the murderer went into the
house and commenced searching for vaiua-
bles. He states he got no money, but ex-
pected to secure a considerable amount
He states that Miss polar's pocket book
had very little in it. He saw nothing
whatever of the two $50 compound inter
est nct,s and $40 bill of the same charac-
ter, that are missing. He remained about
the house for some time, picked up the ar
ticles found in the black valise, aid left
about dark His further movements were
prettys much as brought out on the trial,
and which are patent to the minds of the
whole community Probst states that lie
would have confessed to all the murders
before, but be feared if he did SO he would
be torn to pieces by the moi.
SECOND DISPATCH.
The confession of Probst is phonograph
ically reported by the Inquirer. The facts
agree mainly with the report already sent.
He said he had no thought of committing
the murder at the tip'c of hiring with Deer
ing, but calculated on robbine 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 ship Columbus, from Bremen, and new
er did anything wrong in Germany. His
father and mother are still living at Baden.
He is "a years old. He enlisted twice
and deserted, first in the Forty-first New
York, and then in the Fifth Cavalry. He
planned every way to get Deering's money,
but never had chance. He says: MY
first plan was to Kill him, and get the mon
ey; | could not get the money in any 9th
er way; | thought of killing them at the
house as they came down in the morning !;
| | got the axe sometimes ready for them
when they came down evenings; got
some good chances, but my heart filled
me.'
After describing the manner of murder
ing Cornelius Carey and Mrs. Deering and
her children, he gives the following expla-
nation of the killing of the infants; Then
/ went over to the house and took Annie
and told her that her mother wanted to see
her in the stable. She did not say a word.
took little baby-I took it on my arm
The little girl walked along side of me. /
left little baby on the first corner as You 60
into the stable, playing on the bay. Then
[ went to the same place that | killed the
others; she looked around like for her
mother, who was in the hay; she did not
say anything; knocked her down at the
first blow, and cut her throat same as the
others then l went back and got little
baby, and struck i, on the head in the
same place there ] hauled them into the
same place.
After describing the killing of Deering
and Miss Dolan, the tiend says he took out
Mr. Deerings pocket book. but only got