Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1866-05-19
THE DEARxNG TRAGEDY.
The Death Warrant of Probst ke-
cefved-The Time Of the Execution.
PHILADELPHIA. May 0.

PHILADELPHIA, May o.
The death warrant of the murderer Propst
was received from Harrisburg, by SneriI
Howell, this morning. II is in the usuaI
form of q recital of the crime Tor wnicn lne
contlem ned is to suffer DEATH, with STATE
ment of the time of convicuon, &C M
DAY, THE STH DAY OF JUNE, BETWEEN THE
HOURS OF TEN O'CLOCK A. M. AND THREE +.
NJ, WAS NAMED AS THE TINE OF EXECUTION.
panied by Enoch Taylor, Esq. his principal
deputy, Hon. Charles Gilpin, his solicitor,
and two representatives Of the newspaper
press, proceeded to the county Nison for
the purpose of reading the paper to the
doomed man.
The prisoner was occupied in religious
services at the time of the arrival of the
Sheriff, After little delay the latter and
| his party were admitted to the cell of
Probst
The latter was found sitting upon his bed
leaning back against the wall with his left
ankle chained to the floor in the usual way.
The only person in the cell with the pris.
oner at the time was an assistant Priest from
the Roman Catholic Church of st. Philip,
who was in official attendance upon the con
/ demned man.
Mr.. Perkins, the Superintendent of the
! prison, led the way into the CELL and intro.
| duced Sheriff took scat, and after inquir.
ing Of the prisoner concerning his health, to
which he received response that he ProbsU
'felt pretty we'll" he proceeded to perform
| the duty in hand.
Tie Sheriff remarked that he had receiv.
cd the death warrant of the prisoner from
| Harrisburg, and that he would now proceed
to perform the painful duty of reading it,
While all present were uncovered, and all
except Probst remained standing, the docu-
ment was read in clear and distinct voice
by the Sheriff
We watched the condemned man closely
during the reading Of the paper. He pre-
sented much the same appearance that dis
tinguished him during the trial. Ills eyes
were fixed upon the ground, there was a
suppressed heaving of the chest, the eyes
became slightly sutlused when the time fix
ed for the execution was named, and at the
close of the reading the prisoner bowed his
head twice, rs if in submission to his fate.
The Sheriff then asked Probst if he un-
derstood that Friday, the 6th day of June,
was the time fixed for his execution. lie
replied briefly Yes" The Sheriff then
added that he hoped he would make good
use of the time still left him on earth to
prepare himself for the dread event To
this the prisoner merely bowed his head III
acquiesencc.
The reverend gentleman who was present
then remarked that the prisoner admitted
the justice of the punishment which he was
TO meet. He had committed crime o1
great atrocity, and that hc felt that the only
atonement he could make for it would be
the laying down of his own life. He was
reaGy to die.
The priest also said that Prohst had de
cared himself easier in his mind since he
had confessed the whole truth in regard tc
his crimes.
In reply to questions put to the prisoner
he said he was twenty-iour years and foul
months old, and that he had first landed III
the United States on the 9th Of May, 1868
exactly three years ago. What an anniyer
sary
Upon question to that effect being pro
! pounded TO the prisoner, the latter declared
that lie did not desire the attendance of any
protessed religious person except the clergy
men whom he had already indicated. Thi!
question was put in consequence of the grca'
number Of applications of religious persons
to visit him. This decision of the condemn
ed mans settles the question of their rpiec
ton for the future.
The sheriff and his party soon after lcf
the cell, and the wretched crimina! was lct
alone with his spiritua. adviser