Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1866-06-12
The Execution Of Antoine proAet=


A dispatch from Philadelphia, dated june
sth gives the following account Of the exeoe.
ton of Antoine PrObst, for the murder of The
Deering family
AT hah-past nine o'clock this morning thu
Sheriff, few of his special deputies, his iurv
his legal advisers, and six representatives Of
the newspaper press, met by previous private
arrangement at the Assembly Building. and
q 5aklag special car at 10.45 O'Clock on the
tenth Street Railway, the entire party WAS
soon within the walls OF the prison.
After some necessary preliminaries. the
prisoner was led from his cell. supported nv
the rev. DIS. Grun6ner and Carbon. He
i hS1 4 cr1clfx in. his hand, which he repeated
y Kissed on his way to the gallows On
fcaching the scatfold, PrObst assembled with
much armncss, kissing the crucifix freouent-
~, and eviifeiRg devotion aud much conrosc.
AIIcr engaging IN prayer with the attend.
ing Priests the Sheriff hand. cutFe3 him md
the moose rope being adjusted the white can
was drawn over his head
At precisely fifteen minutes before elever
O'Clock Sheriff Hamilf drew the fatal cord
and Pr0bst had paid the penalty of his crimes,
The body fell about three feet aud after n
spasmodic jerking of the legs and hands which
lasted two or three minutes death had evident.
~ resulted
Yesterday afternoon the murderer asked
Tor writing materials, so that he might write,
farewell letter to his family in Germany
They were furnished to him. and he wrote in
quite good German, a letter, of which the fol-
lowing is a translation. 1t was addressed ON
the envelope as follows:
"Mr. Martin Probst, Uehlingen. Amt,
Bondorf, Duchy of Baden, Germany"
FAREWELL LETTER TO HIS PARENTS
PHrLADELPHIA, June 7th, 1866.
Dear Parents, Brothers and Sisters
do not know whether or not YOU received
my last letter in which l sent YOU the sad in
telllgence of MY fate, desire to write to vo,s
once again to inform you how have snent
my time here in the prison. have now snent
eight weeks in this cell and have endeayored
to prepare for my death as well as possibly
could. The clergyman has visited me every
DAY and has instructed me we'll. have sew
erai tunes confessed and received holy COM
monton, besides this many prayers are offered
up for me throughout the entire city. and
therefore, 'am now so cheerful and copsolsj
that cap gladly offer my life as an atone
ment for my fearful crime / trust that Won
also will be cOnsoled and cheerful as | am
The clcrgymen will send you all the particu
lars OF my death. only entreat You all to
pray for me- Have the holy sacrifice of mass
offered up frequently for the repose of my poor
sOGl. Joseph Waechter has also visited me
several times during my Imprisonment. Ito
will send you my picture and n lock of my
hair The Sth of june has been appointed
as the day OF my death, and on to morrow
will be the 9Th of juno on which am ready
to offer up my life with greatest joy for my
sins trust to meet you all in eternity in u
happier and better place, and this hope makes
me rejoice with my whole heart. l will now
close my letter with many thousand greetings
to all ofyOu. l send a most heart eli farewell.
May we meet again III better world.
ANTOINE PRoBsT"