The Newberry herald. [volume] (Newberry, S.C.) 1865-1884, 1866-05-23
rhe Death Sentence Of Probst, The FuT.
Gerer.

Tne Death Sentence Of Pr0bst, The NuT.
Gerer.
On Tuesday, in the Court Of Oyer and Ter
miner, in PhiIadclp phia-Judges Allison, Lud-
low, and Pierce on the bench-when Probst,
the murderer of the Dccrng family was ar
raigucd for sentence, his counsel moved an ar
rest of Judgment and new trial, on certain
technical sroDn}S The motion, however,
was overrncd, and Judge Allison, in the pre-
scnce Of crowded COURTROOM and amid pro-
found silence, proceeded to pronounce the
sentence of death. Addressing the prisoner,
the Judge remarked
By none other but by legal evidence, not in
the least degree by your own confession, but
by evidence from which there was no escape,
most conclusive in its character you have
been f0nnd guilty Of the commission of one of
the most APPALLING crimes of which the records
Of civilized jurisprudence make any mcn:ion.
\ felony Of murder unparalleled your heart
conceived and your hands executed in plan
most comprehensive; in minntcncsS cf detail
uncQualcd in execution relentless, brutal,
savage beyond precedent.
\ husband and a father, returning to his
home, in ali the strength and glory of his man
hood; wife and mother, toing for the little,
loved ores, whom God had given to hcr-toll-
ine at her domestic altar-her humble fire.
SIDE; companion of your daily labor, who
with YOU shared your bed who almost slept
in your arms; at peace with you; the very
b. cath of whose life you brcathed; your
fourth victim, an inoticnsive visitor, whose
sex would have not in vain appealed to your
compassion, if compassion you possess, had
ycu but thought of the mother who save you
birth. And four helpless children of t!.ese
slaughtered parents; four little ones VINO had
never done you harm; Of three of these, in
innocent and happy childhood, yon had been
the daily witness listened to their younS and
merry voices, and perhaps haze had chem
play in confidence and trust about YOU; and
;l4g' Ip&r;n, 2Inilins, Gender, SeHuc paOe. VINO
had not yet learned to lisp your name, or to
know YOU as q stranger in that household ;
whose tiny, bloody garments, brought here
by other hands, bore testimony most crushing
against the monster, in the shape Of man, whc
cut aul hacked its young life away.
OF all who ga,hcrcl beneath the humble
roof of Christopher Decr;ng, but cne remains
a little, lonely, solitary Boy, saved not by
your mercy, for mercy you had none, but by
an intcrposing Providence protected from your
murderous arm and uplirted axe, with which
you sought to kill them ALL All these you
performed alone, or aided by another, it mat
tcrS not which, so far as the legal and moral
guilt Of all these murders committed by you
is concerned and much more that human
eye hath not seen you did, with malice inc"A'
cevablc.
Almost without motive you went at your
work Sclfimposed and eight innocent victims
YOU slew; not suddenly, not in a tempest ol
resistlccS passion, but in the coclnesS of pre-
nlcG.ta;cd design-one by one, at intervals,
with solemn pause; with calm dellberatlon,
and with a cuenchlesc thirst for blood you
ceased not until all that you set out to do was
fully ended, and you found yourself alone
with the dead. Your triumph was then COM
plete. -.
This is but poor picture of your work;
and Of this here remind you, that you may
even now, at this dread hCur for you, realize,
if it indeed be possible for you to do so, the
cnorynitv of your deeds Of UlooG, and before
God seek for pardon for your crime No one
may limit his power to forgive, but you can
find mercy only in rcdcemirg love. Men can
not, will not, dare not pass by unavenged a
crime so fearful as to be almost namelcss.
Society demands prosecution and violated law
yindicaton. But the Omnipotent God hash
sai;!., "WhosCe7er will, let him come" 10
His mercy commend you.
But what YOU have to do, do speedily; for
the night of death casts its shadows already
around you. The avcngcr Of blood has fol-
lowed steadily after you, and in the darkness
of the night the invisible finger of the AL
mighty pointed you cut to yoCr purSEcr55, and
Justice now claims you as its own. And that
which it REQUIRES to be done shall not long be
delayed You had your S cess in the eXecu-
ton of yonr fell purpose. But it demands It's
triumph now, in the detection, exposure, con
viclion and promrtcst and Ge7ercSt punish
ment Of the criminal, who has dced alike the
laws Of God and man, and outraged all the
noblrr Sympathics Of his nature.
1t only remains for me to pass on you the
Judgment Of the law, which is that YOU mere
the four Judges rose, and amid GREATNESS
silence, concluded the sentcnccl, Anton
i'roh>t, the prisoner at the bar, be taken from
thence to the Jail Of the county of PhlIadel-
phia, from whence You came and from thence
to shc place OF execution and that you there
nC naNEcu OE Tue ueCh UNI! goG r'tN N~"o'
And may tod have mercy OH yo"r soul
Judge AIlISoN's remarks were delivered
with much emphasis, and in avery impressive
manner, and amid the most profound silence,
Notwithstanding the crowded condition Of the
court room
The prisoner stood erect, and kept his eyes
fixed on the Judge. IIedid not move muscle
during the entire time of the delivery OF the
sentence, and at its close quietly tcS5 MS
scat.
Directly after the sentence he was asked by
Mr.. Thcn, the Court Interpreter, whether ne ne
understood the sentence. Prob>t rcpI!t1' i
understood all tie Judge said, bnt he dld not
say when was going to be hung. LiNS;
Governor l!c>;~na;cs the day.l The removal
Of shc prisoner from the Court room was the
signal for tie most dcaGenins and TH":Sero;S
shouts on the part Of the iml:cnSe wnIutu"e
assembled on SiXth-Strect, and as the van
drove rapidly off to the prison., followed by 4
body Of policemen on the run, the groans ana
hisSrs ere at their height.
ExchGnge.