Bio

Anton Probst was born in Germany in 1843. He moved to the United States in 1863, during the Civil War. Upon arriving in New York, he found an opportunity to make money by volunteering for service in the Union Army. At that time, recruits were being paid $300, and he took advantage of this. Probst enlisted multiple times, collected the bounties, and then deserted shortly after beginning his service.

In 1865, his scheme to profit from military enlistments ended. By fall 1865, Probst was broke and living on the streets of Philadelphia. He soon learned that Christopher Dearing was looking for a handyman for his small farm. Probst applied and was hired.

The Dearing farm was modest. It had a small house, a barn where they kept a horse and a pig, and some land for grazing cattle. The Dearing family included Christopher, his wife Julia, and their five children. Though not wealthy, they were a happy family.

At first, Probst appeared to be a good worker. However, he eventually showed his true nature. Julia Dearing noticed he was lazy and spent more time lounging than working. After he made some inappropriate comments to her, she urged her husband to let Probst go. Christopher Dearing agreed, and Probst claimed he was unwell. He then stayed at a Philadelphia charity hospital until February 1866.

While in the hospital, Probst planned to get back at the Dearing family for firing him. On March 2, 1866, he returned to the Dearing farm and asked Christopher to hire him again. Feeling pity for him, Dearing agreed. For the next month, Probst worked hard and pretended to be friendly, even winning Julia's trust.

On April 7, 1866, Probst put his plan into action. That morning, Christopher Dearing left to meet a family friend. Probst, along with a young boy named Cornelius Carey who worked on the farm, was in a field when it started to rain. They took shelter together, and when Carey looked away, Probst attacked him.

With his plans set, Probst then lured the Dearing family into the barn one by one. After killing them, he tried to hide the evidence and planned to steal from their home. Only one child, Willie Dearing, survived the attack as he was staying with friends at the time.

After the murders, Probst roamed around the neighborhood until the police found him. He was arrested five days later while drinking at a tavern. Initially, he denied the charges, but the evidence against him was overwhelming. His trial was swift, and he was found guilty within 20 minutes. Anton Probst was executed by hanging on June 8, 1866.

Murder Story

On April 7, 1866, Anton Probst committed a brutal massacre in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He killed eight people from the Dearing family, which included Christopher Dearing, his wife Julia, and their four children. Probst also murdered Cornelius Carey, a boy who worked for the family, and Elizabeth Dolan, a family friend who had come to visit.

Probst began his crimes in the morning and continued until early afternoon. He first attacked Cornelius Carey while they were taking shelter from the rain. Probst struck him with an axe and then killed him by severing his head. He hid Carey's body in a haystack. Afterward, Probst lured the Dearing family into the barn one by one. He used a hammer to incapacitate them before killing them with the axe.

When Christopher Dearing returned home with Elizabeth Dolan, Probst pretended there was a sick animal in the barn to get them inside. Once they entered, he attacked them as well. After the murders, Probst arranged the bodies neatly in the barn and covered them with hay. He then searched the farmhouse for money, finding some in Dearing's wallet and Miss Dolan's purse.

After robbing the house, Probst changed into Christopher Dearing's clothes and ate some food from the kitchen. He then took a nap before leaving the farm. He spent the next few days in the city, indulging in gambling and visiting brothels. Meanwhile, neighbors discovered the murders and alerted the police. Probst was easily tracked down because he tried to sell some of the stolen items.

On April 12, just five days after the murders, Probst was arrested while drinking in a tavern. He initially claimed innocence, but the evidence against him was overwhelming. During his trial on May 1, the jury took only 20 minutes to find him guilty. Anton Probst was executed by hanging on June 8, 1866, shortly after confessing to the crimes. Following his execution, his body was sent to a medical college for dissection, and his skeleton was later displayed in a museum.