Castner Scrapbook v.19, Disasters, Criminal Prisons 1, page 49
Historical Images of Philadelphia Castner Scrapbook Collection
Item Info
Historic Street Address: Jones Lane, South Philadelphia farm
Media Type: Scrapbooks
Source: Print and Picture Collection
Notes:
Item 1, entire page: A 1954 Sunday Bulletin article, describing accounts and rumors surrounding the 1866 murders of eight people on a farm in South Philadelphia. The title reads, " 'Treasure' Lost With Murder of 8 Still Hunted on Old S. Phila Site." The photograph's caption reads, "Old, illustrated newspaper account of the murder of Christopher Deering, his wife, their four children and two others is read by a granddaughter, Catherine Deering, at her Springfield, Delaware County, home. A legend persists that Deering may have left a buried treasure on his South Philadelphia farm."
Antoine Probst was a disgruntled former farmhand of the Deerings, who confessed to murdering the family for revenge and money, but he found no buried tereasure. He was convicted in May and hanged in June 1866. One surviving child of the family, 9-year-old William Deering, was away at the time of the murders; his children and grandchildren are the Deerings discussed in this article. The farm was originally near today's Front Street & Pattison Avenue, and that land was being cleared for development at the time of this article. It was never confirmed that there was treasure on the property. Text and photographs for a Sunday Bulletin article, 18 x 51 cm. The two photographs measure 18 x 14 cm and 4.5 x 7.5 cm. November28, 1854.
Creation Year: 1845
Call Number: A917.481 P536 v.19
Creator Name: Castner, Samuel, Jr., 1843-1929 - Compiler
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