San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1892-07-05
NOT MUCH OF A HERO.
EXAMINING TIE RECORD OF TOM
QUICK, INDIAN SLAYER.

in History as Great Fighter OF Saw
ages-Hneidenss, of. His Life.
1t is supposed to be a poor tombstone
that cannot sing praises. In a thousand
graveyards the prevailing sentiment is,
"Here hes q good man." Some years ago
the people of this place erected a monu-
ment which they inscribed to Tom Quick,
the Indian Slayer, or the Avenger of the
Delaware" After considerable speech
making and celebrating they unveiled the
stone, aponywhiuh was inscribed the fol-
lowing touching tribute to the life and
character of the great Delaware valley
pioneer: '''Tom F2uick was the first white
child born within the present borough OF
Milford7'
As he has long been known in history as
q righteous avenger intamed with Just
wrath against his enemies, the silence OF
the marble upon those virtues which near
" all dead men are said to have possessed
is astonishing. Why the worthy gentle
men who had the matter in hand failed to
mention any OF those qualities or deeds by
which Tom Quick made fame, but simply
mentioned Is fact for which he apparently
was quite irresponsible, is possibly an IN
intentional rebuke to those who have de-
Ilg0Ueu 10 hobOT AIOSc VI
cruelty which rendered him famous.
Historians are AZ a rule unsentimental.
The aesthetic peeple, the lovers of the
beautiful, the poetic dreamers have al
WAYS claimed that Quick during his life
time killed 100 Indians. The local histOri-
ans stoutly assert that he only killed fiji
teen at the most. But certainly there
must be some glory in fifteen Indians, and
h., = in irb ha Stn
,sayQuick killed his Indians is taken into
consideration, it is not surprising that
Quick occupies a unique place in history.
He was born in Milford, where his parents
had settled in 1773.
His father built mills and owned other
valuable real estate in the town, but Tom
loved the woods and the mountains and
chose rather to spend his time wandering
with red companions than staying in or
near thesettlements. He became a verita-
BILE Indian in his habits. Until the French
and Indian war he lived in perfect amity
with the savageS, sharing their amUse-
meDts and pursuits. During this war,
however. some savages shot Toms father
from ambush. His friendship turned i'm
mediately to the deadliest hatred, and he
swore that he would kill every redskin
that crossed his path; he would hunt them
as long as one of them remained east of the
AlleghaDies. The first Indian to be killed
by Quick was named Muskwink. After
the French and Indian war this Indian re-
turned to the Valley of the Neyersink
One day Quick went to a tavern near the
junction of the Neversink and Delaware
rivers There he met Muskwink, who
was, as usual. intoxicated. The Indian
approached Tom and told him with great
glee that he was of the party that killed
Ouick's father He said he had scalped
the old man with his own hand. He de
scribed laughingly the dying agOnies of
Quick's father and mimicked his cries and
groans, Tom was Immediately worked up
to the conyulsive fury of an enraged pan
ther. He snatched an old musket from
the wall, and pointing it at Muskwink's
breast drove him out of the house in ad-
vance of himself. After proceeding with
his prisoner about mile from the tavern
he shot him in the back, dragged the body
into the bushes and left it.
At another time Tom and two other
white men went into ambush in thicket
which overlooked some rocks where Indians
often fished. Three Indians came to the
rocks and were attacked by the white men.
One was killed by blow on the head with
a club. Another was shot through the
head and through the hand, while the
third jumped into the river to save his life
On one occasion Quick and number of
other white hunters sought shelter for the
night in the log cabin of a man named
Showers. An Indian arrived later and
asked permission to stay all night. Show
ers agreed and the Indian, rolling himself
in his blanket, lay down among the white
hunters. In the middle of the night there
was an explosion. When the hunters
hastily struck a light they discovered
Quick with smoking rifle in his hand
standing over the body of the Indian, who
had been shot dead in his sleep.
Another tale told of him smacks some.
what of the impossible, and yet should he
recognized as a unique method of fighting
Indians. 1t seems that the tribes used &c
send small parties of their young warriors
TO kill this implacable hater of their race.
A party of these Indians once met Quick in
the woods He was splitting a long log.
They announced to him their intention Of
killing him. He parleyed with them foI
some time. Finally he seemed to agree to
their plan, but requested that he be al
lowed, as his last act on earth, to split that
log. They agreed for certain reasons only
known to themselves. He drove a wedge
in the end and then he begged as another
favor, that they assist him in splitting the
log. Again they innocently and guilelessly
agreed.
Arranging themselves in a long line
down the side of the log, the imbecile red
skins placed their fingers in the cracl
held open by the wedge and began Il
heave. Tom then calmly knocked Ou
the wedge, the log closed up and their fin
gers were all caught tight and fast. The,
. of course danced about like so many kit
tens whose claws were caught in balls o
warn. Tom enjoyed their peculiar gyra
tions and listened to their passionate com