Elmore bulletin. [volume] (Rocky Bar, Idaho) 1889-1906, 1892-10-16
NOT MUCH OF A HERO.
EXAMINING THE RECORD OF TOM
QUICK, INDIAN SLAYER.


In PennsyivanIa-ue Has Como Down
In History as q Great Fighter of Saw
ages-Iucidcnts Of His Life.
IL is supposed 10 bu poor tombstone
that cannot sing praises In thousand
graveyarls the prevailing sentiment Ii,
"IIere lies good man." Some years ago
the people VI this place erected monu-
Rent 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 upon which WAS inscribed the fol-
lowing touching tribute to the life and
character Of the great Delaware valley
pioneers Tom Quick was the first white
child born within the present borough of
Milford"
a. he has long been known in history as
a righteous ayenger inflamed with just
wrath against his enemies the silence Of
the marble upon those virtues which near
/ ly 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 fact for which he apparently
was quite irresponsible, Is possibly an un-
intentional rebuke TO those who have de-
I lighted to honor those qualities Of pitiless
cruelty which rendered him famous.
| Historians are a. rule unsentimental.
The aesthetic people, the lovers of the
beautiful, the poetic dreamcrs, have al
ways claimed that Quick during his life
time killed 100 Indians The local histori-
ans stoutly assert that he only killed fif-
teen at the most. But certainly there
must be- some glory In fifteen Indians. and
when the manner In which the historians
say Quick killed his Indians il taken into
consideration, IL il not surprising that
| Quick occupies a unique place In history
He was born in Milford, where his parents
had settled in iT13
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 the settlements. He became verita-
BILE Indian in his habits Until the French
and Indian war he lived in perfect amity
with the savages, sharing their amuse-
ments 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
Alleghanics. 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 Neversink.
One day Quick went 20 a tavern near the
junction Of the Sevorsink aud Delaware
rivers, There he met Muskwink, who
was, as usual, intoxicated. The Indian
approached Tom and told him with great
| seribed fangmngIy- tile dying agonIes OF
Ouick's father and mimicked his cries and
| grnans. Tom was Immediately worked up
To the convulsive fury OF an enraged pam
thcr He snatched an old musket from
the wall. and pointing It at Muskwink's
hrcast drove him out Of the house in adj
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 1t.
AT another time Tom and two other
white men went into ambush hi a thicket
which overlooked some rocks where Indians
often nsbed Three Indians came to the
rocks and were attacked by the white men.
One was killed by blow on the head with
n 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 a number OF
other white hunters sought shelter for the
night In lhe log cabin Of man named
Showers An Indian arrived later ana
asked permission ta.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 light they discovered
Quick with a smoking rifle in his hand
standing over the body Of the Indian, whe
had b...n shnt deal in his sleep.
Another tale told of him smacks some
what Of the impossible, and yet should b
: recognized as a unique method VI fighting
Indians IL seems that the tribes used u
J send small parties OF their young warrior
J 10 Kill this implacable hater OF their race
party OF these Indians once NEE Quick II
the woods. He was splitting long log
They announced TO him their intention o
killing him lie parleyed with them 70
some time Finally he seemed to agree :
their plan. hut requested that he be a.
. lowed as his last act on earth, 70 split.tha
log, They agreed for certain reasons onl
known to themselves. lie drove wedl
In the end and then he begged as anothe
favor, that they assist him in splitting th
e log. Again they innocently and guilelessl
agreed. =,
down the side OF the log, the imbecile res
skins placed their fingers in the crac
q held open by the wedge and began
heaye. Tom then calmly knocked OF
!. the wedge, the log closed up and their I'll
gers were all caught tight and fast, The
y OF course danced about like so many XII
tens whose claws were caught in balls
yarn. Tom enjoyed their peculiar gyr
tions and listened to their passionate cor
ments for awhile and then proceeded
cut them up in small pieces with his az.
!. 1t is notable fact that no one in q
history Of the country has ever discover
that Kind of an Indian except Tom Quiz
In this alleged adventure. Quick final
died from old age In his bed quietly.
Milford tPa.) Cor New York Tribune.
Hama Talent.