Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1892-05-26
NOT MUCH OF A HERO.
EXAMINING TIE RECORD OF TOM
QUICK, INDIAN SLAYER.

In History Great Fighter of Saw
ares-Incidcnts of His Life.
1t is supposed 80 be a poor tombstone
that cannot sing praises. In a thousand
gFaveysrds the prevailing sentiment is,
"Here lies a 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, upon which was inscribed the fol
lowing touching tribute to the life and
character Of the great Delaware valley
pioneer: Tom Quick was the first white
child born within the present borough of
Milford"
As he has long been known in history as
a righteous avengor inflamcd 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 n fact for which he apparently
was quite Irresponsible, is possibly an I'M
intentional rebuke to those who have de
lighted to honor those qualities of pitiless
cruelty WHICH TenucTSu MN lUliOIS.
Historians nre as n rule unsentimental.
The aesthetic people, 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 IF
teen ut 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 is taken into
consideration, it is not surprising that
Quick occupies a unique place i'll history.
He was born in Milford, where his parents
had settled in 11113
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. lie became a verita-
bic Indian in his habits. Until the French
md Indian war he lived in perfect amity
with the savaGCS, sharing their amusc-
ments and pursuits. During this war,
however some savages shot Toms father
from ambush. His friendship turned i'm
mediatcly to the deadliost hatred, and he
swore that he would kill every rcdskin
that crossed his path; 10 would hunt them
rs long ~ ore Of them remained east Of the
ALoRE2IiicS. The first Indian to be killed
by Quick was named Nusllwiuk. After
the French and Indian war this Indian re
turned to the Valley of the Ncversiuk.
One day Quick went to Il tavern near the
junction of the Noversiuli and Delaware
rivers. There he met Muskwink, who
was, rs usual intoxicated. The Indian
approached Tom and told him with great
glee that he was Of the party that killed
a@l ~. ,,.,, , 1'''' TI T
wv 'i''4 " i1'i "'1 '''4I i''''i"' Iic Nc
9I. a'l'iS ,i-o ~ ~ -,
',i''' w. il'9 'N ''i''
N'I N' up
,Jsa IT, ,tol,I W ~ W l,'''-
th,,ii 7i ,,ri,,4:I. Hf1.S.ii M
i,a't @f 49, '-,' ii-,
,,a,'~u " l,n'.air Cl., ,,,o,i,,.
,,,.;s[.,cr l,o-,+ - nil. f, ,I,a,
asa+ ii,,, j., tI,(, 1'o,I- I,.,,.l'+l a,l,i-.
;,+a,,, l,,st,a. ma lax. -
- n,o+l,ar t;,,,o ,rI,,, ,,,1 ,,..o o-,,a,
v..Iito ,,,,,, .,.,.,.. i,t, a,,,hr.h :, +l,i,ll.
,li,I .1i = 49, - -,
Eek, rtl r,I,, r,Ii,,,,, a.,,,, ~ ~
I ~ '-.0
N,,a., i.iIIai I. l,i,,,,. ~ ,I li
.i . VI. O. .f i',",t " ~ L
,5 ,d t1,..,l,.., H. i'3 NH, , .i'1
,L!l '''-- '''''''' ~ .i0
OhlIo J"'HPc'' lii'O lii' 44'tI ~ save MS me.
On one occasion Quick and number of
other white hunters sought shelter for the
night II! the log cahln OF n man named
growers -AA IH''Idh arrived later and
asked PERMISSION 10 stay an night. Show
ers agreed and the IHdlau' rolling himself
III ms blanEet, lay down among the white
tulIers ia the mldCie Oh the night there
was an explosion. men the hunters
laslily struck ilSht they discovered
tpUlck win Il SiflOklnE rifle his I'm nd