198 HisTORr or 



but did not beat him, that afterwards Burt struck the 

 Indian several blows with the fist, that the said Wright 

 and Burt afterwards returned into the house where the 

 Indians followed them and broke open the door, that 

 while Wright was endeavoring to pacify them, Burt 

 called out for his gun, and continued to provoke them more 

 and more ; that hereupon said Wright fled to the hen- 

 house to hide himself, whither the Indians pursued him, 

 and next morning he was found dead. The inquisition 

 on the body set forth, that the said Wright came to his 

 death by several blows on his head, neck and temples, 

 which the jurors said, they believe, were done by the In- 

 dians. This quarrel arose from too free use of rum, sold 

 by Burt, the Indian trader.* 



About this time the colonists of Pennsylvania were 

 much anno^^ed by non-resident Indians, who frequently, 

 in small parties, roved on the borders of the settlements, 

 and stimulated by drink and cupidity, committed out- 

 rages upon the persons and property of the inhabitants. 

 This was the case in the settlements on Manatay creek, 

 which empties into the Schuylkill, thirty miles above 

 Philadelphia, t 



In the spring of 1728, the inhabitants of the upper 

 part of Chester oounty, were considerably alarmed, in 

 view of a quarrel that was likely to ensue between the 

 Indians of these parts and the Shawanese, wlio had 

 killed two of the Conestogoe Indians. Mr. Wright 

 acquainted the Governor by letter that the Indians 

 seemed to prepare for war, and that therefore his presence 

 was desired as necessary to settle these differences, 

 which might, in the end, affect the peace of the people of 

 the province. In the back parts of the county, whole 



»Col. Rec. III. 302. fGordon, 206. 



