The Murder of Indians


Chester County - 1728



This, from Samuel, Nutt, an iron-master, to the Governor, to appraise him of the situation: "May it please the Governour, Just now I received disagreeable news, that one Walter Winter and John Winter have murdered one Indian Man and 2 Indian women without any cause given by the sd,. Indians and that the said Winters have brought 2 girls (one of which is cripled) to Geo. Boon's to receive some reward. I desire the Governour may see after it before he goes down; for most certainly such actions will create the greatest antipathy betwixt the severall nations of Indians and the Christians. The bearer, John Petty, has heard the full relation of this matter; to whom I shall refer the Governour for a more full account and remain the Governour's most hearty friend and servant to command."

The Winters were shortly captured and placed for security in the jail at Chester. "They could give no better reason for their barbarity than that there were reports of Indians depredations in the county, and they felt they were justifiable in killling any of the natives with whom they might meet."    This is the statement of Walter Winter, of Cucussea, County of Chester, in which he admits shooting the Indian man, and says "John Winter at the same time shott one of the Indian Women, and then run up and knocked another Indian woman's brains out, and the 2 Indian girls run away. Then, this examinant with Walter Winter and John Herbert took the corpses of the 2 Indian women and hauled them out of the road and covered them with some leaves." found in PA Archives i. 218.





This page updated on February 14, 2009