In Dr. Parkman's diary, now in the library of the American Antiquarian Society at Worcester, under the date of August 27, 1779, is this entry: "The notorious Thom. Cook came in (he says) on Purpose to see me. I gave him w{ t} admonition, Instruction, and Caution I could--I beseech God to give it force! He leaves me with fair Words--thankful and promising." There came a time when his crime of arson or burglary led to his trial, conviction, and sentence to death. He heard the awful words of the judge, "I therefore sentence you to be hanged by the neck till you are dead, dead, dead," and he called out cheerfully, "I shall not be there on that day, day, day." And when that day came, surely enough, his cell was empty.
Tom Cook was most attractive in personal appearance; agile, well formed, well featured, with eyes of deepest blue, most piercing yet most kindly in expression. He was adored by children, and his pockets were ever filled with toys which he had stolen for their amusement. By older persons he was feared and disliked. He extorted from many wealthy farmers an annual toll, which exempted them from his depredations. One day a fire was seen rising from the chimney of a disused schoolhouse in Brookline, and Tom was caught within roasting a stolen goose, which he had taken from the wagon of a farmer on his way to market. The squire took him to the tavern, which was filled with farmers and carters, many of whom had been his victims. He was given his choice of trial and jail, or to run a gantlet of the men assembled. He chose the latter, and the long whips of the teamsters paid out many an old score of years' standing.
A very amusing story of highway robbery is told of John Buckman of Buckman's Tavern, of Lexington, Massachusetts (which is shown on page 23). An old toper bought a bottle of rum, and the by-standers jokingly asked him what he would do if he were attacked on the road. He answered solemnly that he would rather give up his life than his rum. John Buckman slipped out of the room, took a brass candlestick that had a slide that could be snapped with a noise like the trigger of a pistol. He waylaid the rum-lover not far from the tavern, and terrified him so that he quickly gave up his beloved bottle. This was a famous joke when John told it in the tavern taproom, but John did not laugh the next day when he was arrested for highway robbery and fined fifty dollars.