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- The accounts of him scattered throughout Riker's Revised History of Harlem (citation details below) begin with the story of how he was attacked by Catholics while at a Protestant graveside service in his native Amiens, killed a man in the ensuing fight, and subsequently found it necessary to flee to Leiden, where his mother already lived. Coming to New Amsterdam, he lived a productive life of business and office-holding, but seems to have always been a man of fiery temperament. One of the last episodes of his life is another public affray, on 30 Mar 1673, which began as a street fight between his son, Daniel Jr., and other youngsters, conducted first with fists, then rocks and sticks, then knives. Wading into the brawl along with several other fathers of the combatants, Tourneur went at young David Demarest with a knife, but the younger man struck him a stunning blow on the head with a large stick, "so that he fell down." Continues Riker:
"Society was not very polished in those days, and was still wedded to the old ideas about personal prowess,--pluck and muscle, never mind what called them forth, were things to boast of and applaud. The younger combatants might glory in this general knock-down, and little fear the approbrium; but for the two elderly ones holding high positions, Demarest a magistrate, and Tourneur a deacon, sober retrospection no doubt brought shame and regret. But we must discriminate between Tourneur, rash, even dastardly, and Demarest, more temperate in his Picard impulses, and probably acting in self-defence only. The latter, a few weeks later (August 23d) was re-elected to the magistracy; but then Tourneur, a man, mauger his faults, of generous instincts and of great energy, and to whose tact and abilities the town owed much of its success, had just closed an active life and been laid to rest. He is last noticed May 12th, when he subscribed as witness to an engagement of Thomas Selligh, late in his employ, to work a year for Wallerand du Mont, of Esopus."
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