约翰·马尔科姆于1723年出生于波士顿，是苏格兰-爱尔兰移民迈克尔·马尔科姆和莎拉·马尔科姆的儿子. John became a ship owner and master and had an active military career, beginning with the 1745 Siege of Louisburg. 弗兰克·赫西(Frank Hersey)形容他“脾气暴躁，只要受到一点点挑衅，就会暴跳如雷。.” Throughout his life, this temper would lead him into disputes with just about anyone, and unlike his brother Daniel, 一个爱国者, 约翰站在殖民地和王室之间酝酿中的争端的对立面，为他在波士顿的结局奠定了基础. During the Regulator Uprising in 北卡罗莱纳 (1768-1771), 马尔科姆因“热情镇压”“叛军”部队而臭名昭著，并因在库里塔克海关审计长办公室的不当行为而被停职, 北卡罗莱纳.

After his suspension, Malcom was appointed to a position in the Customs House in Falmouth, 缅因州, with the newspapers announcing the arrival of “the famous John Malcom, (他说)当这些人被雇用到公共事务中去的时候，我将得到海关官员的极大授权, 这给了我们充分的理由认为我们的宪法中有一些腐烂的木板.考虑到他的名声，马尔科姆不久就在海事界引起了骚动

In late October, Malcom seized the ship 兄弟 for not having a register under the slimmest of pretexts and, 在这样做的时候, he behaved in his trademark antagonistic manner. 的 Boston Gazette and Country Journal of 15 November 1773 reported on the outcome:

昨天我.e. 11月1. 1773] about 12 o’Clock, we were saluted with three Cheers at a distance, when approaching the Window to investigate the Cause, we saw about 30 Sailors, surrounding an Object which had more the appearance of the D----l, than any Human being; but in Truth it was the infamous J—N M----m, Esq; who had render’d himself obnoxious to the Sailors by being an Informer. 的y surrounded Mr. Bradbury’s House, where Malcom was, after a stout resistance John Irish was taken, being disarm’d of Sword, 甘蔗, 帽子 & 假发, he was genteely TARR’D and FEATHER’D; then after marching thro’ the Streets an Hour, 被开除了.

这种涂油和涂羽毛的“绅士”性质——水手们在涂油之前没有脱掉马尔科姆的衣服——与几个月后他在波士顿受到的待遇形成鲜明对比.

A random altercation on the streets of Boston

While Malcom’s first experience with the tar and feathers was related to his official duties; his second would occur due to a dispute in the streets of Boston. By the time Malcom returned to Boston, 自1768年以来，它一直被英国士兵占领，经历了克里斯托弗·塞德尔(Christopher Seidel)被杀和波士顿大屠杀的骚乱，而它的公民刚刚将三船货的东印度茶倾倒进了港口. Boston was tense, and the presence of an arrogant, self-important Customs enforcer didn’t help matters.

On 25 January 1774, by all accounts a bitterly cold day with snow on the ground, Boston shoemaker George R. T. 休斯遇到约翰·马尔科姆，他威胁要用手杖打一个小男孩. As reported by the newspapers of the day, 他确信，如果他动手，马尔科姆会杀了他. 的 situation quickly escalated from there:

... Mr. Malcom, I hope you are not going to strike the boy with that stick. 马尔科姆答道，“你是个无礼的流氓，这不关你的事。. Mr. 凿 then asked him, what had the child done to him. Malcom damned him and asked him if he was going to take his part? Mr. 凿回答 ... 他认为用这样一根棍子打那孩子是他的耻辱, if he intended to strike him. Malcom on that damned Mr. 凿, called him a vagabond, 并说他要让他知道，不要在街上和绅士说话. Mr. 凿返回 ... 他既不是流氓，也不是流浪汉，虽然他是个穷人，但在镇上却和他一样有良好的信誉 ... I [凿] never was tarred nor feathered any how. 马尔科姆就这样打了他一拳，把他的前额深深地打伤了. 凿 for some time lost his senses ...

In fact, Malcom’s blow tore a two inch gash in 凿’s hat and head. Dr. 约瑟夫•沃伦, who treated 凿, noted that had he not possessed such a “thick skull,” the wound surely would have been mortal. B.B. Thatcher and James Hawkes, who each memorialized 凿 in the 1830s, reported that the scars were still perceptible even 60 years later.

“I want to see it done in the new-fashioned manner”

After he had regained his senses, 休斯去找警官，要求他签发对马尔科姆的逮捕令，两人一起到马尔科姆家去执行, 但发现房子已经被愤怒的波士顿人包围(袭击的消息传播得很快)，他离开了, planning to return the next day. It was then that the mob took Malcom’s punishment into their own hands. Again, from the newspapers:

Malcom went home, where the people gathering round, he came out and abused them greatly, 说, you say I was tarred and feathered, and that it was not done in a proper manner, 该死的你, let me see the man that dare do it better! I want to see it done in the new-fashioned manner.

的 crowd soon obliged, dragging Malcolm from the house, 剥夺他, and applying tar to his bare skin before coating him with feathers. 他们带着他穿过波士顿冰冷的街道，来到许多人的欢呼中, 尽管一些, 包括凿, tried to aid Malcom by bringing him their own blankets or coats. 的 events of the evening went on for hours, 最后，马尔科姆被迫喝茶，向所有皇室成员敬酒，直到他生病到快要崩溃的地步. Being threatened with the loss of his ear, 马尔科姆最终投降了，被送回了家，休斯回忆说，“这个可怜的家伙几乎被冻僵了。, and was rolled out of the cart like a log.” Malcom’s injuries were grievous; the frostbite had caused his skin to peel off in chunks along with the tar and he was bedridden for eight weeks. After he recovered, 马尔科姆带着自己冻伤后留下的大块皮肤，动身前往英格兰，向国王请求赔偿. 15年后，他在那里去世，远离留在波士顿的妻子和孩子.

许多波士顿人对马尔科姆日报记者约翰·罗(John Rowe)所说的“令人发指的暴力行为”感到厌恶.爱国者领导人很快否认对袭击马尔科姆负责, 在街上和报纸上张贴告示，证明“卑鄙的约翰·马尔科姆最近受到了现代惩罚”, 不是我们骑士团做的，我们保留这种方法，以使更严重的恶棍认识到他们的罪恶和耻辱.”