Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1845-10-02
CONFESSION OF JOHN B. COUGH.

has excited great deal Of public interest," and be-
cause many unlounded rumors concerning it have
been put in circulation
"About half past or s / left the Croton, called
at store in Broadway aud purchased watch
guard. Went to the store Of Messrs Saxton g.
Miles, stayed there few minutes On coming
out, had not gone a dozen steps before | was
costed by man with How do you do Mr.. Cough?
Said /, 'you have the advantage Of Inc | am in
troduced to many, that it is difficult for me some
times to recognize them Said he, my name is
Williams, Jonathan Williams. ! usedto work in
the same shop with you in this city, good many
years ago. | replied, Il do not remember it, or
something to that effect He then said, you have
got into new business, the temperance business;
do you find it good business ? 20 yes,' ! told
him, q find it very good business Some other
conversation ensued during which time we were
walking slowly together when he said, suppose
you are pious now, and have got to be SO proud,
that you would not drink glass Of soda with an
old shopmate' 'Oh, yes, would drink glass of
soda with any body. | will drink glass with you,
if you will go in here We were then opposite 10
Thompson's There were, should think, 10 or IL
persons round the fountain, when he said we shall
never get served here. ! know place where we
can get better soda than we can here We then
crossed the street, and went down Chambers street
to Chatham street, till we came to small shop
Having 10 suspicious, did not take particular no.
tee Of what kind Of shop it was. But | saw
confectionery, and pasteboard sign, with Best
Soda" on it. There are two or three of these es-
Establishments in that vicinity, lowing to my weak
ness did not visit the place previous to my eav-
ing New York y but have no doubt that | can
identify The shop among the others. This man call
ed for Soda asked me what syrup used,' said he
used Raspberry. Il am pretty sure he said Rasp-
berry, SAID would take some of the same.
The syrup was poured out and the soda poured
into 1t from the fountain. TIE fountain was a
dark color) This man took my glass; and handed
II to me with his hand over the top OF the glass;
Il noticed his hand, because thought it not
very gentemany way of handing glass; How
ever thought no more, but drank 1t. We then
went into Chambers street again, and up to Broad
was, together, when he left me. Soon after he left
me- felt warm sensation about the lungs and
chest, with unusual exhileration, and for the first
time began to suspect that It was not all right
This feeling increased till felt completely Devil
dered, with desire for something, know not what
DO not know that ever felt so strangely In nv
life before | do not know how long walked but
must have walked some distance as | have some
recollection of seeing the new white church at the
upper end of Broadway. During this time | went
into grocery store, and got some brandy. | do
not know where, nor whether paid for it; but |
recoect drinking. became after a little while
bewdered and stupid, and had wandered, | did
not know where. When saw woman dressed
in black, either accosted her. or she accosted me;
1t is immaeral which, as was III such a state that
should not have waited to think who it was.
do not remember what said but she told some
gentlemen who went to make inquiries, that ask
ed her if she could give me nights lodging, or
tell me where could procure one, as was with
out friends &c. She took me into the house. How
! got in, do not know. There flight of stains
but have no recollection of going up those stairs.
| remember nothing distinctly that passed during
the whole time, till | was taken away, except that
drank but what drank, or how much, or how
often, know nothing. | have some idea that a
man came there while was there, because felt
afraid of him. | have no recollection of going out
at all, after first went in on Friday evening, atho'
It is said that | was seen on Saturday evening. |
have no recollection either of going out or coming
i'll and if did it, | don't know how did it. have
no recollection of eating at all, although the wo
man told that did eat, and asked blessing and
also that prayed. Ihave no remembrance of this.
do not remember purchasing a shirt, although |
had strange shirt on me when | was taken away.
The time that spent in that place to me like
a horrible dream-a nightmare, a something that
| cannot describe. | have so little recollection of
what transpred, that when came out could not
tell for my life how long had been there and was
asionlshed when | found that had been there
so long. When Mr.. Camp came into the house, |
remember that felt as if relief had come, and |
SAID to him, Oh, take me away from this | felt
glad that some one had come. He asked me how
came there" told him man had put some
thing in glass of soda which had crazed me. He
asked me his name gave it to him he gave
1t TO me, as near as | can recollect Another man
came in with Mr. Camp; then Mr.. Hays came in
and took me in a carriage to Mr. Hurlbuts house.
where | received the kndest care and attention.
during the most severe trial of bodily suffering
and mental agony ever experienced in my life
During the whole Of my sickness did not call for
liquor, nor do remember that felt any desire or
craving for it.
is NV stn 10 tha fri,tb &c ,yh; oh 7
am willing to stand through life, in the hour of
death, and at the Judgment seat In making this
statement, do 1t not to paiate or excuse myself
but to tell the truth. 1t would have been much ca
sier for me, if had gone voluntarily and deliber-
ately and drank, to have acknowledged it, and ask
ed the forgiveness of the public, and thrown my
self on their mercy. But the all seeing God knows
and know, that 1t was not SO; and my position is
peculiar one, because | have no proof that nv
statement is correct. Many will doubt; some will
believe; and can say, that those tina. know me
best, will believe me first. 1t has been said by
some that used opium. Now declare that new
er had particle of opium in my mouth in my life,
to my knowledge. never saw piece but once,
to know what it was, and that was at Norwich, at
Mr.. Breckenridge store He showed me piece
because wished to see it. With regard to the
man who asked me to take the soda-he is man,
| should judge, about 40 years of age rather short
and, noticed, slightly pitted with the small pox.
'"'''S "o '"'P'N .0''' '''h nv io'S "otiSe' w IL"
regard to the putting something in the glass, am
as confident that he did it as ii had seen him;
though what it was, do not know. The man who
attended the fountain, have not the slightest idea
knew anything about it.
WARNING TO BoYs-The Cincinnati Gazette
says, that two boys, John Zeck aged H. and Geo.
Grain, aged 10, quarreled on Sunday last at Doo-
eys Mill, near Easton, Ohio which resulted in the
death of Zeck. The quarrel arose suddenly be-
tween the boys, who before had been friends, when
Grain struck Zeck on the side of the head with a
piece OF board, which occasioned his death in few
minutes. Grain has given security in $1,000 to an
swer the charge
GREAT RoBBEWY.-I tCeaiy Sepea thousand eight
Hundred Dollars stolen. On Friday afternoon last
a gentleman named Reuben Rowley, of Wrenth
AIN, Mass, left his residence for The purpose Of Wis.,
itlng New York, lie went to Stonlngton by the
n L.