The daily gazette., 1878-02-14
SECOND EDITION
Francis NIurphy's Lecture.
RECORD OF MIssPENT LIZA GLos
RIogS REDEMPTIoN-AN ELOQUENT s
s.l q APPEAL FOR TEMPERANCE. .

!
A RECORD OF A MIssPENT LIZA GLo=
RIogs REDEMPTIoN-AN ELOQUENT n
/, APPEAL FOR TEMPERANCE. Il
AT the Grand Opera House, last even
| ing, large audience assembled for the
| purpose of listening to a lecture by Fran
els Murphy, the great temperance orator.
| The auditorium was entirely filled, with
the exception of a few of the chairs, and
about two hundred persons sat in the
gallery. The lecture was given under
the a,ispicies of the M. s. II. A., and Col
Moore, President of the Association,
presided. Mr.. Murphy was accompanied
by Capt. Cyrus Sturdivant, of Portland,
Maine, to whose kind endeavors he is
indebted for his complete reform
alton.
| After brief addresses by John q. Love
and Mr.. Goodwin, of Philadelphia Fran
els Murphy was introduced, and for one
hour and half held forth in the most
eloquent and attractive discourse ever
uttered in this city; He described his
early life in Ireland. the home of his
childhood, aud his dear old mother,
whose chief earthly comfort was her
only boy-husbapd and other children
having been ruthlessly snatched from her
by the rude hands of death. He became
impressed, at the early age of sixteen
years, with an uncomfortable desire to
bearing with him his mothers blessing
aud her last words, "don't forget your
mother, my boy" ever ringing in his
ears. Then his mind was filed with idea
of returning home at some time, and fill
ing her declining days with peace, and
filed this idea had 1t not been. for the
cursed habit ofsocial drinking
In due time the ship in which he sail
ed arrived at New York, and he, with
his friends, was invited to a hotel. They
registered their names and were invited
to take drink, after which the social
habit of creating around" was INDUCED
in until all were drunk. This dissipation
was continued for week at the end of
which time he found his money gone,
ane with it the landlords friendship.
For eighteen months he fingered in the
city Of New York, living a life of drunk
!, enness and dissipation, his every effort
at reformation being checked and over
thrown, by the grasp of social drinking.
Finally friend secured him position
with Yankee farmer, in Maine, and
; there he worked faithfully, was removed
from temptation, became strong,
sober, healthy man, and in due time
took a noble Christian lady for his
wife.
In an evil hour, against the wishes and
despite the protests of his wife, he con-
, sented to take charge of hotel in Port
land. The widest fancy or greatest
, sketch of imagination cannot fathom the
depth of the misfortune caused by this
: act. For awhile he made money, but
when the avalanche Of misfortune swept
/ over him he was stripped of all his prop
erty, and on the 29th day of September,
1869, he stood in the streets of Portland
q without a dollar to his name. Then fol
: lowed a course of drunkenness and de
, bauchery until, ON the 3Oth of May, 1871
some friends had him committed to pris
on, as the only means of saving him from
|, the destruction into which he was rush
! ing headlong. 1t was while in prison that
. he was converted and reformed, through
= the kind ministrations of Capt. Cyrus
Sturdivant, who came to the prison to
J. talk to and pray with the poor wretches
Z who were there confined. 1t was there
y he resolved to be sober man, and that
= resolve with Gods help he has ever since
a kept.
Such is the history, briefly told, of the
!. eventful life of Francis Murphy, and ii
was told with power and force, and hui
a NOR and pathos that battle description
. With strong hand he stripped intemper.
, ance of its gaudy garb and showed il
: forth in all its naked hideousness. With
dry, droll humor, he compared the friend
ly greeting of the landlord to the stranger
within his house, to the cool, chill re
serve and lack of attention which 6
. stranger receives In the House OF the
!. Lord. With quaint fancy and touching
. pathos he illustrated the power of kind
:. ness over dumb beasts, and urged tha
y the same kind of kindness be practicet
!, in the daily intercourse of man witt
!. man. Possessing almost unequalled pow
. ers of mimicry, he convulsed his auditors
. with laughter, and in an instant helt
- them in awe with his stirring eloquenc,
or melted them to tears by his deep pa
- thos. 1t was grand effort, and when h,
- told the people that he stood before then
> victor over the fiend, saved by tn,
. grace of God and the kind touch of ;
o Christian hand, he was applauded unit
: the great hall fairly rang.
r. In concluding, Mr. Murphy touchingl,
alluded to the death of his wife, whicl
occurred on December 9Th, 1871 and afte
giving a strong exhortation to the youn
men, he closed with a grand and elo
quent apostrophe to the beauties of lif
and nature as now seen by him throug
the eyes of temperance and peace. An
then, with simple "Good night, Go
te bless you," he sat down amidst a perfec
storm of applause.
It The audience was then dismissed wit
an appropriate benediction by Rev. +
v, b. Duval. Many, however, were 10th t
,e depart, and remained around the stage
eagerly shaking hands with Mr.. Murphy
, until the lowering of the lights compel
= ed them to turn their reluctant steps tC
- ward the street.