The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1886-02-26
John b. Cough Dead.
THE GREAT TEMPERANCE ADVOCATE
PEACEFULLY PASSES AWAY.

John b Cough Dead,
TNE GREAT TEMPERANCE ADvoCATE
PEACEFULLY PASSES AWAY.
John b. Cough died Thursday
afternoon of last week at forty min
utes past four o'clock at the residence
of DR.. r. Bruce Burns, where he had
been lying since the Monday night
previous when he was Frustrated by
apopleYy and paralysis. Ever since
the fatal stroke he had been wavering
between life and death. On Tuesday
there was a slight Improvement in his
condition, and on his wife's arrival in
the evening he seemed to grow slight
ly better. He was then taking nour-
ishment, and it seemed to benefit him,
and some slight hope of further i'm.
provement. On Wednesday morning
his condition was the same, but in the
evening there was a slight change for
the worse, which continued until
Thursday morning, when at ten
o'clock he became unconscious and re-
mained in stupor until his death
His wife was telegraphed for Monday
evening and arrived at twelve o'clock
Tuesday night, accompanied by his
niece. Miss Fannie Whitcomb. His
other niece, Miss Mary Whitcomb, had
accompanied him on his tour and was
was with him constantly during his
illness.
About ~ o'clock Thursday he was
sinking very rapidly and John Wana-
maker was sent for. He arrived about
2 o'clock and in company with Rev.
Dr. Murphy held prayer service in
the dying mans chamber. The SER
vice was very solemn, there being no
one present but DR.. Murphy, DR..
Burns, Mr.. Wanamaker and Mrs.
Cough, the Misses Whitcomb and one
or two members of DR.. Burns family.
The dying man was then left alone
with his wife and nieces until about 4
o'clock when he began sinking so
rapidly that DR.. Burns was called into
the room. AT 4.40 he quietly and
peaceably passed away, bresthing cas-
lily, surrounded by his weeping family
aud the members of DR.. Burns house
hold. His wife bore her misfortune
Dobly, displaying the greatest forti-
tude. His niece Mary, who has been
SO devoted to him, having taken hard
ly any rest during his illness, though
the members of DR.. Burns family have
been very attentive, consoled her
stricken aunt
John b. Cough was born at Sand
gate, Kent, England, and emigrated
to New York when boy twelve years
of age. His father was a common
soldier in the British army. For forty
four years Mr.. Cough had been one of
the foremost orators of his day. He
was once book-binder, a farmer,
singer of comic songs in the Chatham
Street Theatre in New York. fair
actor, would be suicide and finally
before his reformation drunken vaga-
bond, singing in bar rooms for drinks.
Up to twenty-five years ago he spoke
and lectured on temperance only. Since
that time he has delighted audiences
in this country and in England on
such topics as "Street Life in London
'Eloquence and Orators" ''Peculiar
People" "Fact and Fiction "Habit,"
Curiosity" and "Blunders" When
stricken with apoplexy last Monday
night at the Frankford Presbyterian
Church he was dwelling with his old
time power and eloquence, upon "Pecu-
liar People" and had Just begun to
plead upon his most interesting theme,
Temperance. 1t was his last plead
ing. His first and last appeal to an
audience in his adopted country was
for total abstinence.
Mr.. Cough first visited Philadelphia
as temperance lecturer in May, 1874.
Two years before he had signed the
pledge at Worcester, Mass, and when
his quivering hand traced his name
across the paper he stood up and told
the audience how he was once respect
able and happy and had home. Mr..
aough said that when he signed his
name to the pledge he was homeless,
miserable, scathed, diseased and a
bligh.ed outcast from society. He
broke the first pledge, but signed again
and kept it.
He lectured in the old Chinese Mu-
scum, Ninth aud SAMSON, in 1874, 10
about 100 persons. He again lectur-
ed here in 1855, OH his return from his
first trip to Europe. He has filled the
Academy of Music in this city at diff
ferent times for the past twenty We
years as no other orator has filed it.
His matchless eloquence, polished
rhetoric, wonderful delineation of
character, dramatic manner aud mar
velously pathetic voice could not be
surpassed, and he has probably spoken
to more people in his lifetime than any
other human being. Mr. Cough had
spent six years of his forty. four years
on the platform in England, his native
country. This period embraced three
visits, one in 1853, one in 1857 and the
last in 1878.
On the night of his marriage to
Mary Whitcomb, of Worcester, Mass,
November "a, l843, he fulfilled an en-
gagement to talk temperance in a
school house. 1t is said that she took
him on trust. She stood by him until
he rose to fame aud wealth and was
at his bedside when he breathed his
last in Philadelphia. He left no
children. Up to the time of his death
MIR. Cough had spoken to more than
nine millions of people and had trav-
eled over five hundred thousand miles
in meeting his appointments. "Whal
wonderful career John b. Cough has
had. said noted character recently
First pauper, burying his mother IL
Potters Field, then an actor buresqu.
ing temperance, then drunken loafer
then disturber of meetings, then 8
would be suicide and finally the great.
est orator of the country" Mr.. Cough
was to have lectured Thursday in the
Star Course at the Academy of Music
on "Blunders" His home was al
BoylstoD, Mass.
WASHINGTON LETTER.
lFrom our Regular Correspondent
n