Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1886-02-26
JOHN B. COUGH DEAD.
THE SILVER TONGUED ORATOR
STRICKEN WHILE SPEAKING.
A Life Marvelously MARRIED and Healed
Forty Years for Temperance
Man of Many Unaustenta-
tious BenevOlences.

PHILADELPHIA, Feb. .1s-John b. Cough
the famous temperance orator, died here
at O'Clock last evening. He was attacked
by apoplexy last Monday evening while
delivering lecture on peculiar People"
in the Frankford Presbyterian church.
He had been feeling well during the even
ing and for more than half an hour he
spoke with his usual eloquence. Sudden
ly he fell PROSTATE to the floor, and ling
cred till last evening when the end came
Mr.. Cough was born in England on Au-
gust %, 1917, ofihumble parentage. His
father WAS a soldier in the Brthish ser
vice, and his mother II school teacher in
Sandgate. They were very poor, and
when - years years old his father sent
him to America that he might learn II
trade and establish himself in life
In 1881 he went to New York to learn Il
trade. He had become IA member of the
Methodist church and found employment
in the Methodist book concern AS errand
boy. He became u skillful bookbinder
and sent for his parents.
In 1894 young Cough commenced that
career of dissipation, which, in his lee
lures, he has described with such vivid
ness. He sank 50 low that his evil com
panions forsook him. He went from
place to place, sometimes appearing on
the stage as a comic singer or AS a low
comedian, and sometimes working at his
trade, but always sinking lower and lower
into the depths of sottishness. In 1888 he
went on fishing voyage and was gone
several months. On his return he married
and did well for time, but relapsed A
child was born to him, but died in in
fancy.
At this time he came near being burned
to death i'll his own bed, which i'll his
drunken carelessness he had set on fire.
Delirium tremens followed and then his
wife died, and at last he seemed 10 be
without friend III the world. The turn
ing point in his life was in October ls42
He was in the streets of Wor,
hopeless, when he was accosted by
Joel Stratton, who asked him to go to
a temperance lecture the next evening and
sign the pledge. He did so. Another at
tack of delirium followed nearly costing
him his life. He kept his pledge five
months when he relapsed again, but was
soon restored and since then he has been
thorough temperance man. He has been
on the lecture platform for about 40 years
and has been heard by all classes in this
country and England.
His work i'll temperance cause has been
broad and effective, and he has probably
appeared upon the lecture platform more
frequently than any other lecturer in his
tory. He has travelled half million
miles and delivered over 5000 lectures
His income from his lectures has been
very large, but he was very generous and
devoted much of his wealth unaustenta-
tiously to doing good. He was married II
second time AT Worcester in lS43, and his
married life has been very happy.
Mourning at his Home.
WORCESTER, Mass, Feb. 1S-The news
of the death of John b. Cough was re-
ceived here, at his home, with profound
sorrow. Coughs pleasant home at Hill
side has been Tor years one of the marked
places in Worcester county. He was Il
generous giver from the time his lecture
engagement became remunerative, ana
gave where little public attention was ever
attached to his beneNolenCe