Evening star., 1923-03-01
BOURKE COCHRAN
DIES SUDDENLY
New York Representative
Victim of ApopIexy This
Morning.
SO YEARS. OLD YESTERDAY
Spent Active Day on Floor of
House and Made Spirited
Speech.
So YEARS. OLD YESTERDAY

Representative ". Bourke Cochran,
democrat, New York, died suddenly
today
Mr.. Cochran, who celebrated his sixty
ninth birthday anniversary yesterday,
became Ill last night and died early to-
day. He was on the floor of the House
last night and made a spirited speech
in opposition to the pending farm
credits bill.
Mr.. Cockran's death. which occur
red at 7:10 o'clock, came as an i'm
mediate result of stroke of apoplexy,
it was said at his home.
A native of Ireland, educated in
France and the United States and
active for many years in the legal
profession and in politics. Mr.. Cock
ran was one of the picturesque forces
in American public life. He was an
orator of the old school, endowed with
a remarkable voice and with a de-
livery and diction that long ago won
him a place among the most eloquent
orators of the country.
In politics Mr.. Cochran was a wheel
horse of Tammany Hall. whose bat
ties he fought in New York and else
last democratic national convention
at San Francisco he made the speech
nominating Gov. AL Smith for the
presidency, an oratorical effort which
carried the convention Sinto a pro-
longed demonstration savoring Of old
time revival meeting" politics. He
also addressed the convention in
favor Of a plan indorsing the manu-
facture Of light wines and beer.
Urged Irfsh Freedom.
In recent years he had devoted
much attention to the fight for Irish
freedom. appearing before congress
sional committees and on the public
platform prior to organization of the
Free State to plead for American rec
ognition of the Irislr republic. On
these occasions his eloquence was at
sonal observation, the privations of
the poorer class in Ireland, from
which he Sprung.
Mr.. Cochran first was elected to the
House of representatives for a term
in 1887. He came back In 1891 for
two more terms, but in 1896 he de-
clined to follow the free silver ban
ner Of William Jennings Bryan, broke
with his national party organization
the party in 1900. when he campaign
ed for Bryan. and in 1904 he was
again elected to the House. This time
he remained there for five years. at
the end of which time he declined to
become a candidate for reelection
In 1920, however, he again yielded to
the lure of the parliamentary give
and-take he loved well, and was
again elected to a seat in the House
He was reelected last November
Apparently in Good Health.
He had been especially active dur
ing the present session of Congress
and had planned a trip to Europe this
summer. Until few days ago he ap-
parently had been in perfect health
Although he liked to take part in
debate. and had raised his voice in
many recent discussions on the House
floor Mr.. Cochran was not a seeker
after committee honors. His only
Congress was as a member of the
capacity he found an opportunity to
the. questions of foreign policy with
which the House has had to deal
An unrelenting foe of the prohibit
ton amendment and the Volstead act,
Mr.. Cochran never lost an oppor-
tunity to denounce what he termed
their invasion Of personal liberty"
Often on the House floor he would in
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