File:Dr. John William Coughlin M.D. (1860-1920) obituary in The Evening Herald of Fall River, Massachusetts on December 3, 1920, part 1.png

Summary[edit]

DescriptionDr. John William Coughlin M.D. (1860-1920) obituary in The Evening Herald of Fall River, Massachusetts on December 3, 1920, part 1.png	English: Dr. John William Coughlin M.D. (1860-1920) obituary in The Evening Herald of Fall River, Massachusetts on December 3, 1920, part 1
Date	3 December 1920
Source	Dr. John William Coughlin M.D. (1860-1920) obituary in The Evening Herald of Fall River, Massachusetts on December 3, 1920
Author	AnonymousUnknown author
Other versions	This file has an extracted image: Dr. John William Coughlin M.D. (1860-1920) portrait from his obituary.png. https://www.newspapers.com/clip/117920498/the-evening-herald/

Gallery[edit]

Text[edit]

Notable Career Of Political Leader And Physician Terminated By Death. Dr. John W. Intimate Friend Of Pres. Wilson. Dr. John W. Coughlin Dies at His Home at Midnight. Had Nation-wide Acquaintances. Four Terms Mayor of This City. Dr. John W. Coughlin, four times Mayor of Fall River, for 12 years a member of the Democratic National Committee, and for more than a score of years a figure of power and influence in state and national politics in the democratic party, died shortly after midnight at his home, 399 North Main street. He was in the 60th years of his age. For nearly a year Dr. Coughlin had been suffering from an affliction of the throat and early last summer underwent an operation at the Phillips Brooks hospital in Boston. Recently, he was again operated upon, also in Boston, but the malady had progressed so far that the operations afforded him temporary relief. The end, which hat been looked for daily for the past week, came peacefully. For 35 years, Dr. Coughlin was a successful practicing physician in this, his native city. Politics was his hobby and in it he was the leader and center of many a hard-fought battle. For four years he occupied the Mayor's c.vtir and throughout his terms in office proved one of the most progressive executives the city has ever had. No better type of a self-made man could be found in Fall River than the doctor. He had a faculty of making friends wherever he went and numbered among those friends men of . 7,, . prouunen cc nil o Pt1 t n Country mid iortnv leWrsm. of . tn. today telegrams of condolence. - in eluding messages from President Wilson, Joseph P. Tumulty the President's secretary,, and other men prominent In public life were received by his' sister. Miss Helen F. Coughlin. The flags on City hall and at the Superior court house were placed) et half mast this morning. During the World war Dr. Coughlin served on the Frothingham commission that went to France to look after the interests of New England boy billeted there and was in Paris at the time of the long range bombardment of that city by the Germans and visited many .of the hospitals.. tnr. Coughlin was born in this Mtv June 9,. 1861. His parents were William and Abole Coughlin, both deceased. He attended the local public schools until 1878, in which year he began to learn the trade of steam and gas fitter, which was his father's [...] In 1879 he entered the law office of Coffey & Dubuque, but in the spring of 1880 left that office to enter the employ of the Providence Steam and Gaspipe Co.; there he remained about 18 months, then returned to Fall River to work in the drug store of Dr. John B. Chagnon on Bedford street, and after about 14 months service resolved to study medicine. He was without means, but determined to seek some employment by which to "enable him toJ go through college; this he found In a pomtio.i as conductor for. the Globe Street Railway .Co., by which he was employed about a year. In the fall of 1882, he was prepared to begin the study of medicine, he entered the office of Dr. Charles C. Terry on North Main street, and in the next spring entered the College of' physicians and Surgeons In Baltimore and took a spring course of studies; he then returned Dr. Terry's office for the summer, resuming college studies in the fall and pursuing them till March, 1885, when he was graduated. Dr. Coughlin leaded his class of 161 men, and received the first college price, the Cathell medal, awarded for the- highest average scholarship. He was given the opportunity of entering any of the Baltimore hospitals, but chose to return to his own city after-graduation, and here, among his acquaintances, early acquired a lucrative practice. Mayor Three Terms. In 1888, Dr. Coughlin received the Democratic nomination for mayor of Fall River, but was defeated at the polls by about 300 votes. In 1889 he ran again for the mayoralty, and was antagonized by those who ha-1 been the prime factors in the local democracy, and was defeated a second; time, the majority for the opposing candidate being about 100. In 1890, he was again nominated by the Democrats, and, despite bitter opposition from the leader of his party, was elected by 808 votes. He was reelected in 1891 by 927 majority; and in 1892, on the same ticket, by 822 majority. It was during his mayoralty, that after a bitter fight, in which he led the opposition, the Board of Police and License commissioners was foisted on the city. Staunch Cleveland Supporter. In the latter year, Mayor Coughlin attended the national Democratic convention In Chicago as delegate of the Thirteenth Congressional district. Before his election as a delegate, ho was a pronounced Cleveland advocate; in fact, was one of foe first to favor the nomination of Cleveland for the presidency, and publicly expressed his choice at a dinner of the Young Men . Democratic club In New Bedford, at which practically the first gun for Cleveland was tired in Massachusetts. - He supported Adlai I. Stevenson for vice-president at the national convention. With the advent of the second Cleveland administration, he became a power in national political life with which he continued to be prominently identified (111 his fatal illness. In State politics, as a matter of course, be was a figure always to be considered. He was a hard fighter, once aspiring for anything he persevered till he had acquired it.- This' was evidenced by his efforts to secure an education. Ho was a public speaker of great ability and his services were always in demand in political campaigns, national, state and city. As Democratic national committeeman from Massachusetts. In the Wilson administrations. his national acquaintanceship was increased. When the President visited this city during his first campaign. He was Dr. Coughlin's sues:, and Sec. Tumulty also visited here as his guest. The latter and the doctor were firm friends. Previously to his selection as national committeeman. Dr. Coughlin ran for lieutenant governor and also for Congress against William S. Greene. He held the position of national committeeman until the recent Democratic national convention In Han Francisco, when his health, which at that time was beginning to break, caused him not to seek re-election. During all these political excursions, Dr. Coughlin did not neglect his medical studies. He was always considered one of the best posted of general practitioners of his period. The doctors home life was ideal He never married. His household had consisted of his mother, who, upon her departure from this life only a few years ago, had lived beyond the biblical span, and his sister, Miss Helen F who survives, and to their welfare he was devoted. Dr. Coughlin is also survived by four nieces, Miss Gertrude A. Goggin, Mrs. Albert E. Perron and Mrs. Joseph M. Rocket of this city and Mrs. Maurice F. Devine of Manchester, New Hampshire, the three latter being daughters of Judge Hugo A. Dubuqus of the Superior Court. Funeral Monday. Dr. Coughlin was a charter member of Fall River Lodge of Elks and was also a member of the Democratic National Club, Quequechan Club and of the Fall River Medical Society. He was a member of the Sacred Heart parish and the funeral services will be held at the Church of the Sacred Heart Monday morning, when a solemn high mass of requiem will be celebrated at 10.

Licensing[edit]

This work is in the public domain in the United States because it was published (or registered with the U.S. Copyright Office) before January 1, 1929. Public domain works must be out of copyright in both the United States and in the source country of the work in order to be hosted on the Commons. If the work is not a U.S. work, the file must have an additional copyright tag indicating the copyright status in the source country. Note: This tag should not be used for sound recordings.PD-1923Public domain in the United States//commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Dr._John_William_Coughlin_M.D._(1860-1920)_obituary_in_The_Evening_Herald_of_Fall_River,_Massachusetts_on_December_3,_1920,_part_1.png