James CROUGEY [9014]

  General Notes:

The Ballarat Courier (Vic. : 1869 - 1878; 1914 - 1918) Fri 18 May 1917 Page 1 Family Notices
DEATH OF JAMES CROUGEY
CORONER'S INQUEST
VERDICT OF SUICIDE
The circumstances attending the death of James Crougey at Ballarat East on Wednesday were yesterday enquired into by Mr. J. Fraser, J.P., at the Hospital.

Sergt Priest conducted the proceedings on behalf of the police.

Mrs Crougey, widow of deceased, deposed that shortly after 7 a.m. on Wednesday her husband got up, dressed and left the room. Later she called him to his breakfast, and receiving no reply went to an outhouse, and there saw her husband lying on the floor bleeding from a large wound in the throat. He was unconscious and gasping. On the arrival of Dr. Salter deceased was removed to the hospital.

He was a great sufferer from a painful complaint, but she never heard him express an intention of taking his life. She found the razor (produced) near her husband back when he was first discovered. Deceased suffered a great deal during Tuesday night.

James Edmund Crougey, draper's assistant, deposed that shortly before 7 a.m. on Wednesday he was awakened by his father coming into the room with a lighted candle and taking something from a chest of drawers. It was deceased's custom to wake witness, but he did not do so in his usual way. Witness then got up and some time later when he was about to leave for work he heard his mother scream. Witness then went to an outhouse, where he saw his father lying in a pool of blood. The razor (produced) was witness' property, and he left it on a chest of drawers in his (witness's) bed room. He had never heard his father threaten to take his own life. He knew his father was suffering from an irritating complaint.

John Martin, blacksmith, stated that shortly before 8 a.m. on Wednesday from what he heart he rang up a doctor and went across to deceased's back yard and saw deceased in the position previously described. Seeing it was a bad cut witness and his son carried deceased into house. He had known deceased for years, and on several occasions he had heard him complain of ill-health, but deceased was the last man he would expect to take his own life.

Dr Sandison gave evidence that deceased arrived at the Hospital in a dying condition. There was a deep gash extending across the neck from one side to the other. Everything was done to try to restore his condition, but he succumbed an hour later. Death was due to loss of blood from injuries that in his opinion had been self-inflicted.

Const. Jones of Victoria street, gave formal evidence.

Mr Fraser recorded a verdict of death from loss of blood caused by a wound in the throat, self inflicted. Mr Fraser added it was a very sad case, and he deeply sympathised with Mrs Crougey and family. No doubt deceased suffered very much from his complaint and insomnia. They all knew deceased was a most respectable man, one of the best men in Ballarat East. He (Mr Fraser) knew him well as a fine citizen and a good man.

The Ballarat Star (Vic. : 1865 - 1924) Fri 18 May 1917 Page 4 Family Notices
FUNERAL NOTICES.
BALLARAT EAST BRANCH, A.N.A. -
Members of the Branch and Association are respectfully invited to attend the funeral of their late fellow-member, JAMES CROUGEY (esteemed Assistant Secretary of the Branch), which will leave his late residence. 123 Humffray street north, at 4 o'clock this afternoon, for the Ballarat Old Cemetery. Thos. M. Paul, secretary.

James married Emily Ann RODGERS [9015] [MRIN: 2927]. (Emily Ann RODGERS [9015] was born about 1874 and died in 1944.)