Fulton County IN Archives Obituaries.....Derrough, Joseph M. January 5, 1931 ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/in/infiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Laurie Lewis lewishouse@rtcol.com November 10, 2011, 12:32 pm The News-Sentinel Monday, January 5, 1931 Joseph M. DERROUGH, aged 40, manager of the Rochestr plant of Armour and Company, was found dead at 7:30 o’clock Monday morning in his room in the Barrett Hotel by the hotel porter when he went to call him. Indications point to suicide, but Coroner A. E. STINSON who conducted the investigation refused to give out his verdict saying that he would reserve the same for several days, while he conducts a further investigation. The deceased lived at 6832 East End Avenue Chicago. Walter TRAVIS, the porter, as has been custom since Mr. Derrough came to this city ten weeks ago, always called him at 7 o’clock each morning. This morning Travis made his call as usual but received no response. He reported to Hugh McMAHAN, owner of the hotel, that Derrough had not answered his knock and asked what he sould do about it. When 7:30 passed and Mr Derrough had not come down to the lobby, Mr. McMahan told Travis to again knock on the door of the apartmet and if he received no response to go into the room and awaken Derrough as he might be sleeping soundy. Travis then retraced his steps to Derrough’s door. Travis received no response to his knock and to his call. He then walked into the room. He found Derrough under the bed with only his feet extnding out from under the piece of furniture. Travis made a quick survey of the room which was covered with blood and hurriedly ran down the stairs and repored his discovery to Mr. MrMahan. McMahan called a local doctor, then officers and Coroner Stinson. Derrough’s death had evidently occurred sometime before midnight, the local doctor and Coroner Stinson determined. He had bled to death from a cut on the left side of the throat which was three inches long and two inches deep and had severed the jugular vein. It is believed that Derrough cut himself during a moment of despondency. He had removed his clothing except his underwear and socks and then had donned a pair of trousers which were part of a tuxedo suit The walls of the room were spattered with blood as was hie bed and the floor of the room and also the clothes closet. After the jugular vein had been severed Derrough had evidently stumbled about the room as the blood from the wound had fallen into his opened grip which he had placed in his clothes closet. How he happened to fall under the bed is one of the unexplainable mysteries connected with the death of the executive. It was first thought that perhaps Derrough had accidentaly cut his throat while shaving but this theory was discounted when all of his shaving paraphernalia was found intact. His shaving brush was in its case and the cap on his shaving cream was also closed. His razor, a straight one, was closed while bood was on the blade. Why Derrough committed suicide, if that was his means of death, is a mystery. He was second in authority in the product division of Armour & Co., with which concern he had been employed for the past seven years. His removal to this city was a promotion instead of demotion as it was hinted in this city this morning. He had planned to move his family to this city today from Chicago. In his grip was found a $15,000 life insurance poicy, one of several policies which he carried. Derrough was about the hotel all day Sunday. The last persons to see him in the lobby at 4 o’clock Sunday afternoon report he appeared cheerful and that if ever had anything which was worrying him he gave little indication of his feeling. He was a man of great restraint and very unemotional according to his fellow empoyees and persons who knew him best. The theory has been advanced that Derrough might have been murdered as the door to his room was found unlocked and his razor closed. As far as his associates knew he had no enemies and his business connections while with Armour & Company in Chicago never resulted in ill feeling towards him. Derrough’s body was moved to a local undertaking parlor where it was prepared for burial. Relatives from Chicago and Champaign, Ill, are expecrted in this city this evening, as well as Armour & Company officials from Chicago. Little could be learned of Derrough’s life here. He was a member of the Masonic lodge, the Methodist Church and the Kiwanis Club of this city. He was born near Champaign, Ill., where his father still resides. In additon to the father, his wife and two children, three brothers ssurvive. It is thought burial will take place at Champaign, Ill. File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/in/fulton/obits/d/derrough790gob.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/infiles/ File size: 5.1 Kb