The 1885 Proceedings Of The United States Naval Institute
Lieut. John P.J. Augur. Born March 31, 1852. Appointed a Cadet Midshipman September 26, 1866. Graduated June 7, 1870. Served on board the Brooklyn and Plymouth European Squadron from July 1870 to June 1873. Commissioned an Ensign July 13, 1871. Served on board Powhatan North Atlantic Squadron from September 1873 to October 1874. Commissioned a Master July 22, 1874. Served on board Kearsarge and Tennessee Asiatic Squadron from April 1875 to July 1878. Ordered to Nautical Almanac Office September 1878. Ordered to Alliance North Atlantic Squadron December 19, 1879. Commissioned a Lieut. January 4, 1881. Detached from Alliance on May 12, 1883. Ordered to receiving ship Colorado September 17, 1883 and on October 23 was detached and placed on waiting orders. December 8, 1883 was granted one year's sick leave. He died at New York on January 9, 1884. Sea service ten years and ten months. Shore duty four years and one month. Total service seventeen years and three months.

The New York Times January 10, 1884
The Sad Death Of Lieut. Augur
Escaping From Bloomingdale Asylum And Perishing In The Storm
Lieut. John P.J. Augur, of the United States Navy, was found dead at 7 o'clock yesterday morning on the Western Boulevard at One Hundred and Seventh Street, having some hours previous made his escape from the Bloomingdale Asylum, of which he had been an inmate for a short time. Death had evidently resulted from exposure to the terrible storm raging at the time of his escape. Lieut. Augur was but 31 years of age. He was a son of Brig. General Christopher C. Augur, now commanding the Department of Missouri, with headquarters at Leavenworth, Kansas. He had been in the service since 1870. He served last on board the Yantic during her cruise in the Artic regions and the privations and fatigue which he endured during this dangerous and arduous service caused serious nervous prostration. This was accompanied by spells of violent excitement. His condition became so deplorable that his friends, fearing that he would destroy himself during one of his violent spells concluded to place him under restraint. He was taken to the Bloomingdale Asylum on the 4th ult. and was placed in charge of Dr. C.H. Nichols, the Medical Superintendent of the institution.

A room in the northeast wing of the building in Hall No. 7, on the first story, was assigned to the patient. There are 11 other patients in this hall, each having a separate room and these are in the immediate charge of an attendant named Dana, who was also a night watchman at his service in case of emergency. During his stay at the asylum, Lieut. Augur had been rational most of the time, but had had a number of violent spells, during which it required the combined efforts of four able bodied attendants to restrain him. He was a tall well-built man of splendid physique and great muscular development. Previous to Tuesday night he had had no sleep for 48 hours and was in a highly excited condition. The attendant Dana visited him at frequent intervals during the night, as he was somewhat uneasy because the patient feared a recurrence of a violent paroxysm.

A few minutes before 3 o'clock yesterday morning Dana was in Lieut. Augur's room. The patient was lying quietly in bed, apparently endeavoring to compose himself to sleep. Dana spoke to him and gave him a drink of water. Fifteen minutes later Dana returned to the room and found its occupant had disappeared. He had arisen from his bed and by the exertion of force, of which he was not deemed capable, had torn off the iron bars guarding the window and had jumped out to the ground. He had gone into the pelting storm, attired simply in a night shirt. Dr. Nichols was at once informed of the escape of the patient. The attendants were roused and all who could be spared started out to make a search of the ground. It was very dark and raining heavily and there was a thick fog. Armed with lanterns, the searchers beat the grounds surrounding the asylum without finding the patient. To make his escape from the enclosure it had been necessary for him to scale two picket fences.

Failing to find the escaped patient in the grounds of the asylum information was sent to the West One Hundred Street Police station and the reserve police were turned out to assist in the search. At 7 o'clock in the morning a policeman discovered the dead body of Lieut. Augur lying on the sidewalk on the west side of the Boulevard near One Hundred and Seventh Street. The body was cold and it was evident that death had occurred at least two hours previously. It is supposed that the unfortunate patient, after making his escape from the asylum, wandered about in the storm until he succumbed to exhaustion and fell in the street, dying from exposure to the chilling storm. The body was taken to the asylum and the friends of the deceased officer were informed of his death. Coroner Martin was notified of the case and requested to hold an inquest. Dr. Jenkins, his Deputy, went to the asylum last evening and received from Dr. Nichols the following official report as to the cause of the Lieutenant's death:

The physicians of the institution say that the cause of his death is somewhat obscure, but that it may be stated to have arisen primarily from the exhaustion of his disease and secondarily from the resent excitement and insomnia and the damp chilliness of the morning.

Lieut. Augur was born in this State, but was appointed to Annapolis from Ohio. He entered the service on September 25, 1866 and served at sea for 10 years and 10 months and on shore for four years and three months.