The New York herald., 1870-03-06
THE EMIGRANTS EMEUTE.
How the Wards Of the State are Treated
on Wards Island.
Investigation by the Legislative Committee
Startling Developments-vermin, Filth
and insufficient Food the Cause
Of the Late Riot.

renee u. klernan Is chairman, made an Of1cial visit
to wards Island yesterday for purpose of inqur
ing into the causes OF the late there and taking
evidence az TO the management OF the Emlarant In.
sututi0n The committee embarked on board the
steamer BE view at the foot OF Twenty sixth street.
East river, at eleven O'Clock ana arrived Ut Wards
Island shortly after. Commissioner Bell several rep
resentatives OF the press and number OF gentlemen
Interested accompanied the committee. Before pro-
ceeding 70 take testimony Mr.. Herman suggested
| thas tho committee should first inspect the different
departments OF the institution and Judge for them
selves rs 70 It's condition. Accordingly under the
! guild ance OF Mr.. Wells the superintendent and Dr.
John Dwyer the assistant surgeon. the committee
and the other visitors made thorough inspection
OF every department. and interrogated several OF the
inmates OF the institution cause Of the re-
cent riot TO say that they were surprised at what
they would be putting 1t TOO mildly They were
mortified NJ the many evidences or mismanagement
ana gross neglect OF the wreched people committed
TO the tender mercies OF the superintendent.
Mr.. Wells had fair warning that the committee OF
tha-Legisiature wer~ coming, and, as the sequel
proved, avaiied himself or 1t to the utmost While
therefore, the inspection showed disgraceful treat.
ment OF the emigrants II may well be supposed
that had the visitors come unannounced a still
more
SHAMEFUL CONDITION or AFFAIRS
| would have been discovered. The male inmates had
finished their midday meal when the committee ar
rived on the island, but fortunately the females had
not dincd. Entering the dining han Just as tue
women We're eating, The committee mad a fair op-
portunity ol inspecting the food A row or tin
piatters was placed on either side Of loag
deal table, before which the women were seated on
! iorms Dnlnutive, dirty BITS OF meat that might
| be either beef or mutton nanEed by ladletul or
boiled oatmeal thin. carK and nanseaIing in appear
ance, MD The sheen OF the TN plates; the cups OF
| white, weak, watery soup nanked the Plates and
slice of bread OF stepmother cut was the piece de
| seen on the table. The women looked M with
cneerfnl faces AS they entered, and wne the latter
| disposed OF they commenced to eat It was
| MOST DISGUSTING EXHIBITION.
The women sunk Their too often dirty fingers IN
IIe mush, grabbed q piece OF the meat and ate
| raVenously. 1nere were some, however, pinched,
| hungry looking creatures who drank down the
! swl called soup from their tins, ate the bread and
lett the meat and mush untasted Each piece OF bread
woudi probably weigh six ounces; the meat on each
| women daublng their hands In the Shiny food ana
siragsith. TO get II to their eager mouths too
% ;nncn Tor the committee. several gentlemen
| a. SICK stoiaach-and repaired to other parts
| Of the building. number OF were
discovered washing In room which appeared not
~ adapted Tor the purpose but entirely small.
| IL was wasning-aay ANA each man OF the SIX or
] WASH his own clothes The bakery and kitchen
| We're next visited but everything IN these depart
| the HERALD reporter and one or two others paid u
Visit to the ''lock upn where insane and refractory
persons are put i0f SAFE Keeping. Nothing objection
aDie Was to be found III TINS pace, however, which
mag De accounted Tor by the fact tna 1t Is under iae
| control OF Dr. DWyer.
The place or cnlel interest both for the members
| Gf tue committee and the visitors was
| THE REFUGE DEPARTMENT,
IN the central building. Ihis IS long, wide room,
bare OF furniture, except the stoves. and row OF
lornis teach SIDE which Afforded seats for anout
| 100 persons The no0r was wet ana sloppy anu an
oi ltter discomfort pcrvauea the place. There
| were from 400 10 ooO men III the room,
OF sluaior aad wrctcneaness. hungry
cadaverous look IN Their inquirng faces told tae
loo True. There were several, however, who were
hale ana hearty, but they were new eoners. They
moved aoout on the wet floor lstlessiy, OF stood III
] groups discussing among themselves the cause o
tue presence OF the prying VISITORS. When spoken
| to they told strange and often conflicting tales OF
nerleel On ,he part oI SOMEBODY. but tley were
ui&nlous IN saying that they Giu not 2ei enough
10 eat. 1t should nave been mentioned thar there
| was
| IN the room For the accommodation OF 100 men 1t
was not too large; for the use OF 900 IL absurd.
By dfnt o! squeezing II Is pOsslbl; thar five men
! could wash al IL at a tims bat then four OF them
| would nave to wash IN tie water tnaI had bathed
| est the faucet And for polishing on the scam and
| water the supply OF towels must be considered
Father Inadequate, TO say the least. Two these
cessery articles have to bear The rubbing OF 500 faces
every day f.r week; tnai ~, 200 men nave the
| use Of Two towels. No fractional part OF the 600
Deng engaged IN ms aDltloDs when the CON-
| mittee entered, no opportunity afforded
them TO examine The material or those wonderful
artcses OF the toilet but as three intelligent VII
ncsses WHO were afterwards selected random from
The crowd Of emigrans ana examined oa oath swore
that these towels exist, and tEat they stink when
| hung UP, there can tie reason doubt that they
| could lie found ABOUT the room n search were
made. The committee tails ed with a numner or inc
men ana ihen returned TO the superin lendents room
ana organized. Beside the chairInaa Mr l.. b.
/ hiernail, there were present W. q. Bergen, owen
kayanaRh and Maltin Aachtman, OF New YORK:
John Ecker, oi Ecumond, and Hugh NJ. Clarke, OF
| Kings william G. Jones. James Hustled and Henry
| Ray, also OF the comDiiiee were auscnt Inc com
| mittee was accompanied Dy the serseant-at-arIns
| clerk and stenosraphcr.
THk INVESTIGATION.
I the first persen examined was Mr. Wells the
! superintendent, who was closely questioned by the
| chairman TO the cause OF the not the aHauty
and quality OF the food furnished TO the emigrants,
! NC. As the circumstances attending the riot have
been already described the evidence OF Inc Witness
IA tat RESPECT need not ne repeated Mr. Wells tcs-
tited tnat the emlgrants yet quart OF coffee and
| quarter ioii OF bread Tor breakfast; SOUP meat.
bread and oatmeal Tor dinner, and tea and bread
lor supper; they get plenty Of food; there are no
rules IN respect 10 labor laid down Tor the guidance
ol The emgraRis; would rather not say how the, eat
without spoons knives forks; the food Is Of tne
very best, ana Is got by contract Mr.. Wells sUore
that derived no perqaistes FROM any source; h,s
salary was $4,000 per annun; he was formerly clerx
/ OF Connecticut state Prison aud superintendent
| or Illinois State Prison.
Dr. John DWyer, assistant surgeon, being called.
sWofe that he thought ideness To be the chef cause
| OIL trouble. in answer to u question pat to aim by
the chairman he SAID that II aud papers were
! furnished TIE men TO read when they were not en-
| gagged III outdoor work the result would be tene-
Lc!al they had nothing to read now; N his opinion
however, when they were working; he had nothing
| TO do with the Refuge department, and could
inswer only fol the surgical hospital; vegetables
! are furnished the men IN the Refuge hese men seek
10 get into the hospital that they may be better
| feu.
Nir Bernard Casserlv, General Agent at Castle
Garden, beng sworn SAID that 1t may alleged that
want OF WORK ana the absence or reading matter IS
the principal source Oi troubles can't state any de-
Ieci "a the management Of the institutions; Con-
mssoners were ever ready 10 respond To all reason
able demands; from IS41 to January 1870 iour and
| a half millions arrived IN this port, account or
whom eight and hall millions OIL dollars were pad
| TO the commissioners by the owners OF elnigrant
| SHIPS there Is $730 now Incorporated; the
Commissioners nave enough money 10 take proper
| care OK the ensrants, and would DE willing To pro-
VIDE everything necessary Tor the physichl and men
tai comfort OF the men the island II asked by the
Officers here can't say II there Is c0lluslon between
| the contractors ana superintendent Wells; there
| might bo; the Commissioners receive no salaries.
! BEHs fuiI or vERNiN.
Dr. Rymer assistant physician, DR.. Ford, the prIn.
nLx.. In Ia