The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1874-02-05
A True Tale Of the Terrible Trench
On Hart Island.
A sickly Story Of Official venality by Employees
OF the Commissioners Of Charities-Presi-
dent Laimbeer Astonished and Ex-
claims. 1T is an Outragev'

Commission. Among the persons present to tes-
ufy were DR.. Mcdonald, chief OF the medical stan
Of Charity Hospital; Warden Brennan, OF Bellevue
Hospital; DR.. Feuhler, of the Park Hospital, and
the orderly OF the Charity Hospital who nnrsed
deceased. Mr.. McTaig, Third avenue under
taker, and Mr.. Patrick Hadden, a sexton of 800
East Thirty-seventh street, were also present to
make
ADDITIONAL COMPLAINTS.
Before tho meeting Of the committee, Mr.. Com.
missioner Stern entered the ante-roOm, and began
o conversation with the HERALD reporter upon
the mode OF burial in Potters Field, and small
army OF reporters, spectators and aggrieved per.
Sons gathered about to hear what Mr.. Stern had
10 say. When that gentleman stated that the sys-
TEN pursued by his Board was the best in the
world, inasmuch as before burial In Potters Field
they
PHOTOGRAPH ALL UNKNOWN BODIES.
Mr. McTaig excitedly exclaimed mot knowing
MIR. STERN, "That ID not true"
LIT is true" retOrted Mr.. Stern.
81 know it is not true, when you say every one
is photographed, and can prove what say"
''Wenn said Mr.. stern, "let US see what you can
prove"
Here Mr.. McTalg pulled out paper and excit-
eddy remarked, 'There Is the evidence Of case in
point. came here to present 1t to the committee,
but for fear 1t may not be entertained by them and
the reporter Of the HERALD Is present ask him to
Nj. McTaig handed the complaint to the report
ers 1t reads as ioll0ws:-
ss @ ss ~ S The sS
day August Patrick Radican, aged forty-two years,
~
with the person in charge said body found send
III SANG s ssR.
cy had and es% nd S in on the ar sa sn s sa
ne ~ OF Sth Of august At the time M White
looked the book and found that the cloRns my
TO
along with couple Of friends and asked permission q
from @ tsim beer 3 shss siees also had
M5 ksSff s' tho uGSSsy
under any circumstances as he would get into trouble
SaHds BODY was VIKING 70 pay 30" %AkY sADSAR Nus
al know these facts to be true" continued
although had an
ORDER FROM PRESIDENT LAIMBEER FOR tn
This terminated the outside meeting, as mes
senger at this moment arrived to notify the men,
Ders OF the press that Mr. Laimpeer would admit
them to the examination room. There were found
the three Commissioners and Aldermen Gi0n and
Koch, OF the committee.
TIE PROCEEDINGS
were OF an Informal character, Chairman Gilon
explaining that his committee were instructed to
ascertain and report all the facts attainable.
President LAIMBEER assured the committee that
they desired iun investigation and submitted all
A HISTORY OF The CASE OF FRENCH,
his arrest on July q by Onicer Slatterly, Of the
Twenty-seventh Precinct, for intoxicatlon, his
diagnosis made by the Ambulance Surgeon and DR..
Fleuhrer, Of the hospital, showing him to be
his ssge S 81 wer
he was locked IN a cell and kept two days, the
thcates OF Drs. Flint and Forest that he was suffer
tng from delirlum tremens and fit subject for the
Charity Hospital his transfer there, the record OF
the hospital that he died OF delirlum tremens and
had no property except the gold watch and chain
that mad been taken from him at Bellevue Hos
plta the certificate OF the Board OF Health that he
died OF delirium tremens, and, finally, the record
IN THE PAUPER TRENCH, WITH SIX HUNDRED AND
SIXTY-FIyE BODIES,
where they are packed in layers one upon another.
Here Mr.. GILoN stated that they had arrived at
the Key to the whole matter, and he would like to
were so placed in separate graves that their friends
could recover them.
Mr. LAIMBRER said they could not undertake TO
bury these people in single graves.
Mr.. STERN stated that the collins were all
marked, as barrels are marked by merchants, and
that the faces OF the dead were photographed.
Mr. GILoN asked how many Interments take
place per week.
Mr.. BOWEN responded about 4, 900 per year.
Mr.: GILoN-We want to know what is the neces-
sity for burning them in pits; ! don't care how
tive heart to take an interest in him.
Then Warden Brennan was called on and ex-
planned the m0dus operandi OF searching for the
friends OF deceased persons, from which 1t appears
that messengers are sent to notify friends, they
can be found, and If the friends decline to bury
they have any property 1t is given to the Pubic
Administrator.
man in pit with over 600 bodies
MIR: SrERN-We have adopted a system you will
not find in the world. We photograph them and
bury them in separate graves when there is
PROBABILITY OF IDENTIFICATION.
MI. GILoN-Then here is case think you have
not treated in this manner.
MI LAiMBEER--we can give you Mr.. French's
body.
Mr. KOCH thought the collins were not made
no In dam
Ii the pit
Mr. LAIMBEER described the pit as about eight
zee aeep' ana WIN Ills niger drew diagram on
When the tiers reach nearly to the surface of
the ground the trench Is filled in and new one
started. In his opinion il was a very comfortable
way OF burying them, and he would like to be
6uried-the balance OF the sentence was lost, but
he was understood to say-'as cOmfOrtablYn
:, Mr. GlL0N mere called attention to the case Of
Daniel sullivan, of Mulberry street, mentioned in
yesterdays HERALD; but search OF Warden Bren-
mans books tailed to find any record OF his death
there in January last, and It was not gone into.
MT. LAiMBEER stated that he had Just learned
that gentleman was waiting outside in
ANOTHER CASE
whch he had given to the reporters, and he wished
him called in. McTaig who presented the griey-
ances OF the widow Radican, was ushereu In and
he stated In substance the efforts made by Mrs
Radican to secure the body OF her husband from
Mr. White, keeper Of the Morgue, in the event of its
recovery as detailed above, and added that after
he had gota
LETTER FROM PRESIDENT LAIMBEER
Dumphy granting permission d for the removal
OF the body, and the board OF Health onered to
allow the dlsnterment II Mr.. Dumphy consented
he presented 1t to Dumphy at Potters Field; that
Dumphy retained the papers and assured him and
the widow that they could not have 1t, and they
lett disappointed, although the widow was
READY TO PAY FIVE HUNDRED DOLLARS TO GET THE
REMAINS
TO RENTER them with those OF her deceased chill
dren. 'and" continued MIR. McTalg ''she Will now
pay $500 tor tllat body"
President LAMBEER said :-'This is the first time
any Information OF this kind has reached me, or
oeen gwen, can safely say, to my associates.
1T is AN OUTAGE"
TO Mr. McTaig-"You know these facts Of your
own knowledge p,
MI MCTAIG-I went with her, and this was Dunn.
phys answer
Dumphv should have sent some report here such
conduct IL nnpardonable. White would have been
Icmoveo months ago II had ha1 my way OF II.
lie looked at MI. Stern as he closed this deciara-
ten. ~
nr. McTAIGIMrs. Radican lived only three blocks
and asked WDite to watch for 1t. She wifi now
pay $500 ior ner husbands remains to inter them
with the deceased members OF the ca mtIu ~