The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1875-10-08
INVESTIGATING. CRIME.

COMMISSIONER BRENNAN DENIES WARDEN oUrNN's
RIGHT TO DO AS HE PLEAsEs-THE MoRGUE
KEEPERS EMoLURENTs.
The Senate Investigating Committee represented
by one OF its members, Senator Booth pursued yes
terday its investigation at the Fifth Avenue Hotel The
subjects chosen for scrutiny mainly the manage
Of Bellevue Hospital the Tombs and the Morgue,
and me alleged heavy profits which the Morgue keeper
said have made out Of the sale OF bodies. Com
missioner Brennan's testimony, will be seen, eIec-
tually disposes Of Warden Quinns plea that he was
justified in allowing tho nocturnal visits Of Coroner
Croker's friends and permitting Miss shotwel to be
taken out Of the Tombs The examination Of Mr..
White, the Morgue keeper rather Of CHASTITY ma
ture being mainly about corpses.
COMMISSIONER brennan
was the first witness He SAID he desired to make a
correction. He had previously stated the number OF
persons in charge of the Department OF Charities and
Correction at 140Oo, but closer examination he
found that it only II 600 The Commissioner denied
that Warden Quinn entitled to admit visitors to
the Tombs any hour he pleased he had stated in his
testimony before the committee but declared that he
was supposed to conform in this respect in every
other TO the printed rules Mr.. John l. Davenport,
who conducted the examination, said Warden Quinn
had testified that when he was appointed he told the
prison government and must have the right to visit
any prisoner any time, day night Commissioner
Brennan testified that the Commissioners had no
right to authorize the Warden TO take prisoner out Of
the Tombs without due process of law.
BELLEVUE HOSPITAL
In regard to the management of Bellevue Hospital
Commissioner Brennan said when patient died and
his body not claimed by his friends 1t gen
orally sent TO OF the medical colleges for dissee-
ton This was, however not the with the bodies
in the Morgue which kept for Identification until
ihnu mar N cupho lice unC mt
OF all question Before July 1874 the custom ofallow-
ing all underakers to INTO the hospital seeking for
business" was great nuisance but at that time he
as Warden of Bellevue, suppressed it. Mr.. Brennan
questioned about the disposition of the patients
clothing ana SAID II was Kept Tor thirty days and u
then not claimed and Of worthless character used
for the manufacture OF carpets which had been started
for the benefit of the department If the clothing was
good II kept for the of such other patients
come to the hospital nlthily clad.
Warden James 0Rourke of Bellevue, testified that
there quite number of people in bellevue who
worked for their board; they were persons who had
been PATIENTS and not having any outside of
subsistence preferred TO remain there.
A CHASTITY BUSINESS.
Albert N. White, keeper OF the Morgue was the next
witness He questioned very closely by Mr. Daven-
salary OF 5000 year from the Commissioners. But
Mr. Davenport wanted To know what his little extra
fees and emolumens He said while the Bellevue
Hospital College was open II paid him $25 month, and
the other colleges paid him certain amount for every
cart load of corpses transferred to them; sometimes
body taken and sometimes as many as ten but
he generally paid by the load. This was not
deemed sufficiently explicit by Mr. Davenport, who
wanted to know how much he received for each body
upon average His whole extra income he stated ut
$500
Mr.. Davenport-What is the lowest you have ever
received for a body?
Witness-Nothing at all Qaughter.) That's about
as low as can make it, (Laughter)
Mr.. Davenport mean where you do get anything2
Witness-About dollar.
ABOUT WHITES INCOME.
The witness went to say that the Committee Of
Physicians directed what bodies should 60 TO the var
GUS hospitals He allowed $25 month for the
trouble he incurred in opening collins &c He first said
the payments made to him by other colleges were in
cluded in the amount of $500 which he had given
his entire profit but after several contradictory
mens, he finally said his total profits probably
$500
Mr.. Davenport examined him TO his other gains
but all he could get out OF the witness that he
times received a fee for putting body on ice.
Senator Booth adjourned the investigation till Monday
morning at half-past ten O'Clock.