The New York herald., 1875-11-28
BLACKVELL'S ISLAND ABUSES.
Some Ugly Affairs Investigated BY
Herald Reporter.
The Horrors of the Dark Cells and the
Case Of Emma Brown.
Light Weight in Beef and How 1t
Was Covered Up.

w DIS SOVS1So Up.
SO many charges OF misnanagement in some Of the
Institutions Backwell's Island have from time
time reached the HERALD from persons who had been
prisoners offences, such as disorderly
duct or ntoxcaton and from others, tnat few days
ago u reporter detailed TO visit the island
and make full Investigation as possible. Among
the charges made the nefhciency Of some Of the
wardens and physicians, utter lack or discipline the
existence Of 'ringsn among wardcns, keepers and
other officials deceive the Commissioners and under
mine other officers who had the confidence Of the
commission, misappropraticn Of the property Of the
city by the manufacture Of Shoes &C. for officials the
permitting of prisoners to steal clothing and other
property maltreament of prisoners and inmates the
unnecessary confinement of persons in dark cells and
the abuse Of an insane woman These were few OF
the charges; but another serious against an
official at tho head OF one Of the institutions
woMANs DARK EXPERIENCE
Among the many of maltrcatment OF petty
prisoners is that Of Emma Brown alias Brooks in
She was--we speak in the past tense be-
It is believed she is deada Hebrew GIRL who
the 18th Of last May committed by justice for dis
orderly conduct She received at the Workhouse
May 27 tho 3lst oMay for changing her tally with
the OF being discharged another person entitled
to leave the Island she locked up in dark cell
by Deputy Superintendent Mcdonald. There tho
records show sho kept for thrty-two hours
and twenty-five minutes All the keepers and
other inmates who were questioned by the
writer agree that when she was received
she apparently in robust health On tho Sd OF
June for another minor infringement of tho rules,
using abusive language to DR.. Allen who had been
called to treat her she again locked in dark cell
for thiry-two hours. Out of this dark cell she
|
She was removed to another cell, occupied by the
DOCTORS runner, being carried there by the humane
matron Mrs Barker. This lady states that the
was very sick and specchless She was kept in the
Workhouse two days in this condition and then to
the Charity Hospital There Dr. Kitchen chief surgeon
found her suffering from hystera and speechesa He
attributed her inability TO speak to hystera She made
signs that she could write, and attempted to do but
tho doctor reports her writing ncoherent Enough
made out to learn that she had before been
mate of the Lunac Asylum Dr. Kitchen declared that
he gave her careful attention, and his diagnosis
that she was insane. He accordingly went before
Judge Joachimsen and made affidavit to her insanity,
and then transferred her the Insane Asylum where
she was received about the middle of juno DIR. Kitchen
stated on Monday last that there doubt OF
her insanity when received at the Charity Hospital,
yet examination of the record in the Lunatic Asy
um has the entry, "Improper subject" The record In
this asylum shows that she suffering from melan-
choia that her uterances were incoheront that she
would sit and wiring her hands and otherwise betray
signs of some mental disorder. DR.. Parsons
the physician OF this institution absent op-
portunity not afforded him to explain why
| entered unit subject kept In the institution
from about the middle of June until tho l4th OF Sep
! tember when she 'cloped,n the books show. This
term "elopedn is convenient way OF accounting for
i ~ ho
islands whose absence be accounted for. Tho
| clerk in charge OF the books being asked why q
woman an ''undt subject /" kept for about three
months stated he supposed Dr. Parsons did so to In
vestgate her moro fully He reports that she
escaped from the hall Pavilion e, to which she had
| been transferred, and her dress found the
river bank she was put down "eloped y There arc
those the Island who believe, the contrary, that
the did not eope, but divested herself OF her
dress, and jumping into the river died victim of
fnement dark CELL in the first place and gross neg
ligence the part OF her keepers in the pavilion, who
permitted her escape, in the second place
4 HUNcHBACK's SUICIDE
In connection with the Emma Brown the facts
of the tragic death OF clerk the Workhouse was
given the writer In that institution was an active
records relating to emgrants. His only misfortune
seemed to bo an immoderate love for opium One day
the editor OF a leading daily received anonymous
note reading something like this
There pay Workhouse Send a reporter to
investigate it, and especially the Emma Brown
met with such difficulty in getting at the facts which
the writer has given about this poor demented woman
and systematically imposed upon that he aban
doned the inquiry He thoughtlessly lett in of tho
| Offices the above note, which was found and the
officials determined TO discover the who would
dare give anything TO the press about Irregularities
compared 1t with the writing OF a number of clerks
and keepers They selected the poor little hunchback
as the guilty one. He discharged from his place
The disgrace of mis- discharge weighed upon him that
he went To an hotel in New Jersey took poison aud
fills suicides grave. II Is quite certain that
the poor fellow rested under false charge.
''THIs DIsGRACEFUL LOSS STEALING
In the institutions there are ugly reports circulated
OF axy OF discipline and the loss OF the property OF
the commission by stealing on the part OF the inmates
Among those institutions where such losses have oc-
CURED the Penitentiary and Workhouse There
Ole at the Eleventh street Office OF the commission
evidence OF this stealing which the writer has seen
and there witnesses living fortunately, who can
verify them In the latter institution when Mr. Kean
the veteran warden, able TO be duty and exer.
personal supervision OF all the detas there was
excellent discipline and little leakage. Last spring
Keeper Mcdonald transferred from the Peniten-
| tary and made deputy 10 Mr. Kean The warden still
Is the virtual head, but Mcdonald is the active one
To show how recklessly the property lost June
here report OF the June clothing under the
item Of inspected and condemned:"-
i Inspected and Proper Cost Of
Article Condemned, No. AUerdge Property
1 Bedticks. 10 10 -
/ Sheets. ................
/ Spreads lcoloredl..... -