The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1878-05-19
THE CITY WORKHOUSE.
management of the Institution for Short
Term Commitments.
DRUNKENNESS AND vAGRANCY.
Prospects of Reformation Among Prison
ers of Both Sexes.


ofcharities aud Correction. During the year ending
January !, 1877. there ~, $40 persons TO
this estabshmenL OF whom 1850 were males and
1885 were iemaies large proportion OF the
commitments were from ten TO thirty days,
the cause IN two-thirds OF tho
OIL mPles being for drunkenness. or the
1886 females no less than seven-eghths were sent
tue Workhouse Tor the Same crime. Al the present
time the total number OF on tho registers Of
tho institution 10 l.4l9. OF this number $50
transferred "hcp" to tho hospitals, asylums and
schools under the department., leaving at present In
the Workhouse $50 inmates, of which number 435
are males and 1854 females. OF tho total number on
tho registers thore females than males. but
larger number OF she former transferred" eav
Ing prepondersnce Of males in the building
ALLEGED ABUSES
As against the other institutions under the control
Of the Commissioners OF Charities and Correction
numerous complaints have been made by tho visitors
to the Workhouse In relation to the present manage.
msnt. The principal objection bong the ASSOCIATION
OF all grades OF prisoners from the very youngest
the hardened criminals who have spent the greater
part Of their lives on the Island. The following ex-
tract from late report handed the writer by
OF tho visitors TO tho Isand:-
II the discipline very ard labor were en-
forced many inmates (Workhouse prefer 70
e. well Inc and
might e S a. Neither how
,gar h %a,rons no So real discipline possible and
ness % worknM espscy with the 'ue men, sA'f
S.s. hs ss "Ss % re The
crime Is the fact that most Of prisoners been there
IN ss and tina, Of have spent
ss teen arc sonnsS q night tor hours
young girl, committed for hs hs. time put coils
ausria training ON sck OF sufficient number Of officers
By e aa al nS s sy Afforded
csraed In the workhouss and Efforts made 70
act thsn- 4.e6 t7t ~ esttgstsf flts4s egcs gas
THE SUPERINTENDENT or THE sUmgcE
Tho Superintendent whom questioned upon this
point stated that the most troublesome and really bad
Inmates OF the institution were the young OF both
sexes, particularly the boys IL Is found almost
possible TO place boys together In the
cell. Us they quarrel and light among them
sysry plan had boen tried the system OF con-
dining the boys IN cells with The grown inmates has
gwen the best results, tar the discipline the
establishment concerned. Tho same plan Is adopted
among tue female inmates with The exception that
the officials state that care is iakon that no young
urls are placed an The cells with known prusitu,es
all sucn characters being kept together During tho
daytime the female inmates ure divided up and
sent 10 the sewing rooms washh0use, drying rooms,
according TO the kind Of work they best fitted tor
All are under tho control OF the natrons, males
The present superintendent. Mr.. Allare, keeps
Two sexes completely apart as II they occupied two
The Gaze. e44s #sN1 se f.aG'fs ST 4.W -gsa..
~ .atsr THE CASE or NARY CLARK ..it u seeA
Strong complaints have been made py the visitors
10 the Workhouse IN rotation 10 the treatment OF the
inmates. particularly the females One OF what
they claim neglect or something worse, Is that OF
the woman Mary CLARK, who died IN the institution
March ~ last. II appears from the statements that
when this woman arrived at tho Workhonse her
good, warm clothes were taken from ber
nnd she Was forced 10 put on the thin "un
iorm" dress, without any proper uudcrcothIng, the
result being that she was attacked with pneumonia.
From this she suffered days but not
moved from her cell To the hospital Tho night be-
i.ro she died an attempt was made to induce tho
officials the hospital, but the doctor
other officials refused TO have ncr OUT OF the cell.
which, il Is stated was very GOLD ana unit Tor a sick
u Is charged, IRON pneumonia Tho result
OF improper and insufficient clothing and neg
loct. How far this statement u borne out bv
the facts OF the II Us Impossible TO say, but this
Is tho story told not alone by some oi Inc visitors
but also tho dead woman's daughter IL 10 also
charged that the ratio oil deaths iron pneumonia ut
the Workhousc TITS past winter has been much
ereater than in other Institutions having like nuui
Der OF inmates, tending TO provo that insufficient
clothing ana heniing has had much to do with these
elm my opinion, tfe disease she had was due 10 the
cold sho was exposed TO In the Workhouse. Again,
IN my opinion, sho Is not tho drst unfortunate who
died IN this institution from the same cause"
As u general rule, the persons committed TO this
workhouse ure broken down 10 health from exposure
and exccsses and this CONDITION predisposos TO fatal
OF tho above character. On inquiry the Work.
house IN reference 10 this case. the statements
oil both The visitors and relatives OF The deau woman
wcrc positively denied, the records showing that
Mary Clark had been admitted To hs hospItA OF tho
institu ton two days before she disd Tho res,cent
physician stated that the woman ompiained the
day OF her ADMISSION, brought the disease la with
her, anu whilc in the hospital received every
and attention that her condition anu disease required.
Sho old, broken down, afflicted woman, and at
once sank beneath an attack OF acute disease.
s'woRKHorsK nELr."
IRON the City workhousc come all the holp that 10
employed IN the other Institutions undcr the control
As last us people committed arrive from tho city tho
Superintendent examines them as 10 their occupation
and details them Tor .ne work tina, he nnds them best
suited Tor Tho labor reports Tor the mouth OF April
show that there were AZ maes, VINO de-
tailed for work as iolio~s:.F'remen and
bakery, 30; drivers ana nosilcrs at stable, ~;
clerks aad Iaborcrs at storehouse, Is; nremen aud
gasmen al the engine room and gashuusc, 16 Uarbers
Ia barber shop 4; cot rggcrs, repairing cots, 4;
and assistants Kitchen. 10 Besides tins tho
workhous. furnishes all mech. nics and aborers
for all tho institutions under tho department, with
The exception OF tho pcnucntiary. In addition
there is detailed at the Manufacturing Bureau. IN
snargo OF the general storckecpor carpen ers liners
mssons, biacKsmishs. tinsmiths, coopers and me.
ehancs OF every description. A large part OF tho
garden work OF the island ~ also performed by the
WorkDouso men, and nj tho presen; time gang oil
seveLtynve men IRON this establishment at work
on tho alterations anu improvements being maco at
the fcmao luaatc asylum which work rs nearly
all being done with worknouso help. Tho labor
asy humber IN be wo5sboaso avsr
ioliowsraiIor snop. taor, 10 taiioresses; snoc
shop, IL snocmakers harness shop. 2harnessmakcrs.
III addition 10 this Workhouso mechanics ARE vent 10 all
tho shops OF tho department the several isian,s
under their charge.
According 10 The last report published by tho DO
psrtent the amount of work turned out OF this insti
tuson Tor twelve months was ne follows Tailor shop,
$50 nrtices shoc shop. 464S boots and shoes
and y, 10 boots aud shoes repaired. sewing room,
l43 articles scwo or knit and TAT articles repaired
harness shop, l79 ARTICLES naac; loom room, ,4sy
yards OF rag carpet woven During tue twelve months
covered by this report The male inmates furnished
Isl, $50 days. labor aud the females las asa Total
100, IT. days labor Tor the year.
Tue above statcmcu ut explains In very full manner
the way tho large amount Of labor, both male aud
female. at tho city Workhousc u utilized by ON.
cinls In addition 10 tho above all the washing Tor
INSTITUTIONS under the control OF the Department OF
Charities and Correction Is also done here represent.
Ing The enormous labor OF washing ivr nearly ten
thousand persons, the number nj present under the
supervision oil tho Commissioners
Constant complaint has made IN rotation tho
quantity and quality OF the iood supplied the
the workhouse wuiie, on the other hanu, visi-
tors state that the inmates OF this institution are
better fed than they should bo considering
that thu estab iislmcnt Is Tor correctional, not
cnarapc purposes consi queutiy tbcrb Is irrccon-
cabc difference OF opinion IN this regard between tho
humsnitarians and economists Tho iood supplied
A.. ..4s. Thai typn fha ar