Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-12-13
AROUND CITY HALL.
The Test of the New semuphOre and Other
Matters.

/
Matters.
AMONG the stories which occasionally crop
| up are some which are calculated to reflect
more or less upon the management of the indI-
gent poor or upon their treatment by the hospi-
tails Such talk was current yesterday and it
was said that Chief Elliott of the Department
of Charities. and the hospitals were at the outs.
Superintendent Slack, of the Homeopathic
| Hospital. said last night that there never was
the slightest jar between Chief Elliott and the
hospital management; that there was not a
| man in the city of whom he would sooner ask
favor and more readily get it granted for the
! hospital than Mr.. Elliott He had some very
significant figures, though, which might be pre-
sented to the general public as to the amount
OF charity work done by the hospital He
opened the hospital book at random and said
| for the last three weeks the figures might be
comfortably studied by philauthropists Last
week there were IS patients, 10 of whom paid;
the week before 10 pay patients and 65 charity;
the week before that pay patients and So
charity, and so on, and out of those who did
pay there were only who paid more
than the actual expenses of keeping them
Robert G. Elliott said when seen last night:
II have no knowledge Of any trouble, and
think that the whole thing is lie. OF course.
l cannot speak for the hospital for never
bother with any of the local institutions. Ono
thing can say however, and that is, no hos
pital or other institution viii be allowed to run
the Department of Charities while am at its
head. In our dealings with paupers we do not
recognize creed, race, color or nationality, and
always attempt to do the best we can for all.
We get imposed upon sometimes, and on that
account are careful, but no deserving person is
refused aid"
LAST evening the first test was made of the
signal service as adapted to the police force.
The lamp placed in service was over the patrol
box at the Seventh street bridge, and was fitted
with baleful green google which, while in
operation winked suggestively, as intimating
to the nearest policeman that speak-easy was
running within hailing distance, or another
colored man was doing an elopement act with
white lady in buggy such as occurred some
few months ago over the same bridge In
spector McAIeese, Chief Morris Mead. of the
Bureau of Electricity, and his staff; Cap
tain Dan Sylvus, George Oehmen, the
Representatives of the Gamewell Company and
number of others inspected the operation of
the lamp. 1t is worked from police headquar-
tiers, as already explained in THE DISPATCH
and illustrated, and the lamps Argand burner
fickeTed and the gong rang while the sema-
phore spread its arms with the avidity of an
officer stopping an escaping prisoner. Every
thing worked to charm, and the only regret
expressed was on the part of the police
officials that Chief Brown, of the Depart
ment of Public Safety, was out of the city, as
he took very great interest IN seeing the signal
work established. George Oenmen explained
that when the system was perfected the head
quarters could call any one box in a district
notifying the policeman that he was wanted at
the nearest box. A code of signals would be
established by which an officer could be notified
by the fash light of the subject on which the
headquarters people wished to see him. but
that would require time and educational work
among the force. The tests last night were in
every way perfectly satisfactory and successful.
THE suit against David Myers, sergeant at
Central station, who was charged before Alder
man O'Donnell with trover and conversion bv
Timothy Kelly came up for hearing yester-
day. The allegation was that Myers had taken
a quart bottle Of whisky, with some other per
sonal effects from Kelly. who had been ar
rested and lodged in Central. At the morning
hearing Kelly alleges that Myers refused to re-
turn the whisky. At yesterdays hearing the
defendant was not recognized by the plaintiff
as the man who took the whisky, SO the case was
dismissed. Assistant City Attorner Burleigh.
who conducted the case, said last night that he
was sorry Myers was not identified or that the
Alderman had not held him for court. LIQUOR
is taken from prisoners every day and the
police will not return it. Frequently men came
back to the station after being released and de-
mand their bottles. Had this case gone up il
would have enabled the department to get a
judicial ruling on the question of returning
liquor taken from prisoners
McGINTY has at last been captured, and Ser
geant Adolph Metz last evening was the lucky
captor. He will answer the plain, ordinary
charge of being common drunk this morning
and If Judge Gripp gives him 30 days for every
time the public has been sold on his patronymic
he will spend the balance OF his natural life in
the workhouse.
MIoHAEL CARROLL, driver of No. Engine
Company, who has been suffering for some
months from an attack of typhoid fever. il
now convaIescent and expects to be on duty
again within week or 50.