New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-09-04
THEY DENY ALL TIE CHARGES.
p1.cxwrtL,I ISLAND OFFICIALS ANSWER An
ATTACK MADE UIuN THE MANAGEMENT
OF TIL. INlNITiNTIARY


or THE r;NITENTIARY.
a long story published yesterday afternoon pur
ported to give II the details Of >y-icul {"
alleged mismanagcmcnt and gross car,cSsnc>s on the
part Of certain officials Of the larkwrll's Island
p,n!tcntiary. The story among other things char7s
that one Hamilton. 4 convict who hui dyNcntcry, ~
ccivcd by mistake a cahartc at the hands OF an
ignorant fellow convict known AZ "Jorkcy sullivan,
who acted appthcrary. from the effects Of which
Hamilton died that there was more or less scurvy In
tho Pcnitntary that ignorant rl!ian, dealt out
medicines and cat food ordered for the sck'; that
healthy negroes kept in the hospital and fattcicd
up, while sick convcts wcrv afraid to 50 into tho
two dirty sarrct>' used hospitals for treatment.
The resident ply stefan. DR.. Farwcll WAS said to ave
formally declined ~ take further responsibility while
the present state Of affairs existed.
These charges. 1t said, were based upon the
statement, and letters, signed and nous, Of con
vics and discharged assistants.
\ Tribune reporter Yesterday afternoon SAW Deputy
Warden CurTan, who Is In charge Of the pcncntiarv
in the absence Of Warden Pil,bury Drs. Farwcll and
Andrews resident ply >cianS; Dr. :. J. Walsh, visit
Ing physician and Commissioner Shcchy, at the
Island. Tn" latter had thought the first news of the
publication Of the cl,rgcs To the resident officials.
COMMITS, oncr Shcchy insisted that thorough nvc>ti-
CATION INTO those charges which susceptible o.,
immediate proof or rciutation should b. made. Each
cmpllatcaliy denied by The o1lciLl In whose depart
mrnt the abuse &as alleged TO exist. John Murphy
about thirty tive years old. said he had been eight
year, assistant dp0thccary and six year, regular
apothecary to the pcncntiary and that to his own
know Ledge every dose gvon patient during hi, term
Of service had been prepared by him. Both the doc
tor, and he had never heard If Jockey sullivan,
although the deputy warden said lie remembered Il
convict who was known By that name and who had
been charged with theft and had given considerable
trouble but who had had any thing tD do with
the preparation or the administering Of medicines.
sullivan had served four terms. live years In ALL
for larceny. In the of Hamilton. who suffer
ing from dy Scntcry, and vino said to have died
from the effect Of strong tathartic given by mistake.
Dr. Farwcl said that dose Of EPSON salts. Of one
quarter the usual strength had been administered u
him daily for some time. Three days before his
death the doctor had ordered the dose discontinued
By error, had been prepared and administered one
time more Tlic dose Wa, small, however, that II
could not have done him harm. DR.. Farwcll had
made u complaint, and the orderly who administered
the dose had been rpriniandrd. ~ order IA prevent
never threatened to decline responsibility In any way
without repeating every charge In detail. 1t !,
enough TO say that they were each In turn met and
tho matter Of scurvy. the doctors said There had moi
Twelve cases This matter had been fully investigates
The reporter was taken through the male and fe
male hospitals. which described In the story a.
teen. male patients most Of whom lay on clean ant
feet between the cots and they do not occupy NOR
lighted And ventilated, has high ceiling and Il
scrupulously clean. A small room at the eastern
end Of the room With glass partitions and curtains