New-York tribune., 1894-03-12
ALARMED BY THE NQtIR1.

ALARMED BY THE INQUIRI.
TIE OFFICIALS OF THE CHARITIES DE
PARTAIENT BUsTIING AROUND.
rrAnrIJ. THAT TIE SENATE INVESTIGATION
MAY BE EXTENDED TO INCLUDE THIN
LOT or pA,PERs HASTILY DIS
CHARGED FROM BELLEVUE HOW
THEY ARE CHANGED INTO
VOTERS THERE At
ELECTION TIME.
Although the Senate Investigating Committee
only finished its second days work, en- echo IS al
ready heard from it. which has awakened 'h'
sluggish stiffness Of department WAch the com
mttee is not yet looking into but which II cer'aiE
ought TO- namely. that of Charities ana CorrFc'oi.
The dubious methods by which the nuihoer o,
voters from the city institutions up the river ana
from Bellevue Hospital had been Increased III years
gone bv far beyond the figure which the law aHo"s
have been long known In a general way TO me
public The situation successfully exposed IN
a number of instances during the last Presideh''al
.,ection when under the Federal Election law,
steps were taken to prosecute Commissioner Sheehy
for allowing great many persons VINO hao
been detained paupers on Backwehs ls'aio
TO register illegally. during the hei6ht VI '"'
campaign last year. the attempt OF some mlserape
,rmates Of the Tombs to be registered and cast
n ballot on Election Day foiled by watchfui
Republicans
It Is an old story as old Democratic methods
in this msgoverned city, and Will be continued
with all the ingenious plans which graduates oi
Tammany Hall apt In applying, unless
watchful eyes are always on the alert 10 nave
these criminal practices exposed and then punished-
AN EASY METHOD OF FRAUD.
Although the same inducements that Paddy"
Diver offered not held out by the Demo-
cratic leader in the XVIth Assembly District. II
Is nevertheless true that in the election dstricl
in which Bellevue Hospital is the largest majority
for Tammany Hall was rolled up, so that IL no"
claims what DIVERS unfortunate "heelers' tr1ed
to accomplish at much cost to themseives-the
title of the banner election district in that Assembly
District How did II do this? To great extent py
voting large numbers of paupers VINO wHre h,rs Iot
titled to vote. Bellevue Hospital generally sheiteIs
And this ts how II does it, one such man goes in.
for instance, to the hospital and OBTAINS snVite!
length by regular stages. slow but sure 1t becomes
an easy for him to get permission pernai hs
emily ito reside" there. In ordinary times ths u
the method adopted. but during periods OF election
excitement such waits anu sIrays nd ar arc ready at
hand such hordes when they are "anIen % si'aS az
them in the guise of employees OF the institution.
vote them and then discharge them soon utter
Election Day.
The signs Of activity now on the part OF the
Commissioners occasioned by the presence
, tho CITY of the Senate Committee. which. though
its duties are confined TO an investigation OF inc
Police Department, would find II simple matter u
have the scope Of the inquiry extended TO any other
branch Of the city government where abuses are
| known 10 exist a Tribune reporter was INFORMED
Yesterday on trustworthy authority that on Wednes-
day between fifty and sixty Of these pauper
'casuals" were discharged from Bellevue ana ther
places taken by convicted prisoners who were sent
down from the Almshouse on BlackweTs Island
for that purpose
1t may be asked what the men who were DIS
charged were supposed 10 be engaged at In pay
ment Of their food and clothing The answer 10
that is simply. that they were employed 10 90 inc
work which the city lays the regular offc'ais OF
the Institution to do. They were stretcher-carrlers
painters engineers stable hands. helpers, workers
in the cook house, workers in the Morgue. car,
penters. runners and fellows who carry the the deaa %
box through the wards TO the Morgue: The law
designates such persons as paupers ana deies thes
their right TO vote But what is tle o, MAYER neva,tb e
less Now. lest lightning might strike the Depart
1 no onser lne any nnsaaed employees at Bellevue
Hospital. unless the convcts in uniform VINO %ers %
sent down Friday to take their places ana 20
their work can be cassed as such.
PRESIDENT PoRTER's DENIAL.
When Henry H. Porter. the president OF the De-
partment Of Charities and Correction was asked
whether any OF the class described had been
discharged from the city institutions on the Island
or In Bellevue Hospital recently, he responded that
there was no truth whatever in the statement
Il am willing to admit" said he. that In times past
there may have been things done which / would
not for a moment approve but 1t is n well-known
fact that at the present there Is nothing ana
for long interior TO the present time there mas been
nothing in the management OF any or the places
which you have named to call for any unfavorable
criticism II any persons have been discharged
from Bellevue Hospital. they certainly were not
paupers lodgers. but regular patients who had
recovered and were sent away as cured. AS TO
people from the amshOuse having been discharged
in large numbers. no such thing has taken place.
for not now recommitting any OF these
people. practice which was greatly In vogue III
the past" a.
1T is suggested that those who have been dis.
charged from Bellevue Hospital were sent about
their business because OF the presence or the
''The presence Of what" demanded the Comms
sioner hotly and before the reporter had time to
"Of the senate investigating Committee" said
The Senate Committee" said he. with n look OF
surprise. They are here only TO inquire into the
but they might have their powers extended"
Then let them extend them" he responded. We
pirtneh'; anu ro' ny p"c col,earnes a we would be
quite willing welcome an investigation Allow
me to assure you that you have been entirely mis-
William b. O'Rourke is the Warden OF Bellevue
Hospital, and seems to enjoy not being there TO as
ehi@s "a" Who are now d"wn ou'h or breathing tho
balmy air OF California. No doubt the neighbor-
hood of the hospital is gloomy, and the proximity OF
the Morgue ana the murky waters Of the East
River are anything but inviting to the mind or
temperament os O'Rourke Tribune reporter
tried three different days at various times TO see
him but he had always lust gone out, or was
around somewhere or had left but monen'
ago" At all events he could not he seen. nor
could his deputy he found. Their comments on the
activity at Bcliev could not, therefore, be heard
/ JOTHNEYMEN T4HORS Will RESIST
THEY Will. NOT SUBMIT TO REDUCTION OF
WAGES WITHOUT A FIGHT