New-York tribune., 1894-03-03
GR1ND jury PRESENTuENTS.
THE INSTITUTIONS oN nLACKwELLs ISLAND
CRITICIsING TIE PARKmuRsT sOcIETH.

THE INSTITUTIONS OX BiACKWELLS ISLAND
CRITrC1sING THE PARKHURsT SOCIETY
Foreman Hermann Oelrchs. OF the Grand Jury
yesterday read two prescntments before Judge
Marine in Part OF the Court OF Genera! Srs-
sions one related to the condition of the WORK
house and the almshouse on Biackw"lIs lsAhd,
tho second 70 the practice OF certain societies OF
making complaints directly 20 the Grand jury IN
stead Of gong before a police magistrate. sup
pemcnt was ais, read. declaring that In January
and in June lss9 the Grand Juries had caIied
attention 10 the points in the two indictments pre-
sonted. but the reforms had received no attention
from the authorities.
The presentment directed az the Society for the
Prevention OF Crime aad other similar socleue'
Is as follows:
It has come directly before us. in ne Performance nee
OF our duties that some OF the protective societies
present matters directly q the Grand July through
the District Attorneys Office. without hrst giving
divcrtnc the action from the regular course estab-
llshcd by usage and law. This action burdens me
Grand Jury records neccssitates a virtual trial
OF cases deprives the defendants of redress anu
takes time which IS only 10, limited In N" rrgular
administration o. our duties, ana We uTg" that IN
all cases. whore II possibly he done mat IN"
District Attorney refer the complainant desiring 70
appear before tn Grand Jury ln ~" hrsi instance"
back TO The magistrate fo- the preliminary nearing.
Judge Martne sad to the Grand Jurymen regard
ing this prcsertmcut tha, ne hal called thc- at
tention TO this matter when they were first chosen
Many persons H. saii. mistakenly believed they
have the right 10 20 before the Grand Jury IN the
first instance II was the province Of the District
Attorney to determine who should 20 before the
Grand Jury. 40 association or set ~ individuals
had the right. "a do 20.
Mr. Oelrichs read a iorg prcsentmcai wi;h regard
10 the condition Of the workhouse ana almSrous",
letters having been received by the Grand Jury
directing their attention thege Institutions Spec
ia attention given - chnrges that the instItu-
tIons overcrc wded. that The food was Of poor
quality. and that. In the hospla. particularly.
there were inadequate accommodations The Grand
Jury reported tha, there were too few cei.s In the
p!en;ifuly. and was well cooked The ho-pita! was
not overcrowlcl th" surroundings were clean. and
the sanitary condition was satisfactory Patients
had been in:errogateI cos-ly and they made no
complaint Tnere were enough nurses. AMI they
performed their du,es well. The great majority Of
the inmates OF the a,mShouse were there through
their mproviIencc their previous evil
lives. N To their morality. II should b" remembered
that 20 per cent NOR than nfty years old. ana
rs per cent more than Sky years o,d The build
ings were undoubtedly Oh. bu' hey were In better
repair than the Genera, Ses-ions building
As to the caus.. OF the CG deaths In these institu-
tons IN the Last year ll3 were from consumption rs
from ncphriiis and - from enrer'ls dilrrhoea
No deaths wcrr due 10 neglect The remedy FOR
The almshOuse was built In IsiO. when there were
10000 people IN NcW-Y OrlI. and the w0rkhouse was
built in 1880 when the population was 5p"o
Judge Martlne said he would transmit the
sentiment to the Legislature and the Board OF EsiI-
mate and AppOrtionment. He was glal 10 hear that
the existing evils had been exaggerated