Evening journal., 1896-03-23
THE SALE OF THE DEAD
CHASTITY Traffic Carried On al
Bellevue Hospital.
AWFUL REVELATIONS EXPECTED

Tho New York Charities Commissioners
Making an Investigation OF the Institu-
tion-Abuses and fraudulent Practices
Are Alleged.
NEW YoRK. March 29.-With the dis
missal Of John Malonoy. for years verita~
bic messenger Of death, from Bellevue
hospital because Of alleged abuse Of his po-
sition, the commissioners Of charities took
tho first step toward tho abolishment Of
tho traffic In the dead which has been go
Ing on, it Is said, in Bellevue hospital for
nearly 90 years. When tho commissioners
moot again 90 hear charges against its en-
ployees, fearful revelations are looked for
bearing upon this chastity business of buy
ing and selling unclaimed bodies, rovela-
tions that will shock phlegmatic New
Yorkors
Tho attention Of the commissioners has
alroady been turned to this matter, and it
is stated on tho best Of authority that the
CHASTITY disclosures already made before
that board, together with those to como,
viii without doubt bring another shakeup
In tho management Of tho hospital and
morgue.
John Maloney who was dismissed from
tho hospital corps, hold, perhaps, the most
unique position Of any man In the coun-
try. His business was Co carry news of
deaths TO people who had friends or reln-
tivos In tho hospital, and his dismissal
came because he first gave this informa-
tion TO his brother, who Was an undertake
er, and received good commission for hia
work
While this In itself has little direct boar
ing on the snlo Of the doad, it Is limited
that Maloney OF necessity know good
deal OF the Illegal traffic and he will prob
ably be called before tho commissioners
and questioned about the matter. His tea-
timony Is counted upon largely TO prove
cases against tho suspected onos.
So far as the Investigation has gone al
ready, remarkable degrco Of rottennesa
In the hospital has boon brought to light.
IL Is said the commissioners have already
discovered that for years past there has
been large traffic IN tho snlo Of children's
bodies, and that it has been carried on
with tho full knowledge and even aid Of
officials high in tho hospital.
ChiIdren's Bodies tho Most Valuable.
Child subjects ON the dissecting table
arc scarce and much sought after by medi-
cal colleges. Therefore, it Is safo to as
sumo that these bodies have brought enor-
nous. financial returns because, whom At
became known that the body of child
was procurablo at all, bids were made on
IL, and tho highest bidder got tho CHASTITY
prize.
These sales We're carried on, It IS alieg-
ed, as were all tho others In tho dopart-
mont, by a clever sohome In the cases Of
pnupors It was decidedly easy. Testimony
which, it Is said, has already been taken
IS that these bodies were duly entered on
tho records Of the hospital, marked pot
tors Field, and lator were turned over to
certain undortakors acting as go-betwoena
for physicians, who delivered thom. In
this connection it Is charged that these un-
dortakors paid big commissions to certain
officials who were Of necessity ia tho So
orot to allow 60 90 unheoded.
Another matter 10 which tho commits
sioners have had thoir attention called,
and which will probaly be Investigated, il
a charge that covered wagons and vehicles
have been IN the habit Of driving up to
the morgue at all hours Of the night big
packages have been placed in thdn, and
thon they were driven rapidly away. This
IS tho manner they think, in which tho
bartored bodies have been removed.
Still another matter In which tho board
has dolvod is the apparently paradoxical
fact that many former employees Of the
hospital have spent considerably moro
money than they legitimately earned as
salary from the hospital. One case has
leaked out where a man was employed in
the hospital at $500 a year, and yet he
lived In comparative luxury and paid $50
a month for his apartments alone An
othor man has been found who works In
tho hospital on a small salary, and yet no
is worth at least 500, 600.
At the hospital no one would have any
thing at all TO say In reference to this
matter. It Is certain, however, that the
commissioners have investigated this and
will 90 into details whom witnesses can
be procured. It may result In the trial
and dismissal Of several more officials in
tho hospital.