The sun., 1896-10-23
MoRE THAv $4,000 sroLEM.
Taken from the Packages OF Patients ir
the Charities Hospitals.


the Charities Hospitals.
In the investigation that the Commissioners
Of Accounts have been making into the affairs
OF the Department OF Charities aud Correction,
they have discovered that in the last fifteen or
more Years the bundles containing the goods
and valuables belonging to persons committed
to the city institutions have been robbed of
about $4,000 In money. Many of the persons
from whom money was stolen have died, leav-
ing no heirs
Under the system which formerly prevailed
In the institutions when q patient was taken to
one of the hospitals no was searched and tho
property taken from him was placed In bun
die. This bundle was tagged with q card Civ
ing the name of the patient. a short history of
his case. and a list of the articles taken from
him. The goods were kept at the hospital until
the patient recovered or was transferred TO
some other place. In cases where the pa
tient recovered, his goods were returned to
him on his discharge. When, rs often hap
pened. he was sent to another institution. the
bundle or package was sent to the otiices OF the
Commissioners, at Third avenue and Eleventh
street. There they were handed over to tho
general property clerk, who gave a receipt.
fore his Board instituted reforms the searching
At the Institutions was done by any one who
transferred patients was % sent % to 's the general
property clerk by any messenger convenient.
AZ neauQuarteTS tno smaller packages ana the
envelopes were put In the vaults, and the larger
cabinets. Here they remained, and Mr..
Croft found the vaults so full that the
doors could dly he closed. The prop
erty, he says, instead of being turned over
to the Public Administrator. had been allowed
to accumulate. Mr.. Croft asked the Commis-
eioners of Accounts to make an investigation at
once; They told him they were too busy. and
to Mayor Strong, and the Mayor got after the
Commissioners of Accounts with u short stick.
After he began to urge them on they found
time to do the work.
In all there were nearly Is, 900 packages to be
examined. About 5000 of these belonged to
insane patieuts who had been put in the Man
haitian State Asylum. The owners Of many OF
the rest of the packages were dead. The Com:
missioners found that most OF the packa ages and
envelopes containing money had been brok en-
open, and all the bills had been taken out
Whoever opened the bundles did not disturb
the gold coins or the silver money that they con-
taned. but by comparing the amounts regis
tered on the tags tied to the packages and
the amounts found in them it. was dis
covered that between 5000 and $4,000 had
been stolen. In an envelope 5000 in gold had
not been touched. but a smaller sum of bills had
been taken. None OF tho jewelry or trinkets had
been disturbed. When these discoveries were
reported, the man In whose care the bundles
had been furnished security for what was
stolen The city will not lose anything. The
department has property valued at nearly
$4,000 which will be turned over to the Public
Administrator in about two weeks, when the
inves tiEatlon Is finished.
Now the department has searchers and clerks
under bonds. and they are held responsib for
all the property and money taken from patients
At tho hospitals.