New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-02-20
CHIRGES AGAINST DUNPHY.
ABUSES or BLAcKwELI.'s ISLAND ALLEGED-coM-
MISSIONER WRIGHT sCEPTICAL-

Charged signed "Jonn Walsh" who gives his al
dress a. No 10 Bowery. were received In the mail
Yesterday by Robert J. Wright. Commissioner OF
Correction. alleging that Lawrence Dunphy. super
intendent OF Blackvells Island workhouse has been
guilty OF cruelty and neglect OF duty. Walsh says
no uas formerly an inmate OF the workhouse.
The charges are dated February IL and specify
that prisoners are put In dark cells for trhng vio-
lations OF rules and deprived Of food for an indeh
nit, period. The complainant names only two in
stances OF this character though he asserts that
they common.
In November. 1885, Walsh says. Charles Rel and
Edward Richards who serving terms OF six
months were taken before Superintendent Dunphy
and consigned to dark cells for smoking and re-
ceived food for thirty hours. These men, Walsh
says are still In the wo:khousc.
Walsh charges that Christopher Thompson an
inmate OF the workhouse hospital who suffering
from n loathsome disease was discharged from the
hospital last November and put to work on the
brennan The captain OF the boat refused to
cciye him and Thompson 1t IL alleged. was sent to
the workhousc and placed with Il gang whose cell
he shared at night He appealed to the supcrin-
tcndent who sent him a dark cell for refusing to
work. After this. II Is charged. he placed with
another gang and allowed to sleep with them and
To drink water out Of the common cup used by all.
Last month lie was allowed 10 20 back to the hos
ptal
Walsh asserts that other cases OF contagious dis
Eases have been treated in the same way
self-committed paupers. Walsh alleges. get easier
suit Of which Is that tramps came from other
states to be committed to the NewYork city work
house.
Superintendent Dunphy has been employed in the
Department over twenty years. HIS present salary
Is s. 80 year lie was formerly keeper on
Harris Island. When the workhouse investl-
gated year ago Dunphy cxorerate1. IL Is
Il member OF Tammany Hall.
Commissioner Wright was seen In regard TO the
charges his horne. No 40 East Orehundrcd and
eightcenth-st.. last night. lie said that hr dil
not think that there were truth In the charges
"Dunphy Is Democrat. and | am Republican,
he said. and didn't appoint him. bur he Is "a
COOL straight forward fellow. and * vOulI be
Injustice TO him to pay any attention t. thc-"
charges so long the person who makes them is
afraid come out openly. This man Walsh can't
be- found. | sent down to No. IL Bowery half A
dozen times to-day. and couldn't find any such
person. I've written "A letter 10 him. II he comes
Into my office and swenrs to what he has said I'll
90 ahead and investigate and II the charges are
true we'll that Dunphy is put But
get lot Of just such complaints from men who
nave been the Island and want TO get hunk
win Dunphy | won't pay any attention to any
Of them unless the person that makes II is willing
to let himself be
'"rhe charges against Dunphy are absurd He's
too smart II man to put himself liable TO dismissal
Just 10 persecite a prisoner.
That about his putting men in dark rooms IS all
get up TO the Island had better get acquainted
with Dunphys way OF dealing with them II they
don't conform to the prison rules"