New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-10-26
rAMMANY, FOE OF THE POOR
CHARITIES GROSSLY ABUSED'

UNFORTUNATE WARDS OF IN.
TREATED IN AN INHUMAN mAN''
rAMMANy MscovERNMENr In THE
HOSPITALS AND ALMsHoUsEs-A DISGRACE
no NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. WROUGHT
SINCE TAMMANY WAS
TURNED OUT.
Tho vilest self-seeking miscreants OF the rec
Of Terror posed as Friends OF the
So does Tammany Hall, with equa' n.ne''
hoast Of that organization that 1t Is the par'1'u
lar champion of the poor Is one Oh 'ne liz"
,mnudent Of faisehoods. The fact Is that unoe'
ran,many rule of this city the poor-those VINO
were too poor to pay tribute to the boss or even
IN bc made victims Of blackmau and extoruoh-
were systematically oppressed and hi-tlea'eu'
This is made perfectly plain In pampn'e' To
cently issued by the Citizens Union. wnich TO-
views the condition Of the city's poor unue'
Tammany's last administration
AT that time the city actually had in its charge
In the almshouses asylurns ana hospi'ai' o'
Blackwells Island and elsewhere one on. VI
every hundred of the entire population. These
1900 sick. aged, destitute and insane peop'e
we're entirely in the hands Of the Department
government. of which Tammany Hall had alb
solute control Here was q fine chance for ram
many to show what it really meant when II
claimed to be "the friend Of the poor" We
should certainly expect the friend of the poor.
with the entire resources Of the city government
at it's command to make generous and humane
provision for their helpless. homeless. friend
less people. Comfortable. sanitary and pleasant
accommoda TONS an abundance Of nOurishing
food we'll prepared and decentlyl served; cloth
Ing suited to various seasons Of the year;
plenty Of good nurses and caretakers -certainly
none OF these things could be omitted il the
poor were being cared for by friendly hands.
AS a matter of fact. how did Tammany man
age these institutions? Who that was sick
wished to be sent to Bellevue Hospital or to
the City Hospital. on Blackwells Island? Who
that was poor and in want thought Of the
New York City AlmshOuse quiet and com
Portable refuge in which, IL worst came to worst.
his last days might be spent? Who that had
seen a friend sent to the city asylums for the
Insane felt any assurance that he was kindly
and humanely cared for? II any one thing
in regard to the people OF NewYork City is
absolutely certain it Is this: That every one
looked with dread and terror upon the possibil-
ity OF being left to the tender merces OF any
Of these institutions
Such a deep-seated feeling means something.
How well it founded. and in just what way
Tarnmany took care OF the poor people on Black
wells and ,andalrs and Hart's islands, shall
now
SCANDAIOUS OVERCROWDINC.
I, may be said on the whole. OF the buildings
In which these 1000 unfortunates were
cared for that they old. out Of repair.
and seriously overcrowded. At the Almshouse
for instance 1900 persons were crowded into
buildings which at most could properly accom-
modate not more than 1900 Throughout the
main buildings at the Almshouse the beds
were placed close together and three per-
sons occupied two single beds. In addition
to this. springs and mattresses were laid
on the floor in every passageway. At one time
more than five hundred persons slept in these
beds made UP the floor. Waiting-rooms
Easements and Garrets were pressed into
ice But overcrowding not the only evil
connected with these old. cheerless. forlorn
buildings. The "A'mshousc Barracks" they
are called--two great stone budngs-are half
a century old, and remained substantially I'M
changed from the date OF their erection until
the advent OF the present administration in 1856
Though occupied solely by aged aid feeble per-
sons there was no means Of reaching the sec
ond third and fourth stories except by climbing
up the outside. uncovered stairways. exposed to
wind and storm summer and winter. Further
more. there not drop Of water hot or
cold. in the buildings; consequently there was
no chance to battle there were washstands.
no closets no means OF extinguishng fire. The
buildings heated by ld-fashloned coal
stoves in each ward. Beds and stools were the
~,
d-fashioncd kind. and every little while a large