New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-07-09
BLAME FAIRLY PLACED.
DISTRICT. ATTORNEY STEELE WRITES
ABOUT SMOKE NUISANCES

! HIS LETTER TO PRESIDENT MURPHY OF THU
HEALTH BOARD PUTS THE QUESTION UP
To THE CORPORATION COUNSEL AND
THE BOROUGH HEALTH
OFFICERS
Distrlct-Attorney Hiram r. Steele yesterday sent
to President NJ. c. Murphy OF the Health Board
a letter which places the Corporation Counsels
Office and Deputy Commissioner Robert Black. OF
the Brooklyn Board Of Health, the sole RESPONSE
bility for the immunity from arrest enjoyed at the
present time by factory owners and steam engine
plants which are violating the smoke nuisance
laws by using soft coal for fuel In the Borough OF
Brooklyn.
President Murphy IN published statement said
that the Board OF Health officials had prepared
hundreds of against smoke law violators but
that 1t impossible to get the Distrct-Attorney S
Office IN Kings County present them TO the Grand
| Jury. When District-Attorney Steele read tho
! statement he was considerably annoyed, and yes
terday afternoon sent the following letter TO Pres
ident Murphy:
Dear Sir: My attention has been called to an In,
terview with you reported In The Eagle OF ia ~
night in which you are credited with saying IN
substance that your efforts to suppress the burning
sP coal IL the R q 1 of Kns COUNTY
TO ACT ard beg to sny 1ha, ITT us and Grand
jury in Kings County are quite ready and anxious
cooperate with you IN bringing these oneh h
made to this office which has not received prompt
attention Truly yours. HIRAM r; STEELE.
District-Attorney, Kings County.
Brooklyn. July s. 1879
Mr.. Steele followed this up with the following
statement to a Tribune reporter;
Presiden: Murphy's alleged statement IL wholly
inaccurate The only smoke nuisance case broush ~
to my attention that In which Buchanan q
Lyall the tobacco manufacturers were Ine oIehu,
ers That was acted on at once me hrin as s
this ONCE for short time TO make The necessary
changes from soft 10 hard coal In their furnaces
and this time granted The CONTRACTOR o 10
going on with the work OF changing the furnaces
Thai IS the only case brought TO our attention ~
Mr. Murphy had a hundred or more chses DC nc
alleges, the thing for him TO do Is 10 nling ,
forward and they will be acted on with pronpthess
rhi. statement Of Mr.. Steele places the response
bnity. as The Tribune has pointed out over and
over again. on Deputy Commissioner Blacks office
ard Assistant CORPORATION Counsel Walsh. the
latter having the prosecutions In hana: ,a In
There nothing 70 prevent inc wei pa1o cr
tain violators day after day. as long as black
smoke comes from their chmneys. slhse d :
rest il of little consequence as the penalty Is COM
parativeiy light and the progress of legal action
through the courts exceedingly tedious but II the
nronrIetor and superintendent OF law breaking
ppiahRt is arrested over and again and taken
before MAGISTRATE he soon sees the WISDOM oi
avoiding a risk of the cases going against h''n'
and decides to abide by the law. - -, -.
Districf- Attorney Steele has offered TO place az
the DISPOSAL OF the Citizens Association OF Gree
point Of which Robert Creighton is presu,ene' Ulo
tecon in order to close up the fat rendering ana
bone burning establishment OF MT Rosenoeiis' ali or
the Long Island City side Of Newtowh Creehii Az AZ
thar the Citizens Association need DO now II "
have one OF its members go with the Ds' u. az,
torneys officials to me and secure the technical
nroof REQUIRED 10 insure successtul prosecutIon
Of Mr. Rosenberg This plant mas Dee and no long
ago MI Creighton wrote complaint 10 "o'ei"o'
Roosevelt about II.