USA > New York > Kings County > Brooklyn > The civil, political, professional and ecclesiastical history, and commercial and industrial record of the county of Kings and the city of Brooklyn, N. Y., from 1683 to 1884 Volume I > Part 113
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August 1st, 1853, the death of DR. BULLOCK, physi- cian to the Lunatic Asylum, and who had fallen a victim to the typhus fever, taken in the discharge of his duties, was announced, and resolutions passed express- ive of the high esteem in which he was held.
The annual reports of the Superintendents and Physicians of the Poor Establishment were presented at this meeting. They are not now extant.
From the accounts, however, which appears in the records of the Supervisors, under date of September 9th, 1853, we find that the sum estimated as necessary for the support of the poor for the year ending July 31st, 1854, was $162,490.82.
November 14th, the Treasurer was directed to bor- row, on the credit of the county, the sum of $10,000, to be expended in the completion of the County Peni- tentiary.
On the 8th of December, 1853, Samuel Hubbard and H. E. Ripley took the usual oath of office as Superin- tendents of the Poor. On the same day the Super- visors of the County and the Superintendents of the Poor gave notice and certified that the penitentiary in the County of Kings was ready for the confinement of prisoners therein, and that it was the duty of all magistrates and courts therein to sentence all persons who, on convietion, were liable to imprisonment for not less than thirty days, to confinement in said Peniten- tiary instead of the County Jail.
A BIRD'S-EYE VIEW OF THE KINGS COUNTY PENITENTIARY, 1884.
The sums of $7,000 was fixed as the penalty of the bonds of the respective Superintendents of the Poor.
The sums of $2,500, for the erection of a wash-house for the County Poor Establishment ; $3,500 for heat- ing apparatus in the Alms-House and Nursery build- ings were appropriated January 19, 1854 ; the sum of $20,000 was placed to the credit of the Superintendents for the support of the poor. On the 26th of January the County Treasurer was directed to place the sum of $89,590.80 to the credit of the Superintendents of
477
SUPERINTENDENTS OF THE POOR.
Poor, to be disbursed by them in the discharge of their official duties.
It having been made known to the Board of Super- intendents that a bill was pending before the Legisla- ture directing that the bodies of persons who may die in poor houses and certain other institutions shall be delivered to medieal sehools for the purpose of disseetion, a resolution was offered before the Superintendents, and also before the Board of Super- visors, denouncing the said bill as a monstrous out- rage upon the sensibilities and social relations of the poor, the unfortunate and the afflicted; and as morally injurious, destroying all distinction between poverty and erime, and ealeulated to arouse the indignation of
On the 11th of May an itemized account of the expenses incurred in the construction of the Lunatie Asylum was presented, which aggregated the amount of $100,000; against which there was, on the 11th of May, a eredit of $100,000.
Great dissatisfaction was felt throughout the eouirty at the unfinished condition in which a costly edifice like the Lunatic Asylum was permitted to remain, sub- jecting the suffering inmates of the other buildings to the horrors of their situation, and the speedy comple- tion of the building was urgently requested.
Escapes of prisoners from the Penitentiary had become very frequent of late, and on July 13th, in eon- formity with a resolution of the Board, James
ALMS-HOUSE.
the friends of the large elass subjected to its barbar- ous provisions.
After mueh discussion this resolution was adopted by both boards; and the Members of Assembly from Kings County were instructed to use their utmost ex- ertions to defeat both bills.
March 2d, 1854, the Superintendents informed the Supervisors of the want of sufficient accommodations for the greatly inereasing number of small-pox patients, and recommending the ereetion of a building for that purpose, ealling their immediate attention to it. It was estimated that the heating apparatus and plumb- ing work on the new Lunatic Asylum cost $40,000.
March 23d, 1854, the Committees on County Peni- tentiary and on Alms-House were directed to use all possible efforts to bring the same to a speedy comple- tion.
Edwards, keeper of the Penitentiary and Work- House, reported the number of persons who had escaped from the Penitentiary from June 10th, 1853, to July 27th, 1854, as fourteen in all, four only of whom were retaken.
July 27th, 1845, the attention of the Board was again ealled to the necessity of additional aeeommo- dations for small-pox patients on the County Farm ; whereupon a plan was presented for the erection of a small-pox hospital, 65x36 feet, two stories in height, which would accommodate about thirty patients ; the estimated eost of such building to be about $10,000, and the Alms-House Committee was instrueted to pro- eeed immediately with its erection, at the expense of $10,000.
August 29th the annual report of the Superin- tendents for the year ending July 31st, 1854, was pre-
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HISTORY OF KINGS COUNTY.
sented, and on September 5th was taken up and considered. It was ordered, that the report be printed, but, like several of its predecessors, it cannot be found. The Supervisors, however, in passing upon it, pay Mr. Stillwell, the clerk of the Superintend- ents, a handsome compliment for the manner in which it was gotten up.
The Supervisors, also, in their review of the report, state that the Poor institutions at Flatbush do credit to the Board of Superintendents, and Mr. S. S. Myers, the keeper ; Dr. Turner of the Hospital, and Dr. Blanchard of the Lunatic Asylum, are especially commended.
October 3d, 1854, $20,000 was placed to the credit of the Superintendents, to meet the current expenses of the Alms-House. The new Penitentiary funds were reported to be exhausted, and the County Treasurer was unable to dispose of the County bonds in sufficient amounts to meet the demands thereon ; whereupon it was ordered that all work on the erection of the new Penitentiary be immediately suspended.
Suitable rooms were ordered to be finished in the basement for the resident physician.
November 1st $20,000 was placed to the credit of the Superintendents of the Poor, to mect the Alms- house expenses.
Under an Act passed by the Legislature March 19th, 1852, and another Act passed March 2d, 1854, the Board directed the Treasurer to borrow money on Penitentiary loans to the amount of $100,000, if re- quired.
As late as November 29th, 1854, the new Lunatic Asylum, although partially occupied, was still unfin- ished, requiring, at least, the sum of $30,000 to complete it. Work was still suspended on the Penitentiary-a matter which was greatly deplored-and, at the above date, the County Treasurer was directed to borrow, on the credit of the county, sufficient funds for the esti- mated expenses of completing the Penitentiary.
December 26th it was ordered that a suitable en- gineer and a competent architect be employed to superintend the construction of a tower eighty feet high on the Lunatic Asylum, for supporting a reser- voir to supply the county buildings with water, thereby saving the expense of putting in and running a new engine, etc. The sum of $20,000 was also placed to the credit of the Superintendents, to be expended in support of the Alms-House department. On the 30th of December the proposed tower on the Lunatic Asy_ lum was decided to be insufficient for a supply of water, and all operations in regard to water were sus- pended until a permanent supply of water should be sccured for the city of Brooklyn. Such had been the delay and vacillation touching the public buildings on the Poor-House farm, that the Committee on Lunatic Asylum, in their report of December 29th, 1854, said :
" Your committee cannot refrain from remarking upon the inadequacy of the system under which the work is now prosecuted. One Board of Supervisors will adopt plans ; another Board, composed of different members, may undo the work of the first. The first may contract to build under their plans ; a third Board, composed of yet different mem- bers, may see the edifice nearly completed under the con- tracts and plans of their predecessors; while a fourth and entirely new Board may complete the work and make a final settlement with the contractors, to the great detriment of all interests. Moreover, when a new building is finished, it is turned over to an entirely new Board, to be at once made the subject of alterations and repairs. The result of such a system has been, and is exhibited at the County Farm, in a series of buildings of extravagant cost, but partially sup- plied with water, and, in some instances, with air ; inade- quately protected from fire, and in many other respects in- convenient. The Committee, therefore, recommend that the buildings should be subject to less frequent changes in the management and in the plans, specifications and contracts under which they are erected, or are to be erected."
This report serves to explain the somewhat confused history of those public buildings which we have been obliged to give.
January 9th, 1855, the Superintendents and Super- visors each appointed special committees to report some plan for ridding the streets of the great num- ber of vagrant boys which infest them.
January 16th the Board of Supervisors, acting under the report to which we have referred, touching the crection of county buildings, took prompt and business-like action in regard to the matter.
January 30th $20,000 was placed to the credit of the Superintendents of the Poor, to be disbursed for the benefit of the poor establishment of the county.
On the same day the Supervisors recommended the appointment of a committee to confer with the Super- intendents on the subject of teaching the children of the Poor-House on the Sabbath ; and recommending that the old nurses be discharged and that none but native-born Americans be appointed in their place ; and that those so appointed have an advance of wages. This occasioned an exciting contest. It was proposed to amend the resolution by striking out the word Americans and inserting the words competent teachers. An amendment to this amendment was proposed, to add before the word " Americans " the word " Protes- tant," which motion was carried by a vote of 11 ayes to 10 nays.
On the 30th of January it was decided to apply to the Legislature for the enactment of a law authorizing the Supervisors to create a loan sufficient in amount to complete the Lunatic Asylum on the County Farm. The further sum of $20,000 was placed to the credit of the Superintendents on the 20th of February, 1855, to be used by them for the Poor Estab- lishment of the county.
March 20th, $11,000 was placed to the credit of the Superintendents for poor relief and poor account ;
479
SUPERINTENDENTS OF THE POOR.
and $5,000 on account of the Penitentiary. William Rushmore and James C. Rhodes took the oath of of- fice as Superintendents of the Poor.
April 2d, a recently passed act of the Legislature, authorizing the Supervisors to create a loan for the completion of the Lunatic Asylum on the County Farm, was presented and action taken under it. A report was presented on the 18th of April, showing that the amount levied by tax and collected was $187,041.80. Of this amount $130,000.00 had been disbursed, leaving $57,041.80 unappropriated.
There had been levied and collected for the support of the Penitentiary $17,000. Notwithstanding this, on the same day the sum of $20,000 was ordered to be placed to the credit of the Superintendents, to be used by them in their official character.
Upon representation of the insufficient accommoda- tions at the Nursery, a sewer 1,100 feet in length was proposed to be constructed leading from the same ; and an additional building 52x36 feet, two stories high, to be erected for a hospital for the Nursery, one of the old Lunatic Asylum buildings to be used as a hospital for the children in the Nursery until the com- pletion of said new wing ; all of which was favorably considered by some of the members, while others in- sisted that no new constructions be commenced or pro- vided for until those in process of erection were com- pleted ; but a majority were in favor of erecting a new Nursery Hospital.
Previous to May 3d, 1855, it was the eustom at the county Poor-House, on two days, at least, of the week, to set what was called a "public table," furnished with lunch, liquors and cigars for officials visiting the estab- lishment on those days, all at the expense of the county.
On that day, at a meeting of the Supervisors, Supervisor Caldwell created much excitement by presenting, by permission, a copy of the Brooklyn Morning Journal, of that date, containing an article headed, "FASHIONABLE PAUPERS AT THE COUNTY POOR-HOUSE !" which was read by the clerk, and on motion, was referred to the Superintendents of the Poor, recommending to them hereafter to dispense with dinners and other refreshments; except to distin- guished strangers and to invited guests. It was sug- gested that the number of distinguished strangers and invited guests were rapidly increasing under the gener- ous treatment they received at the Poor-House; which to them was anything but a Poor-House. The intro- duction of this question led to one of the most ani- mated discussions that took place before the board during that year. Motions to lay the whole subject on the table, motions of amendment, and dilatory motions were made.
Supervisor Bergen offered the resolution recom- mending "the Superintendents hercafter to discon- tinue the setting out a public table and furnishing liquors and cigars on any day or days."
Supervisor Fenton moved to amend by striking out all after the words, "public table," which was decided in the negative by a vote of 11 to 11. The original resolution was then adopted by a vote of 11 to 10. A motion was then made for a reconsideration of the last vote, which motion was carried in the affirmative by a vote of 12 to 10. A motion was then made that the Board adjourn, which was lost. Mr. Bergen now asked permission to amend his resolution ; to add at the close thereof the words, "to the public." Mr. Lindsey moved that the whole subject be indefinitely postponed, which motion was lost by a tie vote.
Mr. Caldwell then moved the previous question -the question then being presented in this form: "Shall the main question now be put ?" which was de- cided in the affirmative. And the question being taken on the resolution as amended, it was decided in the affirmative by a vote of 15 to 7. So that, so far as the Supervisors were concerned, the public table, with its refreshments, liquors and cigars, at the County Poor-House was discountenanced; and the Board of Superintendents subsequently coincided with the ma- jority of the Supervisors. We give rather a full account of this contest, for reasons which will be very apparent to the reader.
The plan for a hospital to the Nursery continued to increase in popularity until the measure was adopted. The plan for using the old Hospital for the sick child- ren of the Nursery met with decisive opposition from both Boards.
Under an Act of the Legislature passed March 27th, 1855, authorizing the Board to create a loan to com- plete the Lunatic Asylum on the County Farm, the County Treasurer was directed to borrow on the credit of the County the sum of $35,000 in installments, paya- ble as follows : $5,000 in 1857; $7,000 in 1858 ; $8,000 in 1859 ; $10,000 in 1860; $5,000 in 1861-the bond to be signed by the County Treasurer, countersigned by the County Clerk, the seal of the County affixed to the same, numbered and recorded in the Book of County Bonds as required by section 5, chapter 36 of the laws of 1854.
A resolution was passed at this time directing that the erection of the female wing of the new Peniten- tiary be continued with all possible speed.
June 6th a resolution was adopted that all magis- trates throughout the County be requested to commit all adult vagrants to the Penitentiary, that they might be put to hard labor.
On June 12th the salary of the Superintendents of the Poor was fixed at $1,000 each; with $200 addi- tional to the Superintendent acting as Treasurer of the Board. On June 27th the annual appropriation for the fiscal year for the support of the poor having been exhausted, and the Superintendents being in debt $25,000, the necessary measures were taken for their relief until the next fiscal year,
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480
HISTORY OF KINGS COUNTY.
On the 25th of July, 1855, the Lunatic Asylum was reported as completed according to contract ; where- upon the following very important resolution was adopted :
Resolved, That the Board of Supervisors do now transfer into the hands of the Superintendents of the Poor the build- ing known as the County Lunatic Asylum.
August 7th, 1855, the annual report of the Superin- tendents of the Poor and that of the Physicians to the Alms-House and Lunatic Asylum were submitted, by which it appears that the Nursery building was, at the date of the report, so far completed as to be occu- pied by 340 children-too large a number to subsist in a healthy state in one edifice. That, though when completed it would afford additional space, it was cer- tain that that would be immediately filled to an extent which would be uncomfortable to its inmates.
Also, that the new Lunatic Asylum would be completed about the 1st of September; that the school in the Alms- House was admirably managed by Mrs. Saltzman and Miss Brown; and that in religious instruction all the inmates of the poor establishment have had the assiduous attention of the Rev. Mr. Carter, aided by other clergymen. The produc- tions of the farm were very large, and were profitably dis- posed of.
The whole number of paupers supported and relieved dur- ing the year ending July 31st, 1855, was 26,581. The number of such persons temporarily relieved was : In Brooklyn (Western District) 10,670; (Eastern District) 7,904; in Flat- bush, Flatlands and New Lots, 275; Gravesend and New Utrecht, 48; total, 18,897; the cost of which was $225,217.86. Received for the benefit of the Poor establishment, from all sources, during the year, $227,390.36. The estimated value of the profit on the labor of the paupers was $1,500. Of the amount expended for the support of the poor, $67,750.51 was expended for the support of the patients in the hospital and small-pox house, averaging $143.85 per annum, or $2.75 per week for the actual cost of each patient.
And the amount applicable to the support of the poor, di- vided by the average number of paupers kept in the Alms- House, Lunatic Asylum and Nursery buildings, gives $73.72 per annum, or $1.40 per week as the actual cost of each pau- per.
The estimated value of the whole Poor Establishment on the 31st of July, 1854, was $408,000 ; the number of persons in the Alms-House, Hospital, Nursery and Asylum on that day was 1,156; admitted during the year ending July 31, 1855, 6,376 ; there were born in the Poor-House, 152; dis- charged during the year, 5,654; absconded, 41; died, 420 ; bound out, 5 ; out on trial, 31 ; leaving in the Poor-House on the 31st of July, 1855, 1,533, 921 of whom were foreigners, and 185 lunatics.
The estimated expenses for the Poor Establishment for the year to end July 31st, 1856, was $302,196.20. The estimated amount necessary for the support of the Penitentiary for the ensuing year was $16,000. The number of prisoners in the Penitentiary on July 11th, 1855, was 125.
On September 5th, 1855, $25,000 was placed to the credit of the Superintendents, to be expended in the support of the Alms-House. On that same day there were in the Penitentiary 155 prisoners.
On the 3d of October, 1855, the Committee of Super- visors made a report which created great sensation in the County, inasmuch as itstrongly condemned some of the management of the Superintendents of the Poor, touching the Poor Establishment of the County.
The Superintendents in their reply alleged that, as they derived their office from the Legislature of the State, and their election direct from the people, they did not regard themselves as amenable to the Board of Supervisors; and that the Legislature, in requiring them to submit to that Board their annual reports and accounts, only intended to give the Board of Super- visors an advisory power. But the Supervisors insisted that the following language of the statute : " It shall be the duty of the Supervisors to examine the accounts of the Superintendents of the Poor and audit the same," made it the duty of the Supervisors to exert a supervisory power over the Superintendents. Accord- ingly, the report to which we have alluded, which was very lengthy, was submitted to the Board of Super- visors, and adopted by that body and duly reported. The report charged the Superintendents, among other things, with extravagance in purchasing supplies for the Poor-House. That the purchases included a pro- fusion of articles which properly belonged to the class of luxuries ; alleging that the people never intended that the poor supported at their expense should share in luxuries of which they (the tax-payers) were not able to partake.
In evidence of the prodigality of the Superintendents in furnishing supplies, the Committee allege that more was actually paid for supplies purchased at wholesale than the same articles would cost at retail. That 1,600 gallons of wine and brandy were purchased dur- ing the year, at a cost of $5,000, giving about four gallons each to the average yearly inmates of the Poor- House. 18,000 pounds of tea was furnished for the County buildings during that time-about nine tons- at an average cost of from 43 cents to 45 cents per pound, wholesale ; 56,083 pounds of butter, or 28 tons, at an average wholesale cost of 24} cents per pound, consumed in the year ; 119,245 pounds, or 60 tons, of sugar, at an average wholesale cost of 72 cents per pound, etc., etc. The article chiefly furnished was an ordinary brown Havana sugar, for which the New York prices ranged from 5 to 5} cents per pound.
The committee concluded their report thus :
"This great abuse of office by the Superintendents in their office demands from the Board of Supervisors of Kings County merited censure ; and we submit it to the Board to judge whether this great looseness in conducting the County business is not very near the perpetration of fraud upon the county. Your committee do not charge fraud upon any one, but leave the Board and and the public to judge of the state- ment of facts as they appear from our examination."
The report was adopted by the Board of Supervisors, who, in ten separate resolutions, admonished the Super-
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SUPERINTENDENTS OF THE POOR.
intendents of the Poor touching their manner of purchasing supplies for the poor ; recommending, also, "the appointment of a competent person as a store-keeper to reccive and distribute supplies " for the county poor. They also invited a public competition in furnishing county supplies ; refused to audit all bills for tea which did not furnish the particular cargo and chop ; required the Superintendents to explain to the Board the discrepancy in the purchase and actual use at the Hospital of tea, sugar, butter and rice ; re- fuscd to allow the charge of $34.45 for daily papers for the use of the offieers of the cstablishment ; or to approve the account as rendered by the Superintend- ents until they satisfactorily settle all errors in tares and weights. They also directed the Superintendents to furnish to the poor under their charge plain, sub- stantial and wholesome food, and no goods of such an average high grade as the expenses for the past year indicated.
They required them to report to this Board monthly (under oath) as to their purchases, expenditures and proceedings; and appointed a committee to present to the Board, as early as possible, a plan for an entire and permanent reformation in the expenditures for the poor of Kings county. Supervisors Caldwell, Ber- gen and Rowe constituted this committee.
One thousand copies of this report were ordered to be published, together with the annual report of the said Superintendents.
This was the result of the action of the Board of Supervisors in regard to the Board of Superintendents of the Poor. No vote of censure was passed by the former Board, nor was there any belief that the Super- intendents were guilty of any frand. It was eonceded that they only carried out a practice which had obtained in the County Poor Establishment for many ycars. The Superintendents afterwards, on October 10th, submitted a very able answer in explanation of their course, which was presented at a joint meeting of the two Boards, at which time all errors were sub- stantially rectified.
On November 21st, 1855, $25,000 was placed to the credit of the Superintendents of the Poor for the benefit of the Poor Establishment of the county.
December 12th, 1855, $25,000 for the Alms-House account and $6,000 for the Penitentiary account were placed to the credit of the Superintendents.
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