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 117
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Immediately after its passage the Board began its duties, the Superintendents of the Poor already in office being members of the Board of Charities. At the annual election held November, 1871, Henry Wills and Cornelius Ferguson were elected Commissioners of Charities for the Third and Fifth Districts, being the first Commissioners of Charities elected in the county.
The first annual report of the Commissioners of Charities, together with the reports of the heads of the several departments under their control, was presented to the Supervisors at their annual meeting August 1st, 1871.
The report begins with an interesting table, showing the net expenses for the several classes cared for during the six years preceding the report, together with the average cost and proba- ble per capita tax on the population of the county:
Year.
Estimated Popula- tion.
Total Net Cost for all Relieved Purposes.
and Sup- ported.
Average Cost for Each Person.
Per Cap- ita Tax on Pop- ulation.
1866
312,000
$336,827.25
36,257
$92.80
$1.06
1867
338,000
367,372.90
32,185
114.40
1.08
1868
362,000
463,800.61
44,734
103.40
1.02
1869
381,000
454,149.42
40,381
112.40
1.01
1870
406,000
537,024.81
46,712
114 90
1.03
1871
440,000
490,596.70
44,892
107.57
1.10
So far as the detail of cost is considered, this exhibit does not show an alarming increase for the support of the poor in the county from 1866 to 1871. In a period of six years the county had only advanced on the per capita tax four cents, while in 1867 it nearly reached the figures of 1871, and the cost of temporary relief during the same period was gradually reduced.
The report says: "We propose, this coming winter, to so manage as to bring all applicants for relief personally before us; to this end the city will be divided into eight districts by wards, a proper person will be selected for each, and no relief will be given unless reported worthy by the visitor assigned, who will be compelled every ninety days to re-examine his report."
494a
HISTORY OF KINGS COUNTY.
The report contains the following table:
Alms-
house.
Hospital.
Nursery.
Asylum.
Total.
Remaining at date of last report. . Admitted and born during the year
747
375
428
601
2,151
2,121
3,962
577
355
7,015
Died and discharged during the year ..
2,204
3,991
572
315
7,082
Remaining July 31, 1871
664
346
433
641
2,084
Temporary relief : District No. 1, 14,249; No. 2, 12,133; No. 3, 8,220; No. 4, 580; No. 5, 476; number relieved, 35,658; found- lings, etc., boarded out, 68; institutions, 9,166; total number relieved, either wholly or in part, during the year ending July 31st, 1871, 44,892; average number in the institutions during year, 2,456; the highest number in the institutions during the year was on the 14th of February, 1871, 2,783; the lowest num- ber on the 19th of July, 1871, 2,133; total amount of paid bills, $512,128.74; total amount of receipts, $21,532.04.
This report is signed by Henry Corr, Thos Foran, Henry Seiler, John Scott and Cornelius Ferguson, Commissioners.
Dr. Tennis Schenck, physician of the County Hospital, reports the results of treatment, during the year ending July 31st, 1871, as follows : Remaining July 31st, 1870, males, 163; females, 212 ; total, 375; admitted during the year, males, 2,166; females, 1,893; total, 4,059; total number under treatment, males, 2,329; females, 2,105; total, 4,434; discharged recovered, males, 1,496; females, 1,439; total, 2,935; discharged improved, males, 341; females, 242; total, 583; discharged unimproved, males, 22; females, 19; total, 41; died, males, 305; females, 224; total, 529; total number discharged and died, males, 2,164; females, 1,924; total, 4,088; remaining July 31st, 1871, males, 165; females, 181; total, 346; total number for the year ending July 31st, 1866, 3,505; for the year ending July 31st, 1867, 2,808; for the year ending July 31st, 1868, 2,613; for the year ending July 31st, 1869, 3,009; for the year ending July 31st, 1870, 3,792; for the year ending July 31st, 1871, 4,434, an increase of 642 over the total number of last year.
Dr. Edward R. Chapin, physician of the Lunatic Asylum, acknowledges his indebtedness to Mr. Gilbert Hicks, custodian of the Graham Fund, for valuable reading matter presented to the Asylum during the year, and to the proprietor of the Brooklyn Eagle for two copies of that paper furnished daily to the Asylum. He reports, for the year ending July 31st, 1870, patients in Asylum August 1st, 1870, males, 238 ; females, 364; total, 602 ; patients admitted during year, males, 152; females, 203; total, 355; total under treatment, males, 390 ; females, 567; total, 957; discharged recovered, males, 47; females, 56; total, 103; discharged improved, males, 36; females, 49; total, 85; discharged unimproved, males, 24; females, 28; total, 52; died, males, 25; females, 50; total, 75; total discharged, males, 132; females, 183; total, 315; remaining July 31st, 1871, males, 258; females, 384; total, 642; number of employees, males, 32; females, 44; total, 76.
John Driscoll, Keeper of the Nursery Department, reported especially as to the school connected with the Nursery. The whole number of children who attended this school during the year was 463, of whom 322 were boys, 141 girls; the average daily attendance during the year was 275. Of the total number who attended for any length of time, 84 studied geography, history and punctuation; 268 studied tables and arithmetic; 187 learned to write with a pen, and 81 to form figures and letters on slates; 352 studied reading and spelling, and 187
learned the alphabet and how to spell easy words on tablets. The number of children admitted to the Nursery during the year ending July 31, 1871, was:
CHILDREN.
ADULTS.
TOTAL.
Male.
Female.
Male.
Female.
Remaining
July
31st, 1870.
257
121
11
39
428
Admitted
during
the year. .
308
213
48
577
Total
remaining and admitted. ..
565
334
19
87
1,005
Discharged during the year.
274
186
8 53
521
Died
29
22
.
51
Total discharged and died.
303
208
8
53
572
Remaining 31st, 1871.
July
262
126
11
31
433
At this time the officials under the Commissioners of Charities were : Dr. Tennis Schenck, resident physician of the Kings County Hospital ; Dr. P. L. Schenck, assistant resident physician ; Dr. J. L. Zabriskie, H. L. Bartlett, M. D., R. C. Stiles, M.D., and John A. Brady, M.D., consulting physicians ; James Fitz- gerald, steward; Mrs. Elinor Martin, matron. Dr. Edward R. Chapin, resident physician of the Lunatic Asylum; Dr. C. F. McDonald, assistant; James F. Scott, steward, and Mrs. M. E. Scott, matron. John Driscoll, keeper of the Nursery; Mrs. C. M. Driscoll, matron; Charles Mclaughlin, teacher; C. L. Phelps, assistant teacher; Aaron J. Michaels, store-keeper; John A. Murtha, assistant store-keeper. The clergy of the county, although not officially connected with its poor establishment, so benevolently tendered their services that one might have easily supposed they were conscientiously and devotedly discharging their dutics as official chaplains thereof.
Hostility to the new Board of Commissioners of Charities soon began to exhibit itself; the enemies of the old Board of Superintendents insisting that there were too many elements of the old Board ex- isting in the new; and, early in February, 1872, a bill was introduced into the Legislature provid- ing for the formation of a Board of Charities and Corrections. It was suggested in the said bill to place the Kings County Penitentiary under the control and management of the proposed Board of Commissioners of Charities and Corrections, and to make other sweep- ing changes in the management of the Poor establish- ment of the county. This measure was violently op- posed ; and, on April 29, 1872, a remonstrance was adopted by the Supervisors and Superintendents against the intended change. The bill favoring this reform was, however, ultimately defeated in the Legis- lature for that time.
495a
THE COMMISSIONERS OF CHARITIES.
The annual report of the Commissioners of Chari- ties for the year ending July 31, 1872, presented August 6th, congratulates the public that from an average of the different years from 1865 to 1872, there has been a reduction on the per capita tax of of 20} eents, and an advance in the aggregate total in seven years of only $8,651.97. Taking into consideration the increase in the population, it was, indeed, a source of gratification that the expenses of the department had been kept within the amount appropriated to the said Commissioners. They represented that the sum of $400,000 might answer all the requirements for the then ensuing year, and earnestly urged the enlarge- ment of the hospital, by the ereetion of an additional wing. The following is the annual tabulated report of the persons in the Poor establishment for the year ending July 31, 1872 :
Remaining at date of last report, almshouse, 664; hospital, 346; nursery, 433; asylum, 642; total, 2,085; admitted and born during the year, almshouse, 1,768; hospital, 4,198; nursery, 581; asylum, 367; total, 6,914; died and discharged during year, almshouse, 1,869; hospital, 4,131; nursery, 602; asylum, 3;25 total, 6,927; remaining July 31, 1872, almshouse, 563; hospital, 418; nursery, 412; asylum, 684; total, 2,072; temporary relief, 22,807; foundlings, etc., boarded out, 56; institutions, 8,999; total number relieved, wholly or in part, during the year end- ing July 31, 1872, 31,862; average number in the institutions during the year, 2,413; highest number during year was on April 3d, 2,821; lowest number during year was on July 3d, 2,026; total amount of paid bills, $400,951.22; total amount of receipts, $17,325.19.
The Board of Commissioners of Charities this year consisted of Henry Corr, Thos. Foran, Henry Wills, John J. Scott, Cornelius Ferguson.
Dr. P. L. Schenck, physician to the County Hospital for the + fiscal year ending July 31, 1872, reports :
Remaining July 31, 1871, males, 165; females, 181; total, 3,346; admitted during the year, males, 2,357 ; females, 1,841 ; total, 4,198; total under treatment, males, 2,522 ; females, 2,022; total, 4,544; discharged recovered, males, 1,620 ; females, 1,270 ; total, 2,890 ; discharged improved, males, 280 ; females, 180 ; total, 460 ; discharged unimproved, males, 54, females, 64 ; total, 118; died, males, 384; females, 279 ; total, 653 ; total discharged and died, males, 2,338 ; females, 1,793 ; total, 4,131 ; remaining July 31, 1872, males, 184; females, 229 : total, 413 ; total under treat- ment for the year ending July 31, 1872, 4,544 ; total under treat- ment for the year ending July 31, 1871, 4, 434.
It will be seen by the above that there was an increase of 110 over the number treated last year. Of those discharged, 2,890, or 64 per cent. recovered ; that 460, or 10 per cent., improved; that 118, or 3 per cent., did not improve ; 663, or 14 per cent., died. The Doctor's report states that the small-pox prevailed to a fatal extent in the hospital during most of the year ; that the total number admitted to the Small-pox Hospital during the year was 1,691, of whom 110 were mothers, acting as nurses for their children sick with the disease ; 292 died of the disease ; that of the 4,544 admitted to the hospital during the year, 3,535 were foreigners. The number of births in the hospital during the year was 142. The number of births in the hospital since Ang- ust 1, 1852, is 2,499, 39 cases of twin births. Of these 1,533 of the mothers were from Ireland, 201 from Germany, 26 from Scotland, 553 from United States, 86 from England, etc. Of these mothers, 1,227 were married ; 1,003 unmarried ; 13 were widows. The total number of patients admitted to the hospital since August 1st, 1851, to July 31st, 1872, was 58,958.
Dr. Edward R. Chapin, physician of the Lunatic Asylum for the year eding July 31st, 1872, reported :
Patients in Asylum August 1, 1871, males, 258 ; females, 384; total, 652; patients admitted during the year, males, 168; females, 199 ; total, 367 ; whole number under treatment, males, 426, females, 583 ; total, 1,009 ; discharged recovered, males, 61; females, 64 ; total, 125 ; discharged improved, males, 33 ; females, 37 ; total, 70 ; discharged unimproved, males, 25 ; females, 31 ; total, 56 ; died, males, 40 ; females, 34 ; total, 74 ; whole number discharged, males, 159 ; females, 166 ; total, 325 ; remaining July 31st, 1872, males, 267 ; females, 417 ; total, 684 ; number of employees, males, 33 ; females, 46 ; total, 79.
The Doctor strongly recommended that the basement under the new wing, occupied by females, which was left unfinished when the building was enlarged three years before, should be immediately finished, as the room was very much needed.
The report of Mr. John Driscoll, keeper of the Nursery, for the year ending July 31, 1872, reported :
CHILDREN.
ADULTS.
TOTAL.
M.
F.
M.
F.
Remaining July 31, 1871
262
126
11
34
433
Admitted during year
318
196
15
52
581
Total remaining and admitted
580
322
26
86
1,014
Discharged during year
304
174
17
53
548
Died during the year.
23
31
54
Total discharged and died
327
205
17
53
602
Remaining on July 31, 1872
253
117
9
33
412
Of this total number in the Nursery during the year, 323 boys and 116 girls were attending the school in the institution ; 79 studied reading, writing and spelling, punctuation, history, geography and arithmetic; 164 studied reading, writing, spelling and tables; 196 learned the alphabet and how to spell easy words. During the year there were 185 promotions. The ladies of the " Helping Hand Society," of Brooklyn, viz., Mrs. Wilder, Mrs, Pierce, Mrs. Pitts, Mrs. Brown, Mrs. Rand, and the Misses Decker, Wilder, Barbor and Chadwiek, were warmly commended in the report for their kind and generous attention to the pupils ; as were also Mrs. Johnson and her nieces, the Misses Johnson, for pleasing, tasteful and appropriate Christ- mas gifts, story books, confectionery and other articles highly gratifying to the little ones.
At the annual election held in November, 1872, John Cunningham and Stephen H. Powell were elected Commissioners of Charities for the County of Kings, and on December 23 their bonds were duly approved.
The history of the transactions of the Board of Com- missioners of Charities for the year ending July 31,
496a
HISTORY OF KINGS COUNTY.
1873, outside of the annual report of the Board and of the resident physicians of the hospitals, and the keeper of the Nursery, is not sufficiently important to be given here.
The report speaks in the highest terms of the con- venience and advantage derived from the completion of the new Almshouse; proposes other changes for the benefit of that institution ; and complains of the want of power to detain a person in the Almshouse if he refuses to work.
They also animadvert strongly against the neglect of the authorities of Queens and Suffolk Counties to pro- vide for the elaims of their lunaties. " We have," says the report, " admitted a number of pay patients from these counties, not as a matter of right, but to meet, as far as possible, the claims of common humanity, but we shall soon be compelled to refuse admission to all per- - sons not residents of our county under the full meaning of the law."
The following table shows the number of persons in the Poor establishment, the number relieved, &c., &e., during the last fiscal year :
Remaining at date of last report : Almshouse, 565, Hospital, 413 ; Nursey, 412 ; Asylum, 684 ; total, 2,074. Admitted and born during year : Almshouse, 1,463 ; Hospital, 3, 108 ; Nursery, 520 ; Asylum, 322 ; total, 5,413. Died and discharged : Almshouse, 1,589 ; Hospital, 3,148 ; Nursery, 588 ; Asylum, 288, total, 5,613. Remaining July 31, 1873 : Almshouse, 439 ; Hospital, 373, Nur- sery, 344; Asylum, 718 ; total, 1,874 ; Temporary relief, 25,033. Foundlings, etc., boarded out 64. Institutions, 7,487. Whole number relieved either wholly or in part during the year ending July 31, 1873, 32,584. Average number in Institutions during the year, 2,226.
The highest number in the institutions during the year was on February 11, 2,593; the lowest, June 1st 1,892; total amount of paid bills, $405,143.70; total amount of receipts, $19,850.31. This report was signed by Cornelius Ferguson, John Cunning- ham, Henry Wills, G. H. Powell, and John J. Scott, as Commis- sioners of Charities.
Dr. P. L. Schenck physician of the County Hospital for the year ending July 31st, 1873, congratulates the Commissioners and the public upon the improved condition of the hospital. He says a very large number of the patients in the hospital dur- ing the year were persons who had worked in the white-lead manufactories of Brooklyn. The great increase in the number of these patients ought to be a proper subject of the health au- thorities. He also speaks of the great number of surgical opera- tions in the hospital, and announces in touching language the death of Dr. R. CRESSON STILES, a member of the hospital staff, who died of pneumonia, after an illness of ten days, at the resi- dence of his mother, at West Chester, Pa., April 17, 1873, in his 43d year. He held successively the position of assistant physi- cian in 1854-5, resident physician in 1864-5, and upon his res- ignation as resident physician, received the appointment of con- sulting physician. As a scientific physician and microscopist, few equaled him; as a scholar and polished gentleman he was not excelled.
He reports as remaining July 31, 1872, males, 184; females, 229; total, 413; admitted during the year, males, 1,660; females, 1,448; total, 3,108; total number under treatment, males, 1,844; females, 1,677; total, 3,521; discharged recovered, males, 1,160; females, 1,091; total, 2,251; discharged improved, males, 208; females, 171; total, 379; discharged unimproved, males, 68; fe- males, 81; total, 149; died, males, 220; females, 149; total, 369;
total discharged and died, males, 1,656; females, 1,492; total, 3,148; remaining July 31st, 1873, males, 188; females, 185; total, 373; total number under treatment for the year ending July 31st, 1872, 4,544; total number for year ending July 31st, 1873, 3,521; decrease, 1,023.
Dr. Edward B. Chapin, physician of the Lunatic Asylum for the year ending July 31st, 1873, gives a very brief but very in- teresting and instructive showing a Very prosperous and suc- cesful state of things in that institution.
Patients in Asylum August 1st, 1872, males, 267 ; females, 417 ; total, 684 ; patients admitted during the year, males, 157 ; females, 165; total, 322; whole number under treatment, males; 424; females, 582; total, 1,006 ; discharged recovered, males, 56 ; females, 56 ; total, 112 ; discharged improved, males, 25, females, 46 ; total, 71 ; discharged unimproved, males, 23; fe- males, 16; total, 39; died, males, 33 ; females, 33 ; total, 66 ; whole number discharged, males, 137; females, 151 ; total, 288 ; remaining July 31, 1873, males, 287; females, 431 ; total, 718 ; number of employees, males, 32 ; females, 49 ; total, 81.
The annual report of the County Nursery by Mr. Driscoll, the manager, gives a very encouraging account of that institution. Among other things it gives an account of the condition of the large garden attached to the Nursery, the cultivation of which, for the past year, was committed entirely to the care of the boys in the Nursery, with the exception of one man to superintend.
The report also shows the following :
CHILDREN.
ADULTS.
TOTAL.
Males.
Females.
Males.
Females
Remaining 31, 1872 ..
253
117
9
33
412
Admitted
during
year.
286
175
10
49
520
Total
539
292
19
82
932
Discharged during year.
320
163
10
52
545
Died during year
21
21
1
. .
43
Total
341
184
11
52
588
Remaining
July
31, 1873
198
128
8
8
344
Decrease
during
year.
.
.
68
July
By the Act of April 27, 1871, creating the office of Auditor in the County of Kings, it was made the duty of said Auditor to examine all bills presented against the County of Kings for payment, including all bills incurred by the Commissioners of Charities, and to cer- tify to the Board of Supervisors the result of his exam- ination, stating whether there was sufficient money in the treasury of said county placed to the credit of the account to which sueh bills were chargeable. Also, whether such bills had been incurred under due author- ity of law, &c. MAURICE FITZGERALD was, on May 1st, 1871, duly appointed Auditor of Kings County : thenceforth the aecounts of the Commissioners of Chari- ties were no longer examined and audited by the Super- visors, but by the Auditor of the County. The Super- visors, however, had the right of proving or disap- proving the acts of the Auditor. There had existed in the Board of Supervisors, until the passage of this aet,
497a
THE COMMISSIONERS OF CHARITIES.
a committee termed a Committee on Accounts of Com- missioners of Charities, to which the latter reported their accounts. Under an amendment of the act, creating the office of County Auditor, the Commission- ers of Charities were required to make and present to him a monthly pay-roll for each and every month in the year. We have already referred to the feeling of hostility to the old Board of Superintendents of the Poor, which increased until that Board was abolished ; but, as the functions of the Commissioners of Charities were in many respects similar to those of the old Board, the prejudice against that continued to exist against the new, until, June 22, 1874, it culminated in the presen- tation to the Governor and the Board of Supervisors of written charges of serious irregularities in the trans- action of official business by the Commissioners of Charities, and the offering of a resolution to the Board of Supervisors directing the Committee on Accounts of Commissioners of Charities to closely investigate the management of said Commissioners, covering such period of time as the committee might deem proper, with power to send for persons and papers, and to re- port results to the Board as soon as possible.
Previously to this a resolution had been offered to the Board of Supervisors directing the Treasurer of the County to decline payment of all drafts upon him from the Commissioners of Charities for the present. An- other resolution was adopted by the Board about this time, quite annoying to the Commissioners of Charities, pointing to a collision between the two Boards. The resolution was as follows: -
" Resolved, That the Commissioners of Charities be and they are hereby instructed to purchase no intoxicating liquors, ale or wines, hereafter, for any of the public institutions, or at the public expense, without an order of this Board therefor being first had and obtained."
By an Act of the Legislature, passed April 2d, 1874, the act creating the Board of Commissioners of Chari- ties of Kings County was largely amended, increasing the powers of the Supervisors over them, and restrict- ing their own powers. One of these amendments, par- ticularly obnoxious to the Commissioners, found in section 3d of the Act of 1874, is as follows :
" All articles found necessary to be used in and for the relief and support of the poor in the County of Kings, shall be pur- chased, contracted for or supplied by the Board of Supervisors of Kings County.
" The section there proceeds to limit the powers of the Com- missioners, compelling them to make frequent reports to the Supervisors."
In April, 1874, bills for water furnished the County Buildings by the Department of Brooklyn City Water Works amounted to the sum of $11,375.80, which the Commissioners of Charities had neglected to pay.
This led to an unpleasant discussion, the Commis- sioners alleging that it was the action of the Board of Supervisors that caused the delay in the payment of the said bill.
The difficulties connected with the Commissioners of Charites continued until Stephen H. Powell, Henry H. Wills and Cornelius Ferguson, Commissioners of Chari- ties in the 2nd, 3rd and 5th Districts, were, on the 1st of June, 1874, tried, convicted and sentenced for mal- feasance in office.
On July 1st, 1874, John A. Dix, then Governor of the State of New York, in pursuance of a statute in such case made and provided, gave the Board of Supervisors of Kings County official notice of the va- cancies in the Board of Commissioners of Charities, created by the conviction, and sentence, of the said Powell, Ferguson and Wills of the crime of malfeas- ance in office and conspiracy. The trial of these men created great excitement in the County ; it took place before the extraordinary Court of Oyer and Terminer, held in the City of Brooklyn, on the 9th day of June, 1874 ; Hon. Charles Daniels, one of the Justices of the Supreme Court, presiding; Hon. Barnett John- son and Hon. Stephen J. Voorhees, associates. After a somewhat exciting trial, the jury found thic said per- sons guilty of the crime charged in the indictment. A motion was made for a rest of judgment by the defend- ants' counsel, and a stay of sentence granted until June 12th, 1874, and the defendants were admitted to bail in the sum of five thousand dollars each, to appear in court on the 12th day of June, 1874. On that day the motion for a rest of judgment was argued and denied, and the court passed sentence that the defendants Ferguson, Powell and Wills each pay a fine of $200, and that they stand committed until such fine be paid.
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