NEW YORK CITY. 



537 



The foregoing figures show that during 1894 

 the death rate was lower than during any year 

 since 1814. The principal causes of death were 

 as follow : Pneumonia, 4,752 ; phthisis, 4,687 ; 

 diarrhceal diseases, 3,040 under five years, 2,708 ; 

 Bright's disease and nephritis, 2,479 ; diphtheria, 

 2,359; heart disease, 2,170; bronchitis, 1,329; 

 measles, 581 ; scarlet fever, 541 ; croup, 511 : 

 typhoid fever, 326 ; whooping cough, 272 ; cere- 

 bro-spinal meningitis, 213 ; influenza, 188 ; smail- 

 pox, 154 ; and malarial fever, 126. 



The report of the sanitary superintendent for 

 1894 shows that there were 42,269 primary vac- 

 cinations and 183.203 revaccinations. The in- 

 spectors visited 19,803 tenement houses, 5,837 

 lodging houses, 2,494 private dwellings, 1,566 

 other dwellings, 23 public buildings, and 502 

 other buildings. The number of inspections 

 made by the division of contagious diseases was 

 75,479, while the division of pathology, bacteri- 

 ology, and disinfection was 8,557. The official 

 chemist made 430,134 investigations. 



On July 1 the estimated population of New 

 York city was 1,957,452. 



Education. The board having control of this 

 subject consists of 21 commissioners, who are ap- 

 pointed by the Mayor, and receive no salary. 

 The president of the board at the beginning of 

 the year was Adolph L. Sanger, who died on 

 Jan. 3, and was succeeded on Jan. 10 by Charles 

 H. Knox. The city superintendent is John Jas- 

 per (salarv, $7,500), and the headquarters are at 

 146 Grand Street. There are at present 96 gram- 

 mar schools and 47 primary schools. According 

 to the report for 1893 there were 312 schools in 

 operation, of which 141 were primary depart- 

 ments and 111 grammar schools. The average 

 attendance of pupils for the year was 168,873, and 

 the entire number taught was 329,960. There 

 were graduated 3,358 pupils. The number of 

 regular teachers employed was 4,463, and 464 

 licenses to teach were granted. The autumn ses- 

 sions began on Sept. 10, when it was estimated 

 that 150,000 children sought instruction, being 

 an increase of 7,000 pupils. About 113 new class 

 rooms were opened. Contracts were under way 

 that added 214 more class rooms in December, 

 thus increasing the number of new pupils by 

 nearly 20.000. The new schoolhouse on Madison 

 Avenue and 85th Street was opened on April 28. 

 Plans are also being drawn for 2 large schools at 

 119th Street and Madison Avenue, and on 88th 

 Street, between Second and Third Avenues. To- 

 gether these two schools will accommodate about 

 5,000 pupils. 



Police. This department is managed by a 

 board of 4 commissioners appointed by the 

 Mayor for a term of six years, each of whom re- 

 ceives a salary of $5,000. The board during 

 1894 consisted of James J. Martin, president, 

 John C. Sheehan, John McClave, who resigned 

 on July 14, and was succeeded on July 16 by 

 Michael Kerwin, and Charles P. McLean, whose 

 term of office expired on May 1, and was suc- 

 ceeded on May 21 by Charles H. Murray. The 

 superintendent of police is Thomas F. Byrnes, 

 and the headquarters are at 300 Mulberry Street. 

 During the year the number of arrests was: 

 Males, 77,535; females, 20.950; total, 98.485 

 distributed as follows: 5,794 for assault and 

 battery, 771 for felonious assault, 767 for bur- 



glary, 21,449 for disorderly conduct, 218 for 

 gambling. 130 for homicide, 19,538 for drunken- 

 ness. 8,623 for drunk and disorderly, 1,887 for 

 grand larceny, 3,443 for petit larceny, 3,640 for 

 vagrancy, 8,404 for violation of excise law, and 

 7,784 for violation of corporation ordinances. 



The police had charge of 2,743 lost children, 

 all of whom were restored to their parents ex- 

 cept 183 ; these were sent to institutions. The 

 detectives made 1,286 arrests during the year, of 

 which 706 were for felonies, 370 for misdemean- 

 ors, and 200 were of suspicious persons. There 

 was recovered $205,000 worth of stolen property. 



The property clerk handled over $500.000 

 worth of lost and stolen property received from 

 the precincts. The sales of unclaimed property 

 realized $550 for the pension fund. During the 

 year 65 members of the police force died, 38 

 were retired, 17 resigned, 41 were dismissed, and 

 there were 28 promotions. 



Lexow Committee. This now famous Sen- 

 ate investigating committee came into existence 

 on Jan. 30 by a unanimous vote of the Senate, 

 with power to investigate the Police Department 

 of New York city. Of its necessity, it must be 

 said that in 1877 the Society for the Prevention 

 of Crime was organized in New York city, hav- 

 ing for its objects to remove " the causes and 

 sources of crime by enforcement of the laws and 

 arousing public opinion, especially in regard to 

 excise laws, gambling, and public nuisances." It 

 was originally presided over by Rev. Howard 

 Crosby, who was succeeded by Rev. Charles 

 H. Parkhurst. In the accomplishment of its 

 objects this society found much suggestiveness 

 of crime, such as the existence of gambling 

 houses and houses of prostitution, which were 

 in direct violation of the law. Dr. Parkhurst 

 called public attention to these, but was met 

 by officials with a demand for proof, and not 

 inferences. He then personally investigated the 

 places known to exist, visiting disreputable re- 

 sorts of various characters, and again evidence 

 that was presented by him to the proper officials 

 failed of results. The agents of his society re- 

 ceived personal injuries in the public streets, of 

 which subsequent investigation by the police 

 failed to reveal the source, and one agent of the 

 society was punished by conviction and impris- 

 onment of a crime for which he has since been 

 pardoned. The persistent efforts of the Police 

 Department and its chief to obstruct and dis- 

 credit the work of the society and of Dr. Park- 

 hurst culminated in such a positive exposure of 

 corruption in the Police Department that the 

 public press came to the aid of that clergyman, 

 which resulted in the appointment of the Senate 

 committee. It met in New York in February, 

 and secured the services of John W. Goff as 

 counsel, and thereafter held sessions continuous- 

 ly, except during the summer months, until Dec. 

 31. It was the special duty of the committee to 

 point out the existence of crime, but not to con- 

 vict. Trial and conviction was the function of 

 the district attorney's office. A summary of the 

 work done shows that 67 men connected with 

 the Police Department were accused of crime on 

 evidence sufficient in most cases to warrant in- 

 dictments. Of this number 2 were commission- 

 ers and 2 ex-commissioners, 3 inspectors and 1 

 ex-inspector, 20 captains, 2 ex-captains, 7 ser- 



