NEW YORK CITY. 



423 



have never been properly understood. What we 

 want to do is to make it a part of the city's 

 educational system. It should be a place for 

 study and investigation. Fish-culture is fast 

 becoming a profession. We could establish a 

 fish-hatchery in the building. This would be 

 interesting, and it could be arranged with glass 

 sides, so that the fish could be seen." 



Health. The collecting of vital statistics is 

 under the care of three commissioners, including 

 the health-officer of the port and the police com- 

 missioner. The officials for 1902 were Ernest J. 

 Lederle, president (salary $7,500), Health-Officer 

 Dr. Alvah H. Doty, and Police Commissioner 

 John N. Partridge. The secretary of the board 

 was Emmons Clark, who was retired on Dec. 24, 

 1901, and was succeeded by Caspar Golderman, 

 and the office is on the corner of Sixth Avenue 

 and 55th Street. President Lederle's report 

 shows that the number of deaths was 68,082, 

 compared with 70,808 in 1901, and the death-rate 

 for 1902 was 18.74 a thousand the lowest ever 

 reported in this cty. The annual death-rate for 

 the entire city since consolidation has been: 

 1898, 20.26; 1899, 19.47; 1900, 20.57; 1901, 20.02; 

 and 1902, 18.74. In 1892 the rate for the old 

 city was 25.95. The death-rate for 1902 for the 

 old city of New York was 19.49. In 1902 there 

 were 4,907 more births than in 1901; and 36,200 

 marriages, an increase of 2,653. Regarding con- 

 sumption, the report shows- that there were 582 

 fewer deaths than in 1901. The decrease in the 

 death-rate from this disease is due to scientific 

 measures and " the control of the white plague 

 and its ultimate eradication " is being brought 

 about by the enforcement of sanitary measures. 

 There was a slight increase in the deaths from 

 typhoid fever, but a decrease of 100 deaths from 

 smallpox is noted. In scarlet fever there was 

 a slight increase in the number of deaths, but in 

 diphtheria there was a decrease of 35 per cent. 

 For the first time in twelve years there was a 

 decrease in the death-rate from cancer. There 

 were 800,000 persons vaccinated in the year. The 

 coroners' report shows that their office consid- 

 ered 6,346 deaths, distributed as follow: Sudden 

 deaths from natural causes, 3,526; deaths by ac- 

 cidental violence, 1,965; deaths by suicide, 470; 

 deaths by direct murder, 92; other homicide 

 cases, 139; ante-mortem statements, 154. Of 

 these, there were 482 cases remaining for inquisi- 

 tion from the previous year. In all there were 

 in 1902 2,820 deaths that, under the law, require 

 the personal investigation of the coroners. As 

 a result of such investigations, 543 persons were 

 held to await the action of the Grand Jury. In 

 connection with this, 1,236 inquests were held 

 and 644 autopsies were performed. 



Hospitals. In accordance with the provisions 

 of the revised charter for the city, on Feb. 1 the 

 charge of the receiving and emergency hospitals 

 passed from the control of the Charities Depart- 

 ment to a board of trustees consisting of Dr. 

 John W. Brannon, president; James K. Pauld- 

 ing, secretary; Myles Tierney, Samuel Sachs, 

 Marcus Stine, Theodore E. Tack, Howard Town- 

 send, and Commissioner of Charities Homer 

 Folks, ex offlcio. The board will hold meetings 

 in the Medical Board Room at Bellevue, and its 

 annual meetings and election of officers will be 

 held every February. It is required by law to 

 make an annual report to the mayor in December. 

 The emergency and receiving hospitals included 

 under the new management with Bellevue are 

 Fordham, Gouverneur, Harlem, the Emergency 

 Hospital in 26th Street, and the new hospital in 

 Harlem, ground for which has been secured. 



Police. This department is under the control 

 of a commissioner (salary, $7,500) and two deputy 

 commissioners (salary, $4,000). In 1902 the com- 

 missioner was John N. Partridge, who resigned 

 on Dec. 12, and was succeeded by Francis V. 

 Greene. The first deputy was N. 13. Thurston, 

 who resigned on Oct. 4, and was succeeded by 

 Second-Deputy F. H. E. Ebstein, who in turn was 

 succeeded by A. R. Piper. The headquarters are at 

 300 Mulberry Street. Col. Partridge's report to 

 Dec. 1 shows: Total force on Nov. 30, 7,721 ; retire- 

 ments, 115; dismissals, 76; complaints for viola- 

 tions of rules, 2,993; tried and reprimands given, 

 764; fines imposed, 1,463; tried and fines remitted, 

 4; tried and judgment suspended (debts), 34; tried 

 and judgment reserved, 78; pending, 155; total 

 arrests all offenses, 134,283 ; arrests for gambling 

 all kinds, 1,434; arrests for keeping gambling 

 houses, 155; arrests for blackmail. 13; arrests for 

 bribery, 14; arrests for keeping disorderly houses, 

 505; arrests for murder, 20; arrests for violating 

 liquor-tax law, 1,895; arrests for violating policy 

 law, 140; and arrests for violating pool law, 273. 



The charges of oppression brought against 

 Chief Devery by former Officer O'Neill were dis- 

 missed in the Court of Special Sessions, and in 

 consequence the district attorney did not pursue 

 the matter further. The McAuliffe mystery was 

 one of the police events of the year. James 

 McAuliffe was the principal witness on whose testi- 

 mony Wardman Glennon was convicted. On Feb. 

 16 he stumbled and fell forward on his face in 

 the street before several witnesses, and died 

 shortly afterward in the hospital. Two days 

 later it was learned that he had been in the 

 hands of the West 47th Street police during the 

 night previous to his fall, and the hospital au- 

 thorities declared that the fracture of the skull 

 from which he died could not have been obtained 

 from his fall on the face, in consequence of which 

 a belief grew up that he had been badly used 

 in the station-house. As he was a strong witness 

 against 5 other indicted police officers, the local 

 newspapers took up the, matter, and $4,000 was 

 offered as a reward for the apprehension of his 

 murderers. Public opinion compelled the Police 

 Department to make an investigation and the 

 district attorney to make an inquiry, and it 

 was officially conceded that when McAuliffe was 

 arrested Saturday night he was not suffering 

 from the injury that caused his death, and that 

 the injury received by him after his liberation 

 Sunday morning was not sufficient to cause his 

 death. But no evidence was obtainable to prove 

 beyond reasonable doubt who inflicted the injury. 



Fire. This department is under the care of a 

 commissioner, who receives a salary of $7,500. 

 The present incumbent is Thomas Sturgis, and 

 the headquarters are at 157 East 67th Street. 

 The most important action taken in the Fire 

 Department during the year was the order issued 

 on Aug. 19 relieving Chief Croker from command, 

 and assigning his duties to Deputy-Chief Purroy. 

 Charges were then preferred against Croker, and 

 he was tried on 7 counts, embracing 15 specifica- 

 tions, most of which pertained to his neglect 

 to safeguard the Park Avenue Hotel by enforcing 

 legal requirements, and to his discriminating in 

 promotions in favor of men of certain political 

 organizations. These charges were sustained, and 

 he was found guilty, in consequence of which he 

 was dismissed from the service on Nov. 28. 



Education. At the beginning of the year the 

 Board of Education consisted of 20 commission- 

 ers, who were appointed by the Mayor and re- 

 ceived no salary; and of that body Miles M. 

 O'Brien was president. By virtue of the laws 



