Evidence of Friction Between Pelham and New York City in 1885 Over Riotous Hart Island "Paupers"

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From the time New York City first leased Hart Island from John Hunter, Jr. during the Civil War, and thereafter purchased it outright in 1868, and through the next several decades, the Island and its inhabitants were a constant source of friction between the Town of Pelham and New York City.  Though the island was within the Town of Pelham, it was owned by New York City.  

The examples of such friction are legion.  Confederate prisoners of war held on the island during the Civil War escaped and made their way through Pelham.  There were allegations that temporary residents of Hart Island voted fraudulently in Town of Pelham elections.  Long after the war, non-military prisoners held on the island escaped on foot and fled onto City Island and the mainland when the local waters froze over during brutal winter months.  Pelham residents were horrified when New York City quarantined yellow fever patients on the island in 1870, among many other such frictions.  Many other such incidents strained the relations between Pelham and New York City when it came to Hart Island.

By 1885 Pelham essentially had had enough of New York City's stewardship of Hart Island.  By then, a major portion of the island was used as New York City's "potter's field" cemetery for paupers.  Paupers, prisoners, and others resided on the island and were used as workers to bury the dead on the island.  

Because Hart Island was still part of the Town of Pelham, when such residents of the island misbehaved -- which was fairly frequently -- Pelham authorities, including the Town Constable based on City Island, were called to handle the situations, arrest those who broke the law, and haul them into Town Court in the Town of Pelham, all at the expense of the Town of Pelham with no reimbursement of expenses by New York City.

1884 Nautical Chart Depicting Hart Island and City Island at

About the Time Friction Between the Town of Pelham and New

York City Came to a Head in 1885.  Source:  "CITY ISLAND

HARBOR LONG ISLAND SOUND NEW YORK Scale 1/15000

1884," NOAA's Office of Coast Survey Historical Map & Chart

Collection (Available via Wikipedia).  NOTE:  Click on Image to Enlarge.

In January, 1885, an "indignation meeting" was scheduled on City Island in the Town of Pelham.  The meeting was scheduled "to protest against the conveying of riotous paupers from Hart Island to City Island to be tried simply because the first-named is legally part of the town of Pelham."

Pelham calculated that each time its Town Court had to try any such prisoner it cost $15 per prisoner.  As of January 28, 1885, there already had been sixteen such recent trials for a total expense of $240 (about $8,300 in today's dollars).  Pelhamites feared the financial impact of recidivism since nearly all the trials resulted in mere 30-day jail terms in the County Jail at White Plains.  Thus, the entire Town became concerned that it would become necessary for the Town to issue bonds and incur debt to fund the costs of handling unruly Hart Island residents placed there by New York City, the owner of the island.

According to one published report in late January, 1885, "A committee will be appointed to confer with the Commissioners of Emigration of New York city to provide some other method of dealing with the unfortunate denizens of Hart's Island, all of whom legally belong to the metropolis and should not be allowed to inflct special expenses upon the law-abiding citizens of City Island."

Pelham became so incensed that the clamor to force New York City to annex Hart Island grew.  In the following few weeks, a local newspaper reported that a bill was pending "before the Legislature" to force New York City to annex Hart Island, further noting that the criminal reformatory on the island was a significant part of the problem.  The report further noted that "The island is small and but of little use . . .  The citizens of the town of Pelham are anxious to have the Island annexed to New York City from the fact, as they say, that they have to foot the bills of the criminal expenses of the Island and the latter returns them no revenue at all."

Lithograph Depicting "VIEW OF THE CONVALESCENT HOSPITAL ON

HART'S ISLAND" Published Mar. 5, 1877.  Source:  Wikipedia (citing "Mid-

Manhattan Picture Collection / New York City -- Hospitals -- 1899 & Earlier").

NOTE:  Click on Image to Enlarge.

Eventually, New York City annexed Hart Island -- as well as City Island, other surrounding islands, and the lands that form today's Pelham Bay Park -- thus, ending a portion of the frictions that long had plagued its relationship with its little neighbor on its northeast boundary known as the Town of Pelham.  

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"Too Close to New York.

An indignation meeting is to be held at City Island to protest against the conveying of riotous paupers from Hart Island to City Island to be tried simply because the first-named is legally part of the town of Pelham.  The City Island people object to trying such criminals, for it involves a cost of $15 per prisoner, and as sixteen have already been tried and sent to White Plains Jail for thirty days only, the natives are afraid that if the paupers keep on being unruly and the City Island constable is daily called in to make arrests, it will be necessary to bond the town to pay the cost of the arrests and trials.  A committee will be appointed to confer with the Commissioners of Emigration of New York city to provide some other method of dealing with the unfortunate denizens of Hart's Island, all of whom legally belong to the metropolis and should not be allowed to inflict special expenses upon the law-abiding citizens of City Island."

Source:  Too Close to New York, The Evening Telegram [NY, NY], Jan. 28, 1885, Vol. XVIII, No. 6,032, p. 3, col. 4.  

"PELHAM AND CITY ISLAND. . . .

A bill is before the Legislature, to annex Hart's Island to the City of New York.  At the present time, while the island belongs to this county, still New York controls it, having got possession for the purpose of erecting a reformatory thereon for its criminal classes.  The island is small and but of little use to this county; but if New York city wants full control of it, let her compensate this county for it.  The citizens of the town of Pelham are anxious to have the Island annexed to New York City from the fact, as they say, that they have to foot the bills of the criminal expenses of the Island and the latter returns them no revenue at all. . . ."

Source:  PELHAM AND CITY ISLAND, The Chronicle [Mount Vernon, NY], Mar. 20, 1885, Vol. XVI, No. 809, p. 3, col. 4.

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