It seems that right around 1900, the only employees Bellevue Hospital could get to work in its Morgue were complete alcoholics. Luckily, Bellevue also had an Alcoholic Ward. An excerpt from a May 7, 1901 Brooklyn Daily Eagle article:

“There were many new faces among the helpers at Bellevue Hospital, Manhattan, this morning, owing to the suspensions last night and arrests for drunkenness. The alcoholic ward contains many of the late helpers. The new assistants come from the convalescent patients and the city lodging house. The disgraceful row last night between two stretcher bearers of the Morgue brought out the alarming degree of dissipation at Bellevue following each pay day.

It has long been a notorious fact that the attendants at the Morgue are seldom the same for any two weeks. Superintendent Rickard said that responsible men cannot be gotten for from $10 to $12.50 a month. Yesterday, he said, there was a greater degree of intoxication at the institution than ever before, although it has been bad enough at any time.

A couple of days ago a rough and tumble fight occurred between the chef, a man named Vozen, and his assistant, named Hopkins. Hopkins, while intoxicated, got Vozen down and began to pound him and had him almost knocked out when help arrived. Hopkins was suspended. Vozen was incapacitated for work.

"A couple of days ago a rough and tumble fight occurred between the chef, a man named Vozen, and his assistant, named Hopkins."

John Roff, attendant at the Morgue, came into the place Sunday with a pair of black eyes, face scarred and lacerated and so drunk he could hardly walk. He was suspended and on the announcement of his decision said he would lick the whole staff.

John Dunn, an attendant, rode into Bellevue this morning in a hansom cab. He was so badly intoxicated that he had to be carried from the cab. He wore a bouquet of lilacs and violets. He wore a silk hat, which had seen much usage. He was put in his cab and driven from the grounds and is riding about yet, so far as the hospital people know.

Another attendant came to Bellevue this morning with a strong smell of liquor on his breath and when he found the treatment that had been meted out to his associates he rushed into a ward and sprinkled checkerberry on his mustache. He was sober enough to go to work, but the odor of wintergreen is offensively palpable.

George Lewis, an attendant, who has been suspended for drunkenness before, was ‘disgustingly’ sober, as one hilarious attendant said this morning, and was put to work in Roff’s place. He said he would never touch liquor again.

Superintendent Rickard said that drunkenness among the attendants was very common, but it was more flagrant this month than ever before. The attendants are paid every month. The men and women are such people as to be unable to get work anywhere else and look forward every month to their pay for intoxication. Some can not wait for pay day and get orders and go down town and cash them. The only remedy for this, Superintendent Rickard says, is to pay more wages and get a better class of attendants.”