Is Only Today's First Anniversary the Outrageous Death?

On December 31, 1917, 40-year-old homemaker Victoria Chmileuski died in her Chicago home from an abortion perpetrated by Wilhemena Benn, wh...

Today's Anniversary Calls For More Research

On December 29, 1907, 19-year-old Marcie Mayer died in St. Elizabeth's hospital in Chicago from complications of a criminal abortion. ...

1921: Mystery Abortionist Kills Immigrants' Daughter

On December 28, 1921, Belle Keehn died at the Chicago Lying-In Hospital from an abortion perpetrated by an unknown doctor on or about Nov...

1919: Unidentified perp leaves Pennsylvania woman dead

On December 26, 1919, Rose Kulamer , a 33-year-old homemaker who had emigrated from Hungary, died at Columbia Hospital in Wilkensberg, Penns...

Two Holiday Tragedies

On December 23, 1885, Dr. Truman Sawdy's 21-year-old daughter, Sylvia , was in Grand Rapids, Michigan, ostensibly visiting the mother o...

Three Pre-Roe Anniversaries

On December 21, 1915, 34-year-old Anna Hunt died at Chicago's Rhodes Avenue Hospital from complications of an abortion perpetrated th...

A Death from the Dark Ages and one from Our Enlightened Age

On December 13, 1926, 23-year-old Chicago native Mary Paradowski underwent a criminal abortion. She died on December 20 at Chicago Hospital...

1921: Oklahoma-born Woman Dies in Chicago

On December 19, 1921, 18-year-old Marie Pickle died in Chicago after an abortion perpetrated by Clarence Shoere, who was identified as a nu...

Three Illegal Abortion Deaths -- The Last With a Twist

On December 28, 1871, a Coroner's Jury was called to investigate the death of Mrs. Amanda McCoy . Amanda had died at the home of Dr. Fa...

1914: Unknown Perp Leaves Three Children Motherless

On December 17, 1914, 24-year-old Emma Fertig , wife of Edward Fertig, died at Chicago's West Side Hospital from an abortion performed ...

Legal and Illegal, Six Anniversaries

Today marks many tragic anniversaries. Click on each woman's name to learn more about her. "How Mrs. Seifred was Killed by Female Q...

Two Beneficiaries of Safety and Legality

Twenty-year-old LaSandra Russ , from Berkley, California, went to Los Angeles to have an abortion on December 13, 1971. She was six weeks ...

How Lead Leads to Lead and Reveals More on Abortion Death

My original research on the November 18, 1942 abortion death of 26-year-old Madeline McGeehan was based on New York Times articles. Recent...

Sharon's Death: Your Tax Dollars at Work

First, a little background. In one session of a National Abortion Federation Risk Management Seminar, a participant indicated that when he...

Two Anniversaries, Criminal and Legal

On December 12, 1930, 22-year-old Jeanette Reder died from complications of a criminal abortion performed at the Chicago office of Dr. Emil...

1914: Unknown Perpetrator Kills Young Teen

On December 10, 1914, 13-year-old Ida Kaufman died in a Chicago home after an abortion performed by an unknown perpetrator. I've been u...

1956: "The Angel of Ashland" Kills New York Woman

On Saturday, December 8, 1956, 26-year-old Mary Davies of New York City arrived in the Ashland, Pennsylvania office of abortionist Dr. Robe...

Two Safe, Legal Deaths

I have few details on the first death we commemorate today. Myria McFadden , age 28, underwent a second-trimester abortion performed by Dr. ...

1925: Unknown Perpetrator's Fatal Work

On December 7, 1925, 18-year-old Margaret Zito died at Chicago's West End Hospital from a criminal abortion performed that day. The per...

1905: One Dead Woman, Two Doctors Arrested

On December 5, 1905, 19-year-old Mrs. Annie Killhoff died at her home from an abortion performed there that day. Two physicians, Joseph Vas...

The Cop and the Medical Student

Queens patrolman Howard Bailey, morgue attendant Victor Genz, and a Texas medical student, Benjamin Lockhart, were arrested in the December ...

Same Song, Five Different Verses

Grace Wolf , a young married woman, traveled from her home in Lansing to the office of Dr. C. Allen Snyder in Dubuque, Iowa, on November 1...

All Three Equally Dead

On December 2, 1901, the body of Rose Lefebre was found in the office of Dr. Volbending. It appeared that Rose had died from an abortion....

Another One Bit the Dust

While looking for a photo to go with today's blog post about the death of Suzanne Logan , I found one -- with the obituary of the ... i...

A Criminal Abortion Death, and the Legalization Supposed to Prevent More Deaths

On December 1, 1928, 23-year-old Esther V. Wahlstrom died in Chicago from complications of a criminal abortion. Dr. Lou E. Davis was held b...

Three Doctors' Fatal Handiwork: 1927, 1926, 1874

On November 30, 1874, Mrs. Mary Dix died at her Chicago home from complications of a criminal abortion performed there. Dr. W. F. Aiken was...

Chicago, 1930

Seventeen-year-old Miss Dorothy Jasinski was brought to St. Mary's Hospital in Chicago by two unidentified women on November 17, 1930....

1888 in the Dakota territories

Mrs. George Libby , age 18, died November 28, 1888, in Wahpeton in the Dakota territories. Before her death she admitted that she had bought...

Two Deaths Nearly 50 Years Apart

On November 26, 1923, 23-year-old Alice S. Johnson died at Chicago's West End Hospital from a criminal abortion performed there that d...

2003: Alabama Woman Sent Home to Bleed to Death

Leigh Ann Stephens Alford , age 34, underwent a safe and legal abortion at the hands of Dr. Malachy DeHenre (pictured) at Summit Medical C...

Three Family Tragedies

On November 24, 1907, Lizzie Paulseu , age 38, died at County Hospital in Chicago from an abortion performed that day. John and Minnie Nelso...

1909, Anna Pozatevich and the "Abortion Provider"

On November 23, 1909, Anna Pozajevich , age 24, died in Chicago home from an abortion performed on November 7. Julia Adamovitch was indict...

Two Chicago Deaths from the Early 20th Century

On November 22, 1913, 33-year-old Hulda Tubbin died in Chicago, at the scene of an abortion perpetrated that day by Dr. Olaf Olson. Though...

1924: Unknown Perp in Chicago

On November 21, 1924, 24-year-old Mildred Bleschke died at Chicago's Grant Hospital from complications of an abortion performed earlie...

Three Deaths and the Dubious "Benefits" of Legalization

On November 20, 1925, 29-year-old Anna Kick died in Chicago's Washington Park Hospital from an abortion performed that day at an undis...

Three Pre-Roe Tragedies

Today's first sad story, which transpired in the autumn of 1862, is one about which I found bountiful sources and poignant information. ...

Two coasts and in between

Since abortion was illegal for far longer than it was legal, of course I have more illegal than legal abortion deaths in the Cemetery of Cho...