May 18: A College Student's Fatal Journey

Pamela Modugno, a college student, died Wednesday, May 17, 1972 during an abortion at Monsey Medical Center in New York. She was 18 years old. Cardiac arrest due to air embolism. She was the second death from a safe, legal abortion in the county since New York liberalized the abortion laws effective July 1, 1970. The first had been Edith Clark.

County Medical Examiner Dr. Frederick Zugibe postulated that reverse air pressure from a suction unit might have blown air into Pam's bloodstream.

Monsey Medical Center had opened two days after abortion was legalized. The director, Dr. Lester Lando, was a licensed OB/GYN.

Pam's father, Thomas Modugno sued for negligence in how the abortion was performed and under the theory that the abortion was "assault and trespass" against Pam because at the time of the abortion, no surgery was permitted on an unmarried patient without parental consent except in an emergency.

Pam is identified as "Danielle" in Life Dynamics' list of safe, legal abortion deaths.

Sources:

• "18-year-old student dies during abortion," The Journal News, May 18, 1972
• "Abortion death suit filed," The Journal News, January 18, 1973

May 12: Gladyss Estanislao new document link do rewrite

On May 12, 1989, Gladyss Estanislao, 28-year-old mother of one, was found unresponsive on the floor of the rest room near her college classroom. A doctor who was in the vicinity performed CPR while awaiting an ambulance. Gladyss was taken to a hospital, where she was declared dead on arrival from cardiac arrest due to blood loss from a ruptured ectopic pregnancy that her abortionist, Alan J. Ross, had failed to diagnose before, during, or after the suction abortion he had performed at Women's Health Care Center on April 25. 

The fact that the abortion specimen did not contain fetal parts should have indicated that Gladyss had an ectopic pregnancy. Because of the sloppiness of abortionists like Ross, women who choose abortion are more likely to die from a ruptured ectopic pregnancy than are women intending to carry to term.

Survivors of Gladyss Delanoche Estanislao, 28-year-old mother of one, alleged that she underwent a safe, legal aspiration abortion by Alan J. Ross at The Wisconsin Avenue Women's Health Care Center on April 25, 1989. The family's arbitration claim indicated that "tissue retrieved consisted only of clots and [Ross] drew the conclusion that there had been a missed abortion. He then sent [Gladyss] home and prescribed medication instructing her as though the pregnancy had been terminated." On May 12, Gladyss was found unresponsive on the floor of the rest room near her college classroom. A doctor who was in the vicinity performed CPR while awaiting an ambulance. Gladyss was taken to a hospital, where she was declared dead on arrival from cardiac arrest due to blood loss from a ruptured ectopic pregnancy. The fact that the abortion specimen did not contain fetal parts should have indicated that Gladyss had an ectopic pregnancy. This condition is routinely treated by competent doctors, saving the lives of the mothers. But Ross missed his diagnosis and allowed Gladyss to leave his clinic with her life in danger. Even though, in theory, women who choose abortion should be less likely to die of ectopic pregnancy complications, experiences shows that they're actually more likely to die, due to sloppy practices by abortion practitioners.

New documents: Alan Ross License Suspension Order

Matibag vs. Women's Health 

May Justin Mitchel dead woman write up

 

While I was looking for more information about the February 2, 1936 abortion death of Alice Haggin, I found an article linking Alice's abortionist, Justin Mitchell, to yet another death. While dying in Chicago's West Side Hospital, Mrs. Florence Jordan named Mitchell as the man who had perpetrated her fatal abortion on May 8, 1933.

Sources:

• "Physician Arrested After Woman Dies of Operation," Chicago Tribune, May 27, 1933.

April 28: Aquarium Tubing

I believe I've identified the young woman previously called "Daisy" at the Cemetery of Choice. To preserve her privacy while making it easier for me to do my annual research, I have given her the pseudonym "Theresa Harper."

Theresa was a 32-year-old systems analyst for a defense contractor in California. She had an appointment scheduled for a safe, legal second-trimester abortion at a local abortion clinic on April 30, 1990.

For some reason Theresa didn't keep her appointment. Instead, she allowed her boyfriend to attempt a home abortion with a piece of aquarium tubing. She died of complications of that abortion on April 28.

April 13: "Don't tell on him," Pleads Dying Wife

"Don't tell on him -- don't tell what he did to me," 22-year-old homemaker Maybella "Mabel" Krauss reportedly said to neighbor Mary Kise as she lay dying at Saint Joseph's Hospital in Lancaster, Pennsylvania.

Neighbors -- some as far as a block away -- reported hearing Mabel screaming on the night of Friday, April 11, 1924. They heard her begging of her husband, Nicholas Krauss, to stop hurting her and to leave her alone.

Neighbors later saw instruments Nicholas had supposedly used.

Dr. Charles W. Ursprung examined Mabel on April 11 and found her to be in serious condition, which is presumed was due to an abortion. He admitted her to the hospital and attended her until her death at 11 pm on April 13. She left two small children behind.

Husband, Nicholas Krauss, reported said of the doctors and nurses, "I have fooled them"

Nicholas Krauss's defense was that Mabel had performed the abortion herself, an assertion that was repeated as the cause of her fatal peritonitis on her death certificate. Dr. Jerry Sullivan testified that in March Mabel had told him that she was pregnant and wanted to "get rid of the child," since the two she had were enough.

After Mabel's death, Krauss reportedly asked around for a good housekeeper, only wanting "something young." He hired Helen N. Singleton. The two of them were later charged with adultery. Those charges were pending when Kraus was found guilty.

Source:

• Death certificate
• "Krauss is Guilty of Serious Crime on Deceased Wife," Lancaster (PA) Daily Intelligencer, September 10, 1924

March 30 and 31, 1930: Two Deaths Linked to Dr. Eade

Two Deaths in Two Days Linked to Dr. Thomas Eade



Gladys Anderson

During an inquest into the March 30, 1930 death of Gladys Anderson, an 18-year-old freshman at the University of Illinois, word came that Cleo Hinton, a 24-year-old stenographer from Champaign, Illinois, had also died from a botched abortion. Both deaths were linked to Dr. Thomas Eade.

Cleo died in a Champaign hospital on March 31 due to peritonitis caused by an abortion. Eade was charged with murder in her death but was acquitted. Nevertheless the medical board was not satisfied and investigated to see if the evidence of his complicity was enough to revoke his license. 

Eade told the state medical board that when Cleo had come to him on March 23, he believed that she was suffering from intestinal influenza which could not have been caused by an abortion.

Newly added source: "Doctor Defends Self on Stand in State Probe," Chicago Sunday Tribune, December 14, 1930

March 25: Three Convictions Overturned in Third Patient Death INCORPORATE STUFF FROM NEW ARTICLES BELOW

In the spring of 1933, Edward Dettman's 21-year-old girlfriend, Mary Colbert, told him that she'd missed her period and wanted an abortion.  On March 15, Edward took her to 68-year-old Dr. Emil Gleitsman. Dettman agreed to pay $50 for the abortion in weekly installments of $8.

While Edward was present, Gleitsman examined Mary, inserted an instrument to perform the abortion, and inserted cotton soaked with a dark brown medicine.

About a week later, the couple returned to Gleitsmann's office. Edward waited while Gleitsmann took Mary back into his exam room.

On March 21, Mary took ill was cared for by her aunts. She asked one of them, Annie Colluden, to summon Gleitsmann. After Gleitsmann finished tending to Mary and was preparing to leave, Mrs. Collunden said, "Doctor, there has been something done to that girl.

Gleitsmann responded, "Yes. They get in trouble. They come to me and I help them out."

Mary later confided in her aunts about the abortion.

Mary died on March 25. Coroner's Physician Samuel A. Levinson performed an autopsy. He concluded that Mary had been three or four months into pregnancy when a criminal abortion was performed and that she'd died from the results. He said that the abortion was performed with instruments though he did not describe any lacerations, perforations, or abrasions in Mary's uterus.

When the police questioned Gleitsmann, he said that Mary and Edward had come to his office. Dettman, claiming to be Mary's husband, had told him that Mary was in a lot of pain and something needed to be done quickly. Gleitsmann said he'd quickly examined Mary and didn't find her to be pregnant but did find her to be suffering from blood poisoning and peritonitis. He said he treated her several time between that visit and her death.

He also denied having had the conversation with Mary's aunt.

Gleitsman had previously been was indicted for 22-year-old Lucille van Iderstine's abortion death in 1928 and for perpetrating a fatal abortion on Jeanette Reder in 1930.

Gleitsmann was found guilty of manslaughter on September 26, 1934 after having twice successfully appealed his convictions. His third conviction was also overturned on the grounds that the principle witness, Edward Dettman, was not only an accomplice in the alleged abortion but was a man of low character who had gotten Mary pregnant while married and the father of two children.

This left Gleitsmann free to continue practicing. He was later convicted of the abortion death of Marie O'Malley and sentenced to 14 years in prison at the age of 77.

Newly added sources:

• "Doctor Gets Second New Trial in Abortion Death," Chicago Tribune, April 13, 1934
• "Dr. Gleitsman Again Convicted in Girl's Death," Chicago Daily Tribune, September 27, 1934
• People v. Gleitsmann 361 Ill. 165 197 N.E. 557, June 4, 1935 

NEW STUFF TO INCORPORATE:

March 25: Woman's Body Found on Country Road

Addie Wilson, age 48, was indicted for manslaughter and abortion conspiracy in connection with the death of 25-year-old Marie Swift. Marie's body was found on a country road on March 25, 1941.

Herman Ward, Marie's fiancé, was indicted for abortion and conspiracy.

Addie Wilson's 16-year-old son, Clarence, was held as a material witness.

Source:

• "Indict Two in Death of Girl Found Dead in MD," Lancaster (PA) Intelligencer Journal, April 18, 1941