July 21, 1886: Fatal Abortifacients from a Druggist Husband

On July 21, 1886, Mrs. Fred Winkleman, nee Miller, was found dead in her Cincinnati home from a botched abortion. 

The last survivor of the Miller family, she had a fortune of $13,000 (over $420,000 in 2023) which she had given over to 26-year-old Fred at their marriage four months earlier. 

Police believed that Fred, a 26-year-old druggist, had intended his wife's death in order to have free use of the money. 

Winkleman was arrested and freed on $5,000 bail. 

The scant news coverage seems to indicate that Fred had perpetrated the abortion himself. A headline in the Louisville (KY) Courier-Journal, "Poisoned His Bride," is the only indication of the means of the abortion. I've also been unable to determine whether he was ever prosecuted.

Sources:

• "Arrested For a Heinous Crime," (Fulton County, OH) Democratic Expositor, July 29, 1886