April 26, 1914: Woman Implicates Chicago Doc in Abortion

On April 26, 1914, eighteen-year-old Florence S. Lindquist died of septic peritonitis in a Chicago home where an abortion had been performed on her. On her deathbed Florence implicated Dr. Arthur F. Schulz, age 36, who lived at the home in question. Schulz was arrested for her death, as was a man named Charles Miller, named by Florence as the father of her baby.

Schulz, a 1907 graduate of Dearborn Medical College, was an allopath who had begun practicing in Chicago in October of 1911. During that era, most Chicago abortions were perpetrated by either physicians or midwives. Though he was arrested, he was likely not incarcerated for Florence's death, since he was still listed as living in his own household in Chicago in the 1920 U.S. census. He died later that year of pneumonia.

Florence left behind her parents, John and Hilma Lindquist, four sisters and a brother.

Florence's abortion was typical of pre-legalization abortions in that it was performed by a physician.

Note, please, that with ordinary public health issues such as doctors not using proper aseptic techniques, lack of access to blood transfusions and antibiotics, and overall poor health to begin with, there was likely little difference between the performance of a legal abortion and illegal practice, and the aftercare for either type of abortion was probably equally unlikely to do the woman much, if any, good. For more information about early 20th Century abortion mortality, see Abortion Deaths 1910-1919.

For more on pre-legalization abortion, see The Bad Old Days of Abortion

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Sources:

• Homicide in Chicago Interactive Database
• The Day Book, Chicago, 6 May, 1914
• Death certificate
• "Doctor Held for Girl's Death," Chicago Tribune, Apr. 28, 1914
• "Two Held for Girl's Death," Chicago Tribune, 6 May, 1914