April 28, 1973: One of Three Dead at Civil-Rights Activist's Facility

T.R. Mason Howard

Survivors of Julia Rogers, age 20, alleged that she underwent a safe and legal abortion performed by Theodore Roosevelt Mason Howard (pictured) at his Friendship Medical Center in Chicago on April 21, 1973. 

According to her obituary, Julia was a member of Shiloh Baptist Church and worked at Gary National Bank.

Julia's death certificate states that her death April 28 at Tabernacle Hospital was due to "bronchopneumonia and generalized peritonitis complicating extensive necrotizing endometritis and myometritis with sealed perforation." In other words, she developed pneumonia on top of peritonitis. A hole had been poked in her uterus, causing an infection that made the muscle tissue of her uterus start to rot inside her. 

Evelyn Dudley and Dorothy Brown also died after abortions at Friendship Medical Center.

Watch One of Three Fatal Abortions at Friendship Medical Center on YouTube. 
Watch One of Three Fatal Abortions at Friendship Medical Center on Rumble

Sources:

• "The Abortion Profiteers," Chicago Sun-Times 11-19-78
• "12 dead after abortions in state's walk-in clinics," Chicago Sunday Sun-Times, November 19, 1978
• "Probe death here after abortion," Chicago Tribune, May 3, 1973
• Death Certificate No. C612195
• "Suit Filed in Illinois After Abortion Death," Omaha World Herald, July 18, 1973