1925: A busy year for Chicago's notorious Dr. Hagenow

On December 16, 1925, 22-year-old Bridget Masterson died in her Chicago home from a botched abortion. Police were able to question Bridget prior to her death, but she refused to implicate anybody.

John O'Malley, a boarder and the father of Bridget's baby, committed suicide by gas after learning of Bridget's death. He left a note implicating "a lady doctor at 310 W. North Ave." This was the address of Dr. Lucy Hagenow, aka Louise Hagenow aka Ida Von Schulz.

There were a number of deaths in Chicago attributed to Hagenow, including:

1899: Marie Hecht

1906: Lola Madison

1907: Annie Horvatich

1925: Lottie Lowy, Nina H. Pierce, Jean Cohen, and Elizabeth Welter

1926: Mary Moorehead

Hagenow was typical of criminal abortionists in that she was a physician.



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

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