1937: Back alley butcher kills patient in his office

On January 16, 1937, Dr. Samuel Roth performed a fatal abortion on an unidentified woman in his New York office. On December 23, 1941, Roth was sentenced to a year in prison after pleading guilty to manslaughter for her death.



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

To email this post to a friend, use the icon below.