Friday, March 23, 2012

Illegal in Chicago, Legal in New York

On March 23, 1905, Mrs. Ida Pomering, a 30-year-old German immigrant, died in Chicago from an abortion performed earlier that day. Dr. Apollonia Heinle was held by the coroner's jury for Ida's death.

On March 23, 1907, Mrs. Dora Swan, age 24, died at Englewood Union Hospital in Chicago from the effects of a criminal abortion. Louise Achtenberg, whose profession is not given, was held responsible by the coroner, but there is no record that charges were filed. Achtenberg, identified sometimes as a midwife and sometimes as a doctor, was implicated in three other Chicago area abortion deaths: Florence Wright 1909, Violet McCormick in 1920, and Madelyn Anderson in 1924.

On March 23, 1917, 19-year-old Mary Conners died at Chicago's County Hospital, (pictured, left) refusing to name the abortionist who had fatally injured her that day, thus ensuring that whoever had killed her would remain free to kill again. This loyalty to abortionists above concern for the well being of other women is a trait common to pro-choice thought that persists to this day in the form of refusing to report or take action against seedy abortionists like Kermit Gosnell until the situation blows up and it's no longer possible to look the other way. Because of this perverse propensity among the prochoice, it will always be contingent upon the prolife to find and stamp out abortion quacks.

Lynn McNair, age 24, was 23 weeks pregnant when she was injected with saline by Dr. Edward Rubin at Jewish Memorial Hospital. The first injection of saline failed to kill the fetus, so Lynn was given a second injection. After this second dose, Lynn went into contractions and slipped into a coma. She died March 23, 1979 of a pulmonary embolism of amniotic fluid, leaving two children motherless.

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