Unknown, Midwife, Doctor

Chicago: 1912, 1919 and 1928

On April 2, 1912, 25-year-old homemaker Elizabeth Jorgeson died from an abortion perpetrated that day by Katie Sauer, whose profession is not given. Sauer was held by the Coroner's Jury and indicted by a Grand Jury on November 30. The case never went to trial. An article in the Chicago Inter-Ocean from the year before Elizabeth's death identifies a Chicago woman named Katie Sauer as a midwife. I am working to verify if the midwife and the abortionist are the same person. 

On April 3, 1919, 22-year-old homemaker Marya Kizior, a native of Poland, died at Chicago's Jefferson Park Hospital from an abortion perpetrated by an unknown suspect. Since most Chicago abortions of that era were perpetrated by either doctors or midwives, there is a strong likelihood that Marya's abortionist was a medical professional.

On April 3, 1928, 30-year-old homemaker Stefania Kwit, a native of Poland, died from complications of a criminal abortion performed that day by 45-year-old midwife Pauline Majerczyk. On May 3, Mauerczyk was held by the coroner for murder by abortion, and indicted for felony murder on May 15. Evidently she remained free, because she is still listed as a midwife living in Chicago in the 1930 Federal census. 

One of a String of Abortion Deaths, Oklahoma City, 1932

Ethel Hestland, age 30, died on April 3, 1932, in the Oklahoma City area from a criminal abortion. Her death certificate was signed by Dr. Richard E. Thacker. Thacker (pictured) had been identified as responsible for a string of other abortion deaths in a very short stretch of time, including Marie Epperson, Isobel F. Ferguson, Ruth Hall, Lennis May Roach,Nancy Joe Lee,and Robbie Lou Thompson.