January 2: Doctor's Fatal Trail Ends With Her Own Death

Margaret Crowe, age 25, has the dubious distinction of being the first abortion death linked to Dr. Anna Sorenson in Chicago. Margaret died at Norwegian Deaconess Hospital on January 2, 1917. Sorenson was indicted by a Grand Jury but for some reason remained at large.

Sorenson seemed to stay out of trouble until August 10, when 19-year-old Emelia Stade Gorman died at St. Mary's hospital. Sorenson was indicted for felony murder for Emelia's death on September 1.

Sorenson was on a roll with abortions, however, with the deaths coming faster. Margaret Lindstrom died from an abortion attributed to Sorenson in November. Here the dates become muddled. The date of Margaret's death is given as November 12 in the Homicide in Chicago Interactive Database.

Sorenson herself died before any of the cases went to trial. She was under arrest at the time -- with the date of her arrest given as November 10 or 11. She died November 12 or 13 of suspected poisoning in the Bridewell prison hospital.

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