Margaret had given birth on August 19, 1919. She recovered well, bottle-fed the baby, and began menstruating again about four weeks after the birth.
On January 19, 1920, the family physician, Dr. E. L. Davis, was called to examine Margaret. She'd stopped menstruating about six weeks earlier, had concluded that she was pregnant, and had attempted to perform an abortion on herself with a catheter. She said that if Dr. Davis didn't do an abortion, she'd find somebody else who would because she'd rather die than give birth again.
Upon examining Margaret, Dr. Davis found some irritation caused by the catheter, and an enlarged uterus which he attributed to pregnancy. However, in order to divert Margaret away from the idea of trying to abort, he told her that she wasn't pregnant.
I'll go ahead right now and fault the man for lying to his patient. Refusing to do the abortion is absolutely right, as would be pointing out to his patient the evils inherent in the act -- not just killing the unborn baby, but risking injury to herself and thus risking the security of her family. But a flat out lie is just not ethical. Davis also failed to address his patient's clear state of emotional distress in any way. She was if not suicidal, certainly in a dangerous mental state that David didn't treat.
That afternoon, Margaret turned to a Dr. Anderson, whom she'd previously never seen. He did not examine her, but made arrangements to go to her home around noon the following day, January 20, to perform "an operation." Margaret called some friends to come and assist. This wasn't nearly as shocking to people of that era as it is now. Just a year after Margaret's death a surgical textbook included a chapter on how to prep a private home for surgery.
Dr. Anderson showed up with an assistant of his own and sterilized his instruments by boiling them at the kitchen stove. One of the Margaret's friends helped with administering the chloroform. Dr. Anderson used water and cotton during the procedure, which took about fifteen minutes.
Four days later, Dr. Davis, the family physician, was called in to examine Margaret, who had taken to her bed and was in serious condition. She was expelling a foul-smelling mix of blood and pus. Dr. Davis found damage to her uterus, clearly from an abortion, and treated her for her infection.
Dr. Davis discharged Margaret from the hospital after about a week for reasons that aren't clear in the source documents. She died in her home on February 15, 1920, two or three days after her discharge from the hospital. Dr. J.S. Snider performed an autopsy that day, and concluded that she'd died of sepsis.
Anderson admitted that he had chloroformed and operated upon Margaret on the 20th of January, but insisted that he'd only been treating her for the infection and damage she'd done to herself with the catheter. He also said that Margaret's husband, Robert, had assaulted him and tried to shake him down for $500. This is believable. When Anderson had gone into court to attend one of his hearings, he sat down beside Robert, who immediately tried to strangle the doctor. Bystanders pried the widower off. Though the judge asked Mr. Marts why he had done that, it appears that everybody but Anderson found the attack understandable, if not laudable, and no ill consequences befell Robert.
The jury found Dr. Anderson guilty, and he was fined $500. This was the lowest punishment allowed by law.
Sources:
- Death certificate and addendum
- "Hold Doctor for Girl's Death," Kansas City Star, February 18, 1920
- "Chokes His Wife's Doctor," Kansas City Star, March 13, 1920
- "Dr. E. Anderson's Trial Begins," Kansas City Star, May 27, 1920
- "Find Dr. Anderson Guilty," Kansas City Star, May 28, 1920
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