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Tuesday, February 16, 2021

February 16: Bribery Charges Eclipse Abortion Death

In February of 1929, Ruth Weir, age 25, of East Orange, New Jersey, lay dying at Orange Memorial Hospital of sepsis contracted through a criminal abortion that had been perpetrated a month earlier. Hospital officials reported the situation to authorities, who came to her bedside and took a deathbed statement in which she implicated Dr. Maurice Sturm.

Dr. James R. Chamberlain testified that he had examined Ruth at her home and had admitted her to the hospital due to a septic condition. Dr. James Wilson testified that he had treated Ruth in the hospital during late January and that she was suffering from septicemia.

Ruth died on February 16, 1929.

Dr. Sturm was arrested and charged with first degree murder. At first nurse Gertrude Halloway denied that she'd seen Strum perform the abortion. However, the prosecutor took her out of the courtroom and had a long discussion with her. She returned to court and said that she'd perjured herself and actually had seen Strum commit the crime. She had, she admitted, actually assisted by handing Sturm his instruments as he worked. She said that she'd come clean in order to avoid being prosecuted for perjury. "Dr. Sturm told me yesterday that I need not worry about what would happen here in court. He said the case would be thrown out of court in half an hour. But I was worried. You see, a mysterious woman I didn't know called me on the telephone yesterday and warned me that the doctor had no friends in the District Attorney's office and that the DA's office was going to come after him strong. And a little later I got the same message from a strange man. The man also said that I'd surely be held in jail if I committed perjury. I told Dr. Sturm about the messages. He said, 'Don't worry. If they throw you in jail I'll bail you out.'"

Sturm admitted to performing the abortion, but insisted that it had not been illegal because it was necessary to save Ruth's life.

After his arrest, Sturm alleged that District Attorney William D. Ryan and Judge Hanley of the District Court had come to his home and demanded $10,000 or they would prosecute him "to the limit." Strum was presented in the news as part of a large abortion ring.

Sturm was reported to have offered a $10,000 bribe to an aide of the District Attorney. New coverage shifted from the deadly abortion to the allegations of corruption. The case dragged on much longer than usual before it finally went to court while the issue lingered and witnesses disappeared.

Sturm said that that $1,000 he had given the judge after District Attorney Ryan's resignation was a gift and not part of the bribe money. Sturm was later acquitted of the manslaughter charge in Ruth's death.

Watch Dr. Sturm's Cash on YouTube. 

Sources:

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