Her husband of four years, Edward, testified to the coroner that Florence told him on August 26 that she had gone to Dr. Ladislaw Slominski and paid him $25 (over $700 in 2020 dollars). Slominski performed an operation and gave her some different medicines. On August 31, when Florence went to the hospital, Slominski came to the Groweski home and took away all of the medicine bottles.
"She told me all before she died," Edward said. "I was at the hospital before she passed away. She said to me, 'I am going to die and leave you alone with the children. Oh, my heart is torn at the thought of leaving those poor little ones. But do not forgive Dr. Slominski.' Then she died. No, I shall not forgive nor forget Dr. Slominski."
Edward was comforted by friends as he tried to attend to his two orphaned children, a 3-year-old boy and a 7-month-old girl. Their mother lay in a casket in the little parlor.
Dr. Ladislaw Slominski was arrested the day of Florence's death. His wife, "fashionably attired, and wearing gold-bowed eyeglasses, wept bitterly" as her husband was booked. Slominski asserted that the charge was based on a lie. Slominski was held by Coroner's Jury September 8, and indicted for felony murder, but discharged by a Grand Jury.
Florence's abortion was typical of pre-legalization abortions in that it was evidently performed by a physician.
Note, please, that with overall public health issues such as doctors not using proper aseptic techniques, lack of access to blood transfusions and antibiotics, and overall poor health to begin with, there was likely little difference between the performance of a legal abortion and illegal practice, and the aftercare for either type of abortion was probably equally unlikely to do the woman much, if any, good.
Sources:
- Homicide in Chicago Interactive Database
- "Doctor is Charged With a Murder," The Inter Ocean, September 5, 1903
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