March 13, 1917: Doctor Implicated in Chicago Abortion Death

On March 13, 1917, 33-year-old homemaker and Irish immigrant Minnie L. Schofield (misspelled as both Mannie and Hannie on the Homicide in Chicago Interactive Database) died at Cook County Hospital after an abortion performed that day by Fred L. Orsinger. 

Press coverage indicates that Orsinger had been a butcher, was an ex-convict, and presented himself as a doctor. He had been implicated in the The March 14, 1917 Chicago Tribune indicates that Orsinger had graduated from a medical school, but Chicago papers indicate that though he passes himself off as a doctor, he was never licensed. He had been implicated in the 1910 abortion death of Paulina Sproc, but nothing came of that case.

Both Orsinger and Minnie's husband, Thomas, were held by the coroner.  Thomas admitted that he had introduced Orsinger to his wife but had no knowledge of an abortion. Minnie had named Orsinger as her abortionist in a deathbed statement.

Thomas never went to trial; Orsinger was acquitted on May 8, 1920. 

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.

In fact, due to improvements in addressing these problems, maternal mortality in general (and abortion mortality with it) fell dramatically in the 20th Century, decades before Roe vs. Wade legalized abortion across America.

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For more information about early 20th Century abortion mortality, see Abortion Deaths 1910-1919.



For more on pre-legalization abortion, see The Bad Old Days of Abortion


Sources:

• Homicide in Chicago Interactive Database
• Death Certificate
• Untitled clipping, Chicago Day Book, Mar. 13, 1917
• "Ex-Butcher, Now Doctor, Is Held For Woman's Death," Chicago Live Stock World, March 14, 1917
• "Former Convict Arrested After Death of Woman," Chicago Daily Tribune, March 14, 1917