January 23, 1926: Doctor Implicated While Already Out on Bail

AI illustration

On the evening of January 21, 1926, 19-year-old Mary Elizabeth Christy lay dying in American Hospital in Johnston City, Illinois. Before her death, she made a statement before witnesses that Dr. James H. Coleman, age 75, had perpetrated a fatal abortion.

According to public records, Mary had an older brother and three younger brothers. Her father, John, was a room boss in a coal mine, according to the 1920 census, and her older brother also worked in a coal mine. Mary's job is listed in her death record as a "room girl," meaning that she did some sort of housekeeping work.

Mary finally breathed her last at 10:45 on January 23. Nobody at the hospital was willing to sign a death certificate, so the coroner was brought in. He conducted an inquest, resulting in the arrest of Coleman.

Coleman had lived and practiced in Carterville, Illinois for four decades. He was out on bail pending trial for another murder charge dating back to 1924, and he had two other non-fatal abortion charges pending. He had managed to post a total of $19,000 bond -- $15,000 for the murder and $2,000 each for the non-fatal abortions. That's the equivalent of nearly $350,000 in 2025. The only mention of those three cases I could find were all just contextual information in coverage about Mary's death.

Coleman asserted that he had never met Mary Elizabeth, and and I can't find any evidence that any of the four cases ever went to trial.


Sources:

• "Young lady Dies in the Johnston City Hospital," Marion (IL) Evening Post, January 25, 1926
• "Carterville Doctor Arrested For Death Of Mary Christy," Marion (IL) Evening Post, January 27, 1926
• "Carterville Doctor Held for Murder," Carbondale (IL) Daily Free Press, Jan. 28, 1926
• Illinois Deaths and Stillbirths Index, 1916-1947