On June 5, 1914, 28-year-old Mary Schloendorn of Astoria, New York, died at her home "under peculiar circumstances." The coroner investigated and discovered that Mary had died from septicemia and blood poisoning due to an incomplete abortion. By questioning Mary's family and friends, the coroner concluded that the abortion had been perpetrated by a midwife. (Source: New York Index to Death Certificates)
On June 5, 1915, 25-year-old homemaker Mary Balcznska died at Chicago's St. Bernard's Hospital from an abortion perpetrated by midwife Veronika Rypczyski who was arrested and held by the Coroner on June 10. The case never went to trial. (Source: Homicide in Chicago Interactive Database)RealChoice
Preparing for a Post-Roe America
Monday, June 05, 2023
Saturday, June 03, 2023
June 3, 1975: One of Three Dead Women at Chicago Abortion Mill
"Susanna Chisholm"* was a pretty young mother of four when she went to Biogenetics Ltd. in Chicago for a safe and legal abortion on June 3, 1975.
Even though 35-year-old Susanna was more than 12 weeks pregnant, the Biogenetics doctor chose to ignore the Illinois law that required abortions after 12 weeks to be performed in hospitals. Within hours of her abortion, Susanna had bled to death from a punctured uterus. She had paid $600 for the fatal abortion.
Biogenetics (which had been the target of at least 30 malpractice suits) claimed that their doctor was only repairing damage Susanna had done to herself in an attempted self-induced abortion. However, Biogenetics settled the case with Susanna's survivors for $75,000.
Brenda Benton and Synthia Dennard also died after abortions at Biogenetics.
Biogenetics's owner Kenneth Yellin was gunned down outside his facility in an apparent gangland slaying in 1979.
*Pseudonym used at request of family member.
Watch "Was Susanna's Abortion Legal or Illegal?" on YouTube.
Sources:
- "12 dead after abortions in state's walk-in clinics," Chicago Sun-Times, November 19, 1978
June 3, 1962: Teen Mother Dismembered and Flushed Down the Drains
Barbara had been an active student in high school. She played volleyball, tennis, basketball, and badminton and was on the honor squad. She was part of the staff of the school newspaper and the yearbook. Barbara was also part of the chorus, the French Conversation club, and the French Journalism club. Nicknamed "Bobbie Lu," she was described in her yearbook as "quiet but friendly."
This was typical of the "back alley abortion" -- a reputable physician would make sneaky arrangements to do abortions at the site of their legitimate practices, taking the woman in "through the back alley" rather than the front door. In fact, by far the bulk of criminal abortion were performed by doctors.
![]() |
Harvey Lothringer |
Rose called her husband, asking him to drive to Grand Central Station to meet her. Lothringer drove Rose to the nearest subway station so she could go to meet her Dominick.
The next morning, Monday, they returned to Lothringer's home, where they found several patients waiting outside. No one had seen Lothringer. Mr. Lofrumento waited for several hours, then went home, and contacted an attorney. He advised them to contact the police to report Barbara missing. The couple went to the office of Queens District Attorney Frank O'Connor the following day and made the report.

On Tuesday, Lothringer called Patrolman George Harshak of the Elmhurst station from an unknown location. Harshak was both a patient and a friend. Lothringer told him that he was away on business and had arranged to have Roto-Rooter see about his stopped-up toilet. He needed for Harshak to get spare keys from his parents and let the workmen into the house.
Investigating the main house drain, the worker found the source of the problem -- pieces of bone and flesh, including identifiable human fingers.
![]() |
Theresa "Terry" Carillo |
Lothringer told police that Barbara had developed an air embolism about half an hour after he'd started the abortion. Contrary to what Mrs. Lofrumento said, Lothringer said that he had tried to talk the family out of the abortion because of how far advanced Barbara's pregnancy was. He said that he set a high fee of $1,000 (roughly $9,500 in 2022 dollars) in the hopes that Barbara's father would balk. (Barbara's family had reported paying $500 for the abortion.)


![]() |
Dominick Lofrumento |

Another young girl's life is snuffed out by an illegal abortion. Why are we such hypocrites in this country, allowing abortions to be performed every day by unscrupulous doctors, under scary conditions, charging ridiculous fees, jeopardizing the victim's life when something goes wrong? Why don't we take a lesson from some other countries and save lives by legalizing the practice?
- Pelham Memorial High School 1960 yearbook
- "Find Pieces of Girl's Body in Sewer," New York Daily News, June 7, 1962
- "Body Found In Office Sewer Line," The Daily Times, June 7, 1962
- "Physician Sought by Police After Finding of Girl's Body," Poughkeepsie Journal, June 7, 1962
- "Slain Girl Identified; Widen Doctor Search," New York Daily News, June 8, 1962
- "Hunt On For Doctor In Death Of Student," The (Mamaroneck, NY) Daily Times, June 8, 1962
- "U.S. Steps Into Wide Hunt for Doc," New York Daily News, June 9, 1962
- "Cops Think Medic Saw Men Searching Sewer," New York Daily News, June 10, 1962
- "Canadian Police Alerted for Fugitive," Poughkeepsie Journal, June 17, 1962
- "Report Fleeing Doc & Gal in Texas," New York Daily News, June 19, 1962
- "Nab Abort-Death Doc Abroad," New York Daily News, September 11, 1962
- "Doctor Held In Killing," The Post Star, September 11, 1962
- "Queens MD Denies Guilt in Death of Girl Who Had Abortion," Newsday Suffolk Edition, September 12, 1962
- "Fugitive Doc May Fight Extradition," New York Daily News, September 12, 1962
- "Fugitive Doc's Receptionist: 'Really His Wife'," New York Daily News, September 13, 1962
- "10-Day Delay In Lothringer Return Seen," (Mamaroneck, NY) Daily Times, September 13, 1962
- "Lothringer Admits Coed Abort Death," New York Daily News, September 14, 1962
- "Admits Coed Death But Balks at Details," New York Daily News, September 14, 1962
- "Charges Cops Kidnaped Abort Doc," New York Daily News, September 15, 1962
- "Indict Doctor Held in France In Fatal Abort," New York Daily News, September 27, 1962
- "Man Wanted In Abortion Seeks U.N. Aid," The Herald Statesman, December 1, 1962
- "Lothringer Loses Plea for Low Bail," New York Daily News, December 4, 1962
- "Abortion Case Suspect Back To Face Charges," The Herald Statesman, December 4, 1962
- "Terry Sticks to Doc, Held in Abort Death," New York Daily News, December 6, 1962
- "Lothringer's Girl Friend Back To Testify For Him," The Herald Statesman, December 6, 1962
- "Defer Contempt Term for Abortion Doc's Girl Friend," New York Daily News, November 2, 1963
- "Abortion Doc's Girl Freed After Talking," New York Daily News, November 22, 1963
- "Abortion Death Doc Gets Another Delay," New York Daily News, March 21, 1963
- "Trial Set Feb. 7 In Abort Death," New York Daily News, January 11, 1964
- "Pick 9 for Lothringer Abortion Death Trial," New York Daily News, May 19, 1964
- "Medic's Trial Is Delayed In Girl's Death," The (Mamaroneck, NY) Daily Times, May 20, 1964
- "Doc Surprises Trial, Admits Abort Killing," New York Daily News, May 22, 1964
- "MD Cops Abortion-Death Plea," Newsday Nassau Edition, May 22, 1964
- "Doctor Admits He Cost Life Of College Girl," Journal News May 22, 1964
- "The Case of the Disintegrate Coed," (second section here), New York Sunday News, June 21, 1964
- "Abortionist Doc Gets 2 to 8 Years In Death of Coed," New York Daily News, July 23, 1964
Friday, June 02, 2023
June 2, 1888: Fourth Known Stop on Dr. Hagenow's Trail of Death
"The long catalogue of deaths through malpractice in Mrs. Hagenow's lying-in hospital was increased yesterday. The parties implicated in the Anna Doreis case -- Mrs. Hagenow, Dr. Dodel, and Undertaker Dierks -- are the ones concerned in this...." --"More Malpractice," San Francisco Chronicle, August 29, 1888
A Mysterious Death
A death certificate signed by Dr. Xavier Dodel stated that 28-year-old Abbia Richards died on June 2, 1888, at 12 Nineteenth Street, San Francisco.Dodel gave the cause of death as peritonitis and filed it with undertaker Theodor Dierks. Health Office officials, however, found the whole thing suspicious. The original name on the death certificate, Maria Schmidt, had been crossed out and Abbia's name added. Health Officer Barger and Coroner Stanton visited Dierks, who at first refused to discuss the matter but who finally said that at about 10 p.m. on June 2, a man identifying himself as Mr. Richards had come to the undertaking establishment, saying that he needed to arrange a burial for his wife, who had died at Hagenow's hospital several hours earlier. He said that her maiden name was Maria Schmidt, and that he and his wife had moved to Stockton Street from Port Costa about three weeks earlier.
Dierks and his bookkeeper, Charles Mueller, promptly brought the body back to their establishment. Although several men had gathered at the funeral establishment on June 4, the day of the burial, only one man attended the funeral.
![]() |
Dr. Lucy "Louise" Hagenow |
Abbia's body was exhumed for autopsy. As the investigation went on, a creepy and conflicting picture emerged.
![]() |
Napa Insane Asylum |

Tillie Boyd's Testimony
Tillie Boyd, who had known Abbie well since childhood, said that Abbia had come to stay for a visit beginning on May 13. Tillie testified that she hadn't known that her friend had even been pregnant. She had, though, gone with Abbia to the office Dr. O'Donnell for rheumatism and headaches. Abbia had met privately with the doctor and had come away with six powders and an instruction to take one each morning. Tillie said that the powders "did [Abbia's] head good."
Afterward, Abbie went to Port Costa, to her guardian's home. She came back to San Francisco five days later. On May 29, Abbia told her friend she was going to a lady doctor's house.
Two Physicians' Testimony
Dr. George M. Terrill "stated that he was visited one night by a man whom he now knows to be Moorcroft, who desired him to go to Mrs. Hagenow's hospital and see a girl who was very sick." Moorcroft wanted two doctors to examine the girl, so Dr. John Morse was called in to assist. Moorcroft rode on the carriage box on the way to Hagenow's hospital.
Morse and Terrill saw Dodel there, with Abbia "in a dying condition." They advised Hagenow to give her stimulants, but didn't examine her. One or both of them reported that Dodel told them that Abbia was dying "of malpractice," meaning a criminal abortion.
The Social Worker's Testimony
Special Officer Holbrook of the Society of the Prevention of Cruelty to Children testified that on several occasions they'd had cause to investigate Moorcroft's treatment of his ward. In 1887, Abbia had come to him saying that "her guardian was going to Port Costa and wanted her to go with him as his mistress. The society took care of her for a while, but she soon disappeared," and the next Holbrook heard, Abbie was living with Moorcroft again.
The Board of Health
Secretary Williams of the Board of Health testified that he issued a burial permit upon a death certificate for 28-year-old Maria Schmidt, signed by Dr. Xavier Dodel. Several days later a worker from the Dierks undertaking business came to the office, stating that the dead woman's name was actually Abbie Richards. The board issued the corrected burial permit, but Williams' attention was struck by Dodel's name on a certificate for a death at Hagenow's address, since those were the same signatory and address involved in the Annie Doreis death earlier in the year.

Hagenow had already been implicated in the August 21, 1887 San Francisco abortion death of Louise Derchow, as well as for the suspicious death of Emma Dep at Hagenow's maternity home.
A More Welcoming Home
Hagenow eventually relocated to Chicago, an area much more congenial to abortionists, and began piling up dead bodies there as well. She was implicated in numerous abortion deaths, including:
- 1891: Minnie Deering
- 1892: Sophia Kuhn and Emily Anderson
- 1896: Hannah Carlson
- 1899: Marie Hecht
- 1905: May Putnam
- 1906: Lola Madison
- 1907: Annie Horvatich
- 1925: Lottie Lowy, Nina H. Pierce, Jean Cohen, Bridget Masterson, and Elizabeth Welter
- 1926: Mary Moorehead
The End of the Road
- "More Malpractice," San Francisco Daily Examiner, August 29, 1888
- "Her Third Case," San Francisco Examiner, August 30, 1888
- "Unnatural Causes," San Francisco Chronicle, August 31, 1888
- "Abbia Richards' Death," San Francisco Daily Examiner, August 31, 1888
- "Mrs. Hagenow's Second Case," Los Angeles Herald, August 31, 1888
- "Guardian Moorcraft," San Francisco Examiner, September 5, 1888
- "Undertaker Dierks Arrested," San Francisco Examiner, September 8, 1888