Saturday, March 31, 2012

1926: Chicago Midwife's Fatal Handiwork

On March 31, 1926, 24-year-old Louise Maday died at Chicago's West End Hospital from complications of an abortion performed at an earlier date. Midwife Amelia Becker was held by the coroner on April 27.

A "Mrs. Becker" advertised in the Chicago Tribune as a physician specializing in "obstetrics and female diseases." She noted a "Pleasant home for ladies," indicating that likely she performed inpatient abortions on her premises. She was not, however, as blatant in her advertising as Lucy Hagenow aka Ida Von Schulz, who advertised that she was a specialist in "all difficult female complaints" using a "new, successful, scientific method."

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