Sophia Turner1900s, 30s, chicago, illinois, illegaldoctorOn April 18, 1908, 36-year-old homemaker Sophia E. Turner died at Chicago’s Englewood Hospital from septic peritonitis caused by an abortion.

Prior to her death, she told her husband that the abortionist had been Dr. Jessie E. Robertson. Most Chicago abortionists of that era were either doctors or midwives.

Sophia’s death certificate indicates that the abortion took place on April 10.

Robertson was arrested, but she was later acquitted for reasons not given in the source document.

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. For more about abortion and abortion deaths in the first years of the 20th century, see Abortion Deaths 1900-1909.

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

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Sources:

• Homicide in Chicago Interactive Database
• Death certificate
• “Held for Deaths of Women,” Chicago Daily Tribune, April 28, 1908
• “Woman Doctor Held as Slayer,” Chicago Inter-Ocean, April 29, 1908

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