The New York herald., 1871-09-07
The Malpractice Marders-Judgs BedferAps
Charge.

The Malpractice Marders-Judgs Bedfer@s
Charge.
In the dark catalogue Of sins against nature
there are mono which exert so terrifying an
influence over the mind as those which write q
murder epitaph over the unborn babe. IF
there IL one sacred love which humanity
cherishes as defying the storms of fate and the
stain Of crime. which outlives the poison Of
cynicism and nestles in the heart when all
else Of affection Is blasted and dead, it is the
love of the child for Its mother. tho love Of the
mother for its child. So fixed In the roots Of
our nature has 1t been deemed that maternal
affection, Of the few passions Of mankind, has
been named ''instinctive." To what chilling
influence, then, must we turn to ask why this
holy fount is frozen at its sourcer Have wa
not churches enouyhf Are the ministers Of
Him asleep? Cannot they watch little
whiler Is the schoolmaster demon In dis
guise? Wearied at the fruitlessness Of the
questions, We turn to the law and Its guardians,
and from them to the mass Of the people
themselves, for a solution.
A sin has grown up in our midst whose hu-
man sacrifices wipe out the horror Of the myth
of the monster Minotaur and the virgins ne de-
voured, which reduces the slaughter by Herod
to the rank Of criminal expedisncy-whioh
has built the bloody altar Of q Aercer Moloch
in the heart of what we call civilization.
The crime which brought the monster
Rosenzweiy from the reeking rccesses where
his beastly slaughter-work was carried on
has opened up a record Of kindred enormtiea
which curdle the blood at their bare recital.
Already, within the space Of q fortnight, three
additional abortion murders have como TO
light--one which happened months ago at the
house Of Rosenzwcig, Mary Carol second
in Brooklyn few days ago, that Of Augusta
Post, and the case Of Mary Russell, the story
OF whose death came to light but two days
ago. When the evil stares us In the face
with its deathly eyes there Is need Of moro
effective measures than appeals to a weakened
sentiment. True the real cure Of the disease
must como through moral revulsion among
the community; but in the meantime the
scalpel Of the law must cut the social canceE
out as best It may-and what Is more, II needs
be we must put keener cutting edge upoa
that surgical instrument. :
There are cheering evidences on every hand
that those In power will mite to drive this
''black plague" from among us. The voice Of
the press is distinct and emphatic on th@
matter, and the HRRALD's call to tho police.
that something more than bungling was ex->
roctod ~ th.ro hoe olraodv had GOOD v,..plts
On this head we congratulate them on the
success with which Sergeant Brooks did
real piece Of detective work in the house or
the abortlonist, Mrs. Burns. 1t should have
been done before in other instances. The russ
Of personating the ''practitioner" for one night
brought SIX cases of intended malpractice to,
light. The pursuit Of these wretches to their!
lairs will doubtless bring to shame many .,
sister aud daughter who, like unfortunate
Alice Bowlsby, was thought by all who know
her but one to be ''good, modest girl, that
would not do anything wrong" This is pain,
full In the extreme to contemplate; but 1t ID an
absolute necessity arising out of the danger.
From tho Bench, too, comes the assurance.
that where conviction Ii attainable the highest
penalty Of the law will be meted out to the
offenders. The charge delivered yesterday by
our brave City Judge, Cunning 8. Bedford, to
the Grand Jury, Is full Of point on the atrocity.
He agrees with the utterances Of the HERALD
and every thinking man In the community
when he SAYS '.the deed itself strikes, as it.
were, at the very heartstrings Of society,
''We have been living" he says, Sin an atmos-
phere of abortion" Good words, Judge and
It wants something Of a social storm to clear
the air. He afarms that 'the majesty of the
law" will be indicated. But almost In tho
same breath comes tho acknowledgment that
In this regard IL shrunken majesty indeed;
in other words, he admits that the Law on such
crimes Is not adequate in its provision for pun
ishment. His entire remarks on this point
are worth quoting:-
And now, gentlemen, In conclusion. let me ex.
press the earnest hope @ as aee
that the Legislature at its next session WIN SO
amend the statute book that ANY person who shall
for any such woman, or advise or procure her to
lake any medicine, drug, substance or thing what
means Whatever with intent thereby to procure the
miscarriage OF any such woman. unless the same
IN case ne dsatn Of such child or OF
be thereby produced, be deemed guilty OF mnns
slaughter In the second degrec'' tcommony kaown
AZ tho crime OF aDoruon) shall be dcciasea 10 S 20
murder In the nrst degree, and punlsnaOe w. SUN @
wisn DEATH instead oil, "a now but manslaugn'er Ia
the second degree punishable BY imprisonmsntnoe
exceeding seven years.
When that law was put upon the statutes
there WAS no dread in the public mind that Ito
pcnslty would be dealt upon other than cxcsp-
tiora, cases. 1t looked 10 preventing odd.
cooscIenceiess members OF the faculty OF
medicine from attempting TO relieve preg-'
nant women by other than natural means, ,
except, ss stated, actually to save life. 1t did,
not contemplate the possible existence OF triha
Of wretcbes whose profession was murder. It
evidently evaded tho point Of the murder of
the uuborn, aud, taking away from the execs-