New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1871-08-30
THE ROOT or TIE ETTL.

| The discovery that the body found III a
| trunk at the Hudson River Railroad depot
came from the house of a notorious abOr-
| zionist is just what everybody expected from
| the first. A medical examination of the corpse
| left no doubt of the manner in which the
poor girl came 10 her death. She was the vic
| tim of an infamous but unfortunately com
mon crime--so common that it affords a lucra-
| tive support to a regular guild of professional
murdercrs, so safe that its perpetrators adveT-
tise their calling in the newspapers, and pa
rade their spOls on the fashionable avenues.
The law of NewYOr.; State with respect to
tins oiicnsc is clear though the penalties, per-
haps, are not Sufficiently heavy. Abortion
performed upon a woman quick with Cillld,
if il produce the death OF mother or child, Is
mansaughter in the second degree. Procuring
or attempting TO procure miscarriage III a
pregnant woman is punishable by imprl5on
ment for not less than three months nor more
than one year. q penalty which applies
also to the mother, with the addition Of a
fine in the discretion of the court. The dis
tnction between being pregnant and "quick
- with child" is founded upon what is now
generally admitted to be a physiological
mistake, and the probability is that abortion
AZ any ptllOu II llOIHitlut' I'uI hphtNti lhio
may he, it is in all cases felony.
1t is the only species. of felony we believe
which is allowed to flourish openly az a
recognized industry. The New- York HeraN
publlshes every morning the business cards
Of half score of ghild-slayers, dcscri5ing
with more or less reserve the nature
of their calling, and soliciting the
custom OF the unfortunate" The male aud
female physicians who guarantee certain
"relief to ladies in trouble, with or without
medicines" the vendors of " French pills
and "Portuguese pills and the notorious
woman who has built a palace OF infamy on
! the most fashionable street III the city, here
| display their standing offers to commit muir
der for moderate fee The wretch who is
now under arrest On suspicion of causing the
death of the victim of the trunk mystery is
stin advertising his business i'll The Herald,
under his alias of Dr. Ascher, and proBisins
10 ladies in trouble immediate relief. sure
and safe" In Massachusetts, there is a
statute imposing the penalty of imprisonment
for not more than three years, or a tine of moi
more than $1,000, for the publication o.
advertisements of tlIis kinda penalty 10 br
enforced not only against the advertiser, bu
the publisher. There ought to be smila
statute here.
The immunity with which abortionists pur-
sue their Infamous trade in New-York is in
great measure the fault of the police. Every
one of the dens is known, but it is only whel
some wretched woman dies under the hand.
of the pseudo-doctors that the slightest at
tempt is made to interfere. 1t may not b.
easy to obtain evidence for a conviction O
felony; but no active officer needs to be tolC
that the criminals can be harassed and drive,
from place to place until they are eithc
forced out of the business or at least com
PEELED to practice it in secret. That woul
not prevent the crime, but it would check 1
materially. Ii is mOnsrous to assume tina
fel0ns may stand at tho street corners an,
tempt fallen women TO murder, and that tn
police have no power to stop them unless the
are caught in the act of crime. 1t is absurd {
tell us that police captain who can clear hi
precinct of panel-hOuses and close up
granddaughter whenever he pleases. has n
/ power to lay his hand upon villain who
known TO make his living by one Of tho mo,
, Infamous of all crimeS. The police have u