St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1873-10-17
A Foul Nest Broken Up.
Vendors of Obscene Books and Abortionists
in Limbo.

Vendors of Obscene Books and Abortionists
in Limbo.
Deputy United States Marshal An
thonv Com<tock. made some important
arrests in Boston last week, capturing
no less than seven alleged abnrti0niSts.
who with their attendants and servants
were committed under heavy bail to
await examination on trial. The man
ncr in which this nci;IriouS business was
uncarthcd is quite Interesting. The
(dI,1oniaH noticed two weeks ago the
arrest of II. T.. Hunter, the llinSCalc,
y. H.. Swindlcr. 1t seems his arrest
was caused by this same Marshal Com
stock. and while working up that ease
his attention WAS attracted to certain
advertisements in the Boston Ucrud.
which were in his judgment devoted t"
illegal practices. He at once followed
up this lead, and Us Il result the arrest
of the notorious characters above men
toned.
Those persons who have seen the
H,JuH in years past will recognize sew
crll of the parties arrested as promi-
ncmt advertisers in that sheet. They
all. or nearly all, pretended to have
some medical office or diSpcnSarA t"l
the accommodation of the sick and UNI
fortunate, but their business was in
reality that of ahortioniStS. or some
thing kindred To it. Among Ihc per
sons thus nahhcd appear the names OF
DIR. SholcS, DR.. lIallock, DIR. Frederick
Morrill,. etc.
The case of this IIin~dalc Hunter. "i
which mention has been made, and
which Mr.. ComStock had in hand when
the above arrests were made, is of I'M
usual interest because of the extent ui
his business and the length of time ho
had 81 successfully carried it on: al>u
bccauSc of the neat way III which lac
lIad hoodwinked the public aS we'll a>
the newspapers. Hunter publiSirrd 1t
paper called the star SpdHJicd BdHHcr.
Part of it was filled with blood and
thunder stories, and the remainder of it
with neatly disguised advertisements of
his own wares. The paper WAS sold at
IL mere nominal price. not half its actual
cost. but of course the pay came in
from the other department. This paper
of Hunters was extensively advertised.
and that too rs IN CNpO>cr of humhug>,
1t stole the livery" etc, and most eff
fcctiycly and ShHmclrS>ly did it use it
to cover up ITS own rottcncS>.
Hunter WAS finally spotted 10y Com
stock. and on the 22d of Sept. WIS ar
rested. together with Robert W. Day
and Henry Il. Ncillc, two of his assist
300 letters were found in the mail di-
rcctcd to him, and the postmaster at
llinSdalc asserts that some months an
average of 600 letters have arrived
daily: and in Hunters cellar there
were found stored over l00.OOO letters
and large quantity of obscene hooks.
One branch of Hunters business WAS
the selling of addresses found in the
letters he rcccivcd) to similar Swindling
concerns in New York city and else
where.
Hunters main business. however,
seemed to he the sale of obscene books
These we've not openly advertised i'll his
paper or i'll amy other one, hut were
made known by means of private cir-
culars sent out to those who answered
his limiting and obscure advertisements
And this branch of his business was o
immense proportions. IT l. Il matter %
rejoicing that this rotten nest, and cor
rupter of the youth of both SEXES. i,
broken up, and We trust its proprietor
will get their full deserts: although
that seems Improbable.