National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1874-01-12
TIE CRIME OF ABORTION.
NURBER <>4e a CHILD and PROB-aBL4
MURDER Of THE K0THER. -

HURBER 81 a CHILDAND PROB-aBLS
MURDER Of THE K0THER.
Oh. EDWARD r, LEON ARRESTED FOR TIKI
CRINE-How, WHERE AND WHEN THE
WORK WAS DoNE-STATEMENT OF TIL
DYING VICTIM.
On Saturday afternoon one of the ofhcials from
.heColumbia Hospita al and Lying in Asylum called
ut police headquarters and notified Chief Detec
i've Clarvoe that there was young woman IL
The institution who was dying from the effects Of
an abortion which had been recently produced
4 was supposed, by Leon Thompson alias Ed
ward T. Leon man who has been several times
previously arrested on the same charge, but man.
AGED 10 escape. The case was assigned TO Detcc
tiyes Sargent and NcEliresh, and they ut once
proceeded TO the hospital, and were cshercd into
the room OF the dying woman. Her name and
residence were first ascertained, and then state
nent Of the causes which led to her present con-
siition requested. .
The woman is about twenty-five years of age
fair complexion, light hair. and Of comedy form
She has been for some time past employed a.
domestic in the family Of q well known resident o
ea1nestness but but positively refused to give tht
Ransc Of her destroyer.
Tho scene in the room is said to have been {
moet impressive one. Suffering the most intenst
physical pain, assured by those competent Il
Fudge that life was ebbing fast, and that scicncs
had exhausted its power in her behalf; In ths
presence OF the officers of the law, who were soor
10 become the. instruments for the punishment o.
her murderer, the victim OF her own guilty pas
sion. oil the perhdy Of one man and the criminal
iIcapacity Of another, related the
HISTORY OF THE CASE
about as follows: She had been saeiente for about
seven months, and determining not TO risk the
result OF an exposure consequent upon giving
birth to child, she called At the ONCE OF Or.
hatrw and
having been informed that he could render the
assistance and relief required She stated the
ease to him, and was assured that he could per
form the operation, aud the terms were $50, which
she agreed 10 give He then gave her some medi-
cine, and she returned to her home. She called
again at his olhse and received more attention,
tai1cl again.
He told her that she was about to be confined,
and suggested That she had better accompany
him to house near by, where she could get the
necessary care and attention. This she consented
to, and was taken by him TO a wrctchei howell in
merees Of eoiored woman named Mrs. Rose.
This hut was most wretched abode, devoid Of all
The neeessarics Of life, and rendered more disgust
ancc Of the presiding genius. The girl was laid
on q wrclched cut, filthy and greasy, and while
her frame was racked with fever her senses were
used by her attendant. She asked fr a cup Of
tea, bull was unable to get it or any other relish
shc required. In this condition. suffering both
and in the morning: was delivered Of q still born
child, which was Immediately removed. Several
hours after she determined, at all hazards, to
leave the wrcichcd, disgusting place, and accord
fhgly she crawlcd from il to the street cars, and
room after reached home in an exhausted condi-
ton. From there she was sent to the asylum.
At the conclusion of the recital the officers at
once went 10 the Police Court and secured q war
rant for the
ARREST OF LEON,
which was served upon him and he taken into
custody. Accompanied by an official Of the Dis
trict attorneys Office the officers and prisoner
turned to the hospital, where the woman at oncc
recognized Leon as the man who had performed
the operation on her. She was then again in
formed of her dying condition and requested to
make the formal GRfc-morfcm statement, which
she did substantially as related above. Leon was
then taken to headquarters and locked up. lie
declined to say anything On the subject, but
work was hardly begun, and the officers started
for look through his premises, where they found
ample evidence Of The nature ofthe profession he
ments on hand, as we'll as certain other evidences
which will, If introduced as testimony, complete
eoesian him to tIe prison ri Violation an Of
the special law against them in this District.
Yesterday the chief and his two assistants made
m inspection Of the alley in which the hut is To-
Gated. and, after some considerable trouble, sue
ceeded in finding the woman Rose. She states
that the woman came there with the Doctor. was
delivered of a child and then left; that she knew
nothing further OF the case. Not that this was
NOT THE FIRST CASE,
as only few days ago q woman had LEFT entirely
from the effects of abortion. She
was then taken to police headquarters and locked
up, and an officer placed on duty in the house to
wait for and arrest any one who should enter.
The result Of this was the arrest last evening at
about seven O'Clock Of rather good looking white
woman, who, on being taken to the office, gave
her name as Catherine Agnes Batcock, and was
charged with being an accomplish in the crime. |
This she Indignantly denied at first, and then
1fticers she finally acknowledged that she had |
aiken the body Of the child-a fine 5oy-ani |
thrown it into the stove. She, with her partners |
n iniluity will be taken before the Police Court
C-day and arraigned for the crime