Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1876-02-02
ABORTION OR wHATg
DR.. ID. y. johnson Arrested on
the Charge Of Producing
an Abortion, Resulting
in.the Death Of the
Mother and the
Child.
Testimony introduced Before the
COrOner's Jury Of Inquest.

In Mondays LEDGER was published
an account of an inquest held upen the
body Of an infant found dead in Mrs.
Widrig's clearinghouse. on the corner
OF Second and Winchester streets. From
information received yesterday by Chief
OF Police Athy DR.. ID. s. Johnson, who
keeps q private iu6rmary at No. IS JEFF.
terson street, was arrested this morning,
the mother Of the infant above referred
having died last night. Yesterday Chief
Athy called at Mrs. Widrig's and talked
to the sick woman. She said her name
was Kate Mccormick and resided at
Humboldt, Tenn. Chief Athy at once
telegraphed 70 Mrs. Mccormick At Hum.
boldt, but when she arrived last night
her unfortunate daughter had beeR dead
a few hours. The girl Katie had been
seduced by a man H,,mboidt, aud ste
came to this city to give birth TO a child
and to hide her shame, This forenoon
our special reporter attended the inquest
aeld on the body Of Katie Mccormick
BY Cotouer Spelman.
THE DEAD II
The boGrding.house OF Mrs. Widrig is
in q double one-story frame tenement On
the corner Of Winchester and Second
streets. The body Of the deceased was
laid out Oh a board aud was covered with
a white sheet The room VAS neatly
furnished, and on the table were q num-
Der Of books, among others a bible,
hymn book aud prayer book. Katie Nc.
Cormick lay there, her white face turned
up toward heaven, her eyes closed,
and with an expression upon her cold
face as il in prayer. She was a bloude,
with q clear cut and handsome face, tall
and large in size. A wealth of golden
hair vas coiled up on her heaa-hAir
that ~resembled hat painted by idealistie
artists in their pictures of the Nader va
or of the Cenci. She appeared to have
been about twenty-one years of age.
II TESTIMONY.
Coroner Spelman summoned a jury Of
citizens and the following testimony was
heard.
Mrs. Widrig was aworn and stated that
the girl came to her house some time be-
fore Christmas, but only stayed one night
that abe zane back three weeks ago,
and on Saturday night, or, rather. Sun.
day morning, she was delivered Of a dead
child; that DR.. johnson had been attend
ing her; that her suspicious were aroused
and she asked Katie to tell her the whole
truth; on Sunday Or. Frsyser had bean
sent to see Katie By Chief Athy and told
her that the girl would die; this she told
to Katie, who seemed much affected and
made a confession; she said: Mrs. Wild.
rig, l think my time is short" and then
she added: DE-. johnson gave the med
iciDe to destroy my child; tell DR.. John
ion that | promised not TO deceive him
or tell any personl but the time has come
when l a keep the secret no longer; /
paid DIR, johnson twenty. Eve dollars for
the medicine; he gave me the medicine
some three weeks ago. aud said if 1t did
not do its work in six days il would be a
failure; | took the medicine from Dr..
johnson to kill my child and paid him
twenty-five dollars for it,
Mollie Brown sworn: Katie told me
last night that DR.. Johnson sent her
medicine by express; she said to me she
was satisfied she was going to die, and
that DR.. johnson was the cause OF it.
Mrs. Keith sworn: Katie told me she
asked DR.. johnson for medicine to de-
stroy her child, and that he advised her
not to take it, and if she took his advice
be would b%efriend her; | did not see her
until Sunday last; abe said she came
here to hide her shame; that no one
knew OF her coming but her mother; her
other friends thought that she had gone
North on a visit.
Or. Marable testified as follows: On
Sunday morning was called by DR.. John.
500 to make a call; be told me about the
case, aud said he had prescribed for
diarrhea; the treatment was correct as
stated by De, johnson; he said that be
had discovered that she had a baby last
night but that abe WAS in danger Of
dying from the aiterbirtb; | attended to
her Immediately, and gave her the neces-
sary remedies 10 stop the flooding, and
the remedies resulted successfully; the
girl appeared very weak; d.. johnson
and | went to see Chief Athy at once
with reference TO the dead child, aud at
my i~nstigation DR.. Johnson called upon
Coroner Spelmsn to hold an inquest on
the dead infant, which inquest was held
on sunday; | advised DR.. johnson as
to the necessary treatment to place the
girl under with a view to her recovery;
the girl had diarrhea aud | prescribed
with DR.. johnson for its treatment; the
girl was nervous and troubled in mind;
she said she was out of money and had
no friends; trouble of mind and excite
meut very often cause ebortions or mis-.
carriages, and the greatest trouble physi-
clans have in such cases is to keep the
- a,.oA. tk,,t nond,u, 81