The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1883-05-30
GRIMES CONCEALED.
A Hidden Iniqlity of MonstrOus
Proportions.
Professional AbOrtlOnists and Their Vic
tims-AA Growing Evil that is Becoming
Alarming What Physician Says.
cleveland plain Dealer.l

IL DecOmAhR htdibtluB" OOiuhOhs ohu oht
the facts concerning which, If they wer Q
known TO the public would be appalI-
ing. From what il known concerning
this particular affair, and from state
mants made, or alleged to have been
made, by the parties, it seems that the
abortion was performed i'll this case, not
To hide any secret crime, but simply
that the pair might not be burdened
with children. Il did not want any
children" Seymour is alleged to have
said, .'andneither did she.' ThefsfOre,
arrangements were made to get rid of
the unborn child, and the result was
the death Of the mother.
"It is something | don't like to talk
abOut," said a physician to "A Plain Dealer
reporter, who applied to him for fnfOT-
nation on this subject; ''and 1t Is sub
iect that the public does not like to hear
about. IL is not considered the right
thing in polite eirclas to discuss such
topics. And yet, they ought to be dis
eussed. There is frightful evil here,
a Veritable cancer that is eating into the
very heart of society. People talk about
the crime of abortion az being an awful
thing when practiced by young girls to
hide their shame. So it is. But there
il something that can be said in defense
of such acts under such circumstances.
A young girl betrayed and, with ruin
and social death staring her in the face,
has an awful temptation to this crime.
Ii offers the chance of escape from what,
to her, is worse than death. But what
excuse have wives and husbands who
deliberately take to this means to get
rid of unborn children out of mere con-
sideratiOns of selfishness and because
the children would be some burden to
them in their social life? 1t Is a damn
able thing and yet IL is common here In
Cleveland. You would be surprised and
the community would be shocked IL the
extent to which this business is carried
on acre made known" l. -
The reporter asked how these cases
come under the observation of regular
physicians. Are physicians asked to use
their skill in aid of this crimep
Not often. 1t is very we'll under.
stood that no reputable physician will
cOuntenance any such thing and they
are afraid to ask 1t of them. We are
called professionally afterwards, when
medical attention Is necessary to pre-
vent death. For my own part, although
it may sound brutal to say so, but IL l
know that is what l am called for re-
fuse to go. l was called not long ago to
attend a case of this kind. 1t was a
woman, wife and mother with hus-
band in good circumstances and who,
because she did not want to have any
more children had attempted to kill her
unborn babe and commit an abortion
upon herself. She denied 1t at first, but
when | upbraided her with the crime,
admitted 1t. She said she and her hus-
band dld not want 10 DC oOtnereu with
chiidren ana that ne eOheLuded 10 geG
rio OF the one InaI was 10 eone' one
told me now tne crime was asIempted
to beperfOrmedf 1t was horribly brutal
and such aS VOu could not print. / put
on my hat anq stalteI away She ASKED
me III was going 70 let heT 9le,
D-n you, .nladalh, Salu l. TOT was
mao Clear tnIougn, you QuBng 10 ule,
you are nOg NJ 10 llVe!' but aIterWaru
went Dack ana gave her treatment She
moves III gOod society.
The reporter inquired II there were
many professional aDOruonlsts III CleVe-
laa9; nd a,l ,,.b q,
The city aswarms win Them. VI
course there are rev VINO are openly
known. as such, Dut tnere are seVeral
who make IL their business, anu dOnt
pretend 10 90 anything else MAKE
money! Well, IL ls Jhelr own Iault III
they don't. You dOnt Know What
temptation Is put IN tne-Way OF young
doctor TO become pafucepS erlmlnls IN
thls sOrt OF business. he can name MS
own prlces. lhe exactlOns OF ,nhe sOcle-
W. NhAS "'SSNADSs- N''
Little chlldren are care ana burden
10 women VINO I'VE only lot pleasure,
ana there are goO0 many such. Iney
can go 70 parties and DalIs, OF go SHOP
plngO or 10 the tneater 80 Well, nor run
the round OF tashlOnaDie ulssipatlOn so
well When tney nave llItle chiidren 10
care for. And then there are other rea-
sons that present themselVes2Very torcl-
bly, to fashionable women, and Tor that
matter women VINO are not 80 IashlOna-
Die. Inc ldea tnaL IL IS vulgar 10 nave
children; that they are bother and nul-
sanee,y Is spreading among american
women, until III ls becoming serious
social problem. AS long as married WO-
men entertain the Idea that children are
nuisances; that there Is nothing wrong
In getting rld OF them while yet un-
born, and are Wiling ana nave the a6ll-
1ty TO pay for IL, IL IS not strange that
professional aDOrtlOnlsts abound"
These views the reporter found cor
rObOrated by further inquiry among
other physicians. They talk of 1T re-
luctantly, but all admit that the evil Is
alarmingly prevalent and on the in
crease. There are physicians, sO-called.
who make a business OF it, and their
doors are thrOnged with women In all
ranka Of life from the wife of the work