Evening star., 1938-07-25
OPERATION DEATH
HOLDS WOMAN TO
D. c. GRAND Jury
Coroner's Inquest Gives
Verdict in Fatality to
Mrs. Sweeney.
LAWYERS WIFE FOUND
DEAD IN APARTMENT
Detective Says Mrs. Conner
Admitted Attempt to Perform
an Illegal Operation.

A coroner's jury today ordered Mrs
Mae Conner, 43. held for the grand
Jury in, the illegal-operation death OF
Mrs. Justine Crosser Sweeny Of 1922
Draper lane, Silver Spring, 29-year-
old wife of Federal Trade Commits
sion attorney and daughter of Repre-
sentative and Mrs. Robert Crosser OF
Ohio.
The jury reached it's verdict, declar-
ing its belief that Mrs. Conner was
responsible for Mrs. Sweenys death
last Thursday. after witnesses had tes-
titled the woman had admitted at
tempting to perform an illegal opera
ton on Mrs. Sweeny and that this
had resulted in her death.
Detective Sergt. jeremiah Flaherty
said he arrested Mrs. Conner in her
apartment. at 1850 Fourteenth street
NV. few hours after Mrs. Sweeny
had been found dead on bed there.
After first contending she did not
know what caused the death. Mrs
Conner admitted she had attempted
the illegal operation, Sergt. Flaherty
said. Mrs. Conner told him. he con-
tinued, that during the operation Mrs
Sweeny rose to a sitting posture on
the bed complained of feeling badly
and suddenly fell over dead.
Autopsy Reveals Cause.
Coroner A. Magruder Macdonald
told the jury an autopsy showed death
was caused during the operation by
an air embolism, In which air had
been allowed to get into the circula-
ton system. forming a pocket near
the heart and producing sudden death.
Air embolism is an acute condition
which rarely occurs in such cases,
DR.. Macdonald said. under questioning
'by Michael j. Lane, attorney for Mrs.
Conner.
Mrs. Sweeny normally would have
given birth to son in about three
and one-half months, Dr. Macdonald
said the autopsy showed. She was the
mother Of two small daughters. Her
husband, Charles A. Sweeny, told
police he had known nothing OF the
operation and thought his wife was
going shopping when he let her out
of their car near Mrs. Conner's apart
ment Thursday afternoon and agreed
70 meet her later.
First Refused Case.
sergt. Flaherty said Mrs Conner
told him after her arrest that Mrs.
sweeny had come to her apartment
about July 13 or IA and told her she
wanted the operation. Mrs. Conner
said she declined the case, but agreed
70 try to find some one else to per-
form 1t. Later, Mrs. Sweeny tele-
phoned her, the Detective quoted Mrs.
Conner as saying, and Mrs. Conner
then agreed to attempt the operation.
Mrs. Sweeny came to her apartment
about pm. last Thursday and died
about $50, Sergt. Flaherty said she
told him.
Mrs. Conner then called DR.. B. S.
John, who testified today that he had
been her family physician for three
or four years. He said he walked into
the apartment, saw at glance that
Mrs. Sweeny was dead and, after
Mrs. Conner told him that she had
dropped dead without apparent cause,
had advised her to call the coroner
DR.. John said he did not examine the
body. He said it was $40 pm. when
he went to the apartment.
Policeman Paul Koenig, 18th pre-
einct, told Of answering a call to the
apartment half an hour later, observ-
ting conditions there and notifying the
homicide squad detectives, who went
10 the apartment later and arrested
Mrs. Conner.