Evening star., 1958-07-06

AWkkETNNE "A. SnAW
Contact Man"
police by a man whose es-
tranged wife had come to him
to borrow money for an abor-
tion.
The six-month investigation
that led to the abortion indict-
ment of Campbell and Martini
in Carroll County drew leads
from other cases.
But the principals in all these
cases were known to each other,
according to all the evidence
gathered so far. One had taught
another certain abortion tech
niques. Several had been con-
facts for more than one ring.
In one case, an abortionist
who nearly killed a girl used
one of the drivers, since ar
rested, to drive the critically i'll
girl to the Baltimore area for
another abortionist to attempt
to save her life.
AbOrtiOnists' Pattern
With variations, the inter-
! locking rings followed this pat
tern:
A Washington area girl in
trouble found a contact" for
the ring. If she was unknown
to the contact, she was usually
referred to a specific doctor.
He would tell her to go home
and wait for a call. In Mrs.
Grimes book, the name of one
Washington doctor appeared in
code four times in six weeks
under the contact heading.
The girl would be telephoned
in a day or two. She would
be told the fee-usually about
$425. If she agreed to pay,
she would be told what to wear
for Identification and where
and when she would be picked
up.
Abortion Rings Wary
If the ring was wary, she
was met and interviewed be-
fore arrangements were COM
pleted. A nearby Virginia girl
was driven around for nearly
an hour to be sure she wasn't
being followed before an ap-
pointment was made to take
her to Pennsylvania.
AS an example of the link
ing operations, it was a mem
ber of the Grimes ring who
made these arrangements for
the abortion ring on the Penn
sylvania line.
/ On the night set for the
operation, the driver usually
picked up three or four girls
at different locations. To check
against police pursuit, another
car often followed the one with
the girls. A change of cars
was not infrequent.
Devious Routes Confuse Girls
The routes were devious. Tc
| confuse the girls as well as tc
elude pursuers. a trip that
ended in Maryland actually
crossed the line into Pennsyl-
vania. The girls thought the
, abortions were done in Penn
sylvania.
Martini's notes included di-
rectionS for a 452-mile trip tt
, southwestern Virginia.
At their destination, the
, girls did not see the abortionist
! Usually a cloth was put ovel
their faces or the operation
was performed behind a cur.
| tain screening the abortionist
After the operation, the girl
= were either returned to down
! town Washington or taken tx
nursing home" i"
! One trio of girls picked up a
a downtown bus terminal werI
driven to Accokeek, Md, TO,
the operation. Then they wer,
4 taken in another car to a homt
r in the Little River Hills sub
division of Fairfax County u
await the result.
Infections Are Frequent
S The non-antiseptic condi
S tionS under which abortion
e are performed, combined will
S lack of medical training of tn
), abortionists frequently resul
e in infections.
One girl interviewed by Dis
e trict police spent 10 days il
: Garfield Hospital. She had t
d undergo another operation be
e cause of infection.
e Another questioned by polio
d was admitted to Columbi
: Hospital in serious condition
: running a fever of 104 degree:
The reluctance of witneSse
l. to respond to police questionin
y is typif1ed by the witness no.
a missing.
te The Broderson woman is