A Scandalous Death in Vancouver
A husband and a local physician are arrested following a death caused by a criminal operation.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
Vancouver, Wash., Nov. 4.—On Wednesday evening Mrs. E. F. White, of this city, died under circumstances so suspicious that the coroner considered an inquest necessary, which was held last evening. The evidence showed that death resulted from a criminal operation. Dr. John Steiner, her attending physician, was requested to attend the inquest, but instead took the train for Portland. The coroner swore out a warrant charging Steiner with feicide, and the officer went to Portland and arrested him late last evening. He was brought to this city and, after a preliminary examination this morning, was held in $2,000 bonds for further examination, which he furnished. E. F. White, the deceased's husband, was also arrested, charged with being an accessory after the fact, and was admitted to bail in the sum of $1,000. Mrs. White was alone when she died, and the prosecution claims to have a very black case against the defendants. The victim was a sister of Charles A. Pitrain, a prominent Portland attorney, and of the wife of Judge N. H. Bloomfield, of this city.
“The evidence showed that death resulted from a criminal operation.”
Medical procedures like abortions were frequently handled via 'criminal operation' charges in the late 19th century press, reflecting both the legal and moral constraints of the era. This story highlights the intersection of public scandal, private family tragedy, and the harsh judicial treatment of reproductive healthcare in Washington history.
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