The Tragic Death of an Infant and a Doctor's Arrest
A Seattle coroner’s jury implicates a local doctor following the discovery of a dead infant at a Madison Street residence.
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.
SEATTLE. The coroner’s jury investigating the cause of the death of an infant found in the rear of 811 Madison street by Mrs. O'Brien, returned a verdict finding that the babe came to its death in an operation performed on its mother, Miss Alice E. Cady, by one Dr. Downey. Prosecuting Attorney Scott has refused to admit Downey to bail, and the man is now in the county jail. Scott has not yet decided whether to prosecute for murder or on the charge contained in the verdict. Miss Cady, who is currently confined under the care of Police Matron Chapin, testified that she had initially requested Dr. Hussey to take the case, but he refused. She then called on Dr. Downey, who agreed to perform the operation for $50, of which she paid $15. The operation was delayed for several days, but was finally performed at the doctor’s offices. After subsequent examinations, the child was born dead. Miss Cady asserted that she had kept the body in her room for two days and a half, and had then thrown it out of the window into the yard. An autopsy performed by Dr. Crook revealed bruises on the infant’s head consistent with a blunt instrument, suggesting the child was alive when the wounds were inflicted. Dr. Downey did not take the stand in his own behalf.
“She told of her trouble, how when on her first arrival in Seattle she requested Dr. Hussey to take the case; the doctor refused.”
This case highlights the extreme peril faced by women seeking reproductive healthcare in an era before legal abortion, when such procedures were shrouded in secrecy, criminality, and violence. It serves as a grim reminder of the public health consequences when medical care is forced into the shadows.
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