nored women incur by trusting themselves to the
mercy of those sordid butchers. The author of her wrong usually makes
the arrangement, under cover. The wily practitioner talks blandly and
soothingly. If the operation succeeds, all is well; if not, the poor
victim's body is secretly disposed of. She is chronicled among the
mysterious disappearances, because every precaution had been taken that
her friends should know nothing whatever of her condition, or of her
whereabouts.

Naturally, the practice of child-murder hardens the hearts and petrifies
the feelings of those systematically engaged in it. The tortures
inflicted on the patient are, no doubt, in many cases unavoidable if the
end is to be achieved; but many of these operators are cruelly ignorant
and unscrupulous, and barbarously brutal and reckless. The mind shrinks
from contemplating the thrilling honors of some of the scenes enacted
within those deadened walls. Despite the tears and protestations of the
suffering woman, the operation will sometimes be repeated two or even
three times. But helpless and unprotected as she is, she is compelled to
submit, because she is terrorized by her inquisitor's threats to send
her to some hospital at once, to expose her condition to the world and
to die.

When death appears only too probable, the abortionist generally has the
victim either sent to a hospital or to some regular physician's
premises, and leaving her before her condition or their connection with
the case has been discovered. If the death occurs on their own premises,
a certificate from some doctor called in at the fast moment, and
deceived as to the cause of death, may enable a quiet little funeral to
take place. And again, the fact cannot be denied that from time to time
regular, diplomated physicians have been found who would not hesitate,
for a consideration, to give "crooked" certificates. Should it be found
impracticable to dispose of the body in such a convenient and regular
way, in some cases it is shipped by rail to a distant and fictitious
address, without any clue by which it can be traced back to the
"shipper."

The pitiable case of Miss Alice Augusta Bowlsby will occur to many
readers just here. The facts in her case were simply these: One Saturday
night towards the end of August, 1871, a trunk containing the remains of
a young and beautiful female was found at the depot of the Hudson River
Railroad, checked for Chicago. The remains were subsequent