Nab 7 in Abortion Raid

(Editors note: This story appeared in the May 4, 1972 edition of the Chicago Daily News . It refers to the 7 Jane members arrested the previous day for performing illegal abortions.)

Seven Chicago women were arrested Wednesday on charges of operating an illegal low cost abortion clinic out of two Southside apartments.

One of the women, Mrs. Judith P, 29, of 2216 N. Geneva, was dismissed as a teacher from Niles East High School in March 1970 because of her innovative teaching methods.

Chicago police learned of the clinic from a woman whose sister reportedly was scheduled to have an abortion there Wednesday and did not want her to undergo the operation.

Homicide investigators said the clinic only charged about $100 for the operation and handled as many as 15 patients per day. None of the women who performed the operations was a licensed physician, police said.

Investigator Theodore O’Conner of the Burnside Homicide unit said a fully equipped operating room had been set up in an 11th floor apartment at 7251 S. Shore Dr.

Police said that when they raided the apartment they found three patients undergoing abortions and seven in the waiting room.

Six women who were performing the abortions were arrested there and a seventh was arrested in an apartment at 5532 S. Everett., where patients were interviewed and screened, police said.

Mrs. P. was released after being held briefly in lockup because she was nursing a baby.

The three women who were undergoing abortions were taken to South Shore Hospital where they were in good condition, police reported.

O’Conner said the clinic has been in operation for about 4 months, and the operating room had laboratory equipment and a full supply of drugs.

Also arrested were: Abby G., 27 of 47 W. 59th St; Madeleine S., 30, of 6933 Bennett, Sheila S., 22, of 5459 Hyde Park Blvd.,Martha S., 30, of 5213 S. Kenwood, Diane S., 23, of 820 W. Agatite; and Susan G., 21, of 5342 S.Harper.

Police said the women had apparently been trained by a physician. Investigators said they were trying to determine if the clinic is part of nationwide network.

O’Conner said the women who had been patients at the clinic came from all walks of life, and included career women, college students, married women who could not afford another child, and single women.

He said each of the patients was interviewed twice before the operation-once in a public place, and once at the Everett Av. apartment.

Each was questioned in detail about why she wanted an abortion and each was given a medical examination, O’Conner said. The patients learned about the clinic by word of mouth, he said.

Each of the seven women was charged with three counts of performing abortions and three counts of conspiracy to perform abortions.

Mrs. P. and two other teachers were dismissed by Niles TWP High School Board for not conforming to approved teaching methods.

The dismissals were the subject of a lengthy controversy in the north suburb.

Logo reprinted from the Chicago Daily News

Lib Fund set to aid 7 held in abortion

(Editors Note: this article appeared in a May 1972 Chicago newspaper. The exact source is unknown. Anybody recognize it?) 

Chicago-area women's groups have begun a defense fund to pay the legal costs of seven women arrested Wednesday on charges of performing up to 15 abortions a day in two South Shore apartments.

Formation of the fund was announced at a press conference Friday by officials of the Chicago chapter of NOW (National Organization for Women).

Mary Ann Lupa, president of Chicago NOW, said abortion is an "important issue" and the women "deserve the best defense they can have."

The fund is supported by Chicago Women's Liberation Union, Illinois Citizens for Medical Control of Abortions, Illinois Women's Political Caucus, Hyde Park-Kenwood Women" Rights Committee and the South Side Women's Pregnancy Testing Service.

Individuals supporting the effort include Dr. Lonny Meyers, of the Midwest Population Center, and Joanne Horowitz, membership chairman of the American Assn. of University Women.

Contributions can be sent to Abortion Defense Fund, Post Office Box 871, Arlington Heights, Ill., 60006.

Meanwhile, women's groups were gathering for a State St. march and Civic Center Plaza rally Saturday to cap National Women's Abortion Action Week here.
 

Abortion 7 case sent to grand jury

Editors note: This story appeared in the August 16, 1972 edition of the Hyde Park Herald. It refers to the 7 Jane members arrested for performing illegal abortions earlier that year.) 

by Tom Conners

A Cook County criminal court judge has sent to the grand jury a case involving seven women accused of operating an abortion service in Hyde Park and South Shore.

Judge John F. Hechinger ruled last week that the state's evidence warrants a grand jury hearing on charges of conspiracy to commit abortion against all seven defendants and on charges of abortion against five of them.

At the same time, Judge Hechinger dismissed charges of abortion that had been made against two of the defendants. Susan G.; 21, 5342 Harper, and Judith P.; 29, 2216 N. Geneva.

The other defendants are Martha S.; 30, 5213 Kenwood, Sheila S.; 22 5459 Hyde Park. Diane S.; 23, 820 Agatite, Abby G.; 27, 47 W. 59th and Madeleine S.; 30, 6933 Bennett.

Hechinger made the rulings after a preliminary hearing in which testimony was taken from two Chicago policemen and from two women who said that they went to the defendants for abortions.

One of the policemen, homicide investigator Harold Huffman testified about a police stakeout that led to the arrest of six of the defendants on May 3 at Shore Dr., where the abortions are alleged to have been performed.

Huffman said that on May 3 he sat for several hours in an unmarked police car in the 5500 block of South Everett after receiving a tip that an abortion service was being run in a building on that block.

Huffman testified that during his stakeout he saw numerous women enter the apartment building at 553 Everett.

At various intervals, Huffman, alleged, some of these women would come out of the building, get in a car and drive to South Shore.

Huffman said that he followed the women on three different trips from Hyde Park to South Shore and finally identified the 72 South Shore Dr. building as their destination. The identification of the South Shore address was made with the help of another policeman who was dressed in civilian clothes and was posing as a salesman in South Shore.

Huffman testified that gave a description of the car the women were riding in the plainclothesman, who spotted the vehicle when arrived in South Shore.

The plainclothesman watched the elevator dial and determined that the women had ridden the elevator to the eleventh floor, testimony continued.

He then summoned Huffman and other officers, who quickly went to the eleventh floor.

Huffman said that when they arrived at the floor, they met a woman who, after being told that they were policemen, admitted that she had just had an abortion in apartment IIF.

The officers then went to that apartment. Huffman said there was a group of women sitting around the apartment. All occupants of the apartment were placed under arrest, including six of the defendants.

Grand Jury Hears Abortion Case This Month

(Editors note: This story appeared in the September 6, 1972 edition of the )Hyde Park Herald. It refers to the 7 Jane members arrested for performing illegal abortions earlier that year.)  

Grand Jury Hears Abortion Case This Month

A case involving seven women suspected of having operated an abortion service in Hyde Park and South Shore will be heard by a Cook County grand jury later this month.
The seven defendants are

Susan G., 5342 Harper,
Martha S., 5213 Kenwood,
Sheila S., 5459 Hyde Park Blvd.,
Madeleine S.,6933 Bennett,
Abby G., 47 W. 59th,
Diane S., 820 W. Agatite
and Judy P., 2216 N. Geneva.

The grand jury will determine whether there is sufficient evidence to indict all of the women on the charge of conspiracy to commit abortion.

The grand jury could also indict five of the defendants on a charge of abortion.

The seven women, all of whom are free on bail, were bound over to the grand jury after a preliminary hearing on the charges August 9.

In that hearing, testimony was heard from two Chicago policemen and from two women who said that they went to the defendants for abortions.

One of the policemen, Harold Huffman, testified about a police stakeout in Hyde Park that led to the arrest of six of the defendants on May 3 in an apartment at 7251 South Shore Dr., where the abortions are alleged to have been performed.

Huffman said that he sat for several hours in an unmarked police car in the 5500 block of South Everett after getting a tip that an abortion service was being run in a building on that block.

During the stakeout, Huffman said, he saw many women enter the building at 5532 Everett. At various intervals, he alleged, a group of women would leave the building, get in a car and drive toward South Shore.

After following the women on three occasions, Huffman was able to identify the 7251 S. Shore Dr. building as their destination.

A short time later, Huffman and other police officers went to the eleventh floor of the building and arrested all of the defendants except Ms. G in an apartment on that floor.

Huffman testified that he went into the apartment’s three bedrooms, all of which, he said, "were set up like hospital operating rooms."

He added that in one of the bedrooms he saw a nude woman lying on a bed with an icepack on her stomach. In another bedroom he found a young woman named Gloria W. lying on a bed, according to his testimony.

Ms. W. also testified at last month’s preliminary hearing. She said that she first went to the Everett st. apartment building, where she saw Ms. G. and where she was given some pills.

Ms. W. said that she understood the purpose of the pills was "to prevent infection"‘—presumably referring to an infection that might result from an abortion operation.

After she received the pills, Ms. W. said, she was driven to the S. Shore Dr. building by Ms. P.

If the county grand jury returns indictments in the case, the defendants could stand trial on the abortion and conspiracy charges.