This is a story of the notorious Dr. T. H. Wetzel, a.k.a. Dr. W. E. Wetzel, who in 1885, fled Pennsylvania after allegedly being an accessory before and after the fact in the abortion-related death of Kate Amanda Herb, a native of Leib, Mahantango Valley, Northumberland County, and a domestic employee at the American House in Girardville, Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania. Dr. Wetzel was “keeping” Miss Herb under what she believed was a promise of marriage, when she discovered that she was pregnant by him. A trip was made to Philadelphia by Dr. Wetzel and the young woman to take care of the “problem.” On return to Girardville, Miss Herb became critically ill and died, whereupon Dr. Wetzel fled the scene. The investigation by the coroner revealed that she had undergone an “operation” and that Dr. Wetzel had participated in that “operation.”
A few months later, Dr. Wetzel turned up in West Virginia and was reportedly involved in procuring an “operation” for the daughter of a former member of the legislature there. Wetzel fled again, but he and the ex-official were indicted for the crime.
As with most stories about abortions, this one is filled with euphemisms such as “malpractice,” “serious charge,” “an operation performed,” “suspicious circumstances,” and “criminal operation,” — always avoiding the use of the actual word “abortion.”
A brief notice in the Girardville news column of the Pottsville Republican, January 14, 1885, stated the following: “Dr. Wetzel, we are informed, has been appointed consulting physician to Dr. Biddle in this district.”
By mid-April, the abortion scandal broke into the newspapers:
From the Pottsville Republican, April 16, 1885:
MYSTERIOUS DEATH
GIRARDVILLE HAS ANOTHER SENSATION: A YOUNG GIRL DIES UNDER SUSPUCIOUS CIRCUMSTANCES AND A PHYSICIAN IS SUDDENLY MISSING
Special Correspondence Daily Republican:
GIRARDVILLE, April 16 [1885] — Miss Kate Herb, aged 25 years, employed as a domestic at the American House, died yesterday morning after a two weeks illness. The circumstances connected with her sickness and death were very suspicious and gave rise to the supposition that there was something criminal connected with the case. On March 28th in company with Dr. T. H. Wetzel she visited Philadelphia and remained there until Wednesday when they returned to Girardville. She took very sick that night and had been up to her death in a very critical condition. Coroner Halberstadt was notified of the suspicions aroused but did not take any action until the girl died. Four hours after her death, Undertaker Clark had her corpse in a coffin ready to take her to Mahantango where her parents reside. Word came from the coroner to hold the corpse until he reached here, which he did about two o’clock yesterday afternoon. He empaneled a jury consisting of Messrs. Blass, Glick, Eberle, Lewis and McIntyre. A post-mortem examination was held but the results have been withheld from the public. Dr. Marshall of Ashland, who attended the girl, made an ante-mortem statement, gave his testimony at the inquest. It is said that the woman confessed to him that an abortion had been committed by parties in Philadelphia, and that Dr. Wetzel was the cause of the girl’s downfall and a party to the criminal operation. The verdict has as yet been made public, but it is the following: That her death was caused by malpractice by a party or parties unknown, and that Dr. T. H. Wetzel was an accessory before and after the fact. The doctor has not been seen since Wednesday noon, and it is thought he has made his escape. So as not to alarm him or the guilty parties, the matter has been kept quiet. A warrant has been issued for him, and it is hoped he will be brought to justice.
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From the Philadelphia Times, April 16, 1885:
AMANDA HERB’S DEATH
A HANDSOME YOUNG WOMAN WHO FELL A VICTIM TO HER LOVER’S PERFIDY
This morning Miss Amanda Herb, of Leib, a village in Mahantongo Valley, died at the American House, Girardville. The Coroner and District Attorney were notified and an inquest and post-mortem examination were held today. It was discovered that the woman’s death was the result of malpractice. from the evidence brought out it was learned the girl, accompanied by Dr. T. H. Wetzel, a physician of Girardville, went to Philadelphia to have an operation performed. Where they went cannot be ascertained, but it is established beyond a doubt that they went there. Samples of goods marked “Levy” were found among her effects. She was attended by Dr. Wetzel up to the time of her death. Dr. Wetzel has paid court to her for four years and was engaged to be married to her.
She came to Girardville, from Philadelphia the days ago and was quartered at the American House,. Shortly after her arrival she was taken sick and her mother and sister came to attend her. They never suspected her condition until this morning at three o’clock when the girl died. Dr. Wetzel remained in the house until 11:30 last night, but has not been seen since. Officers are on the watch for him. It has been asserted that Miss Herb went to Mrs. Hoepfner’s establishment in Philadelphia. She made no statement. Wetzel, who was accused of being an accessory, is consulting surgeon at the State Hospital and was considered respectable. He claimed to be an allopathic, homeopathic, electric, hydropathic and anthropathic physician. Miss Her was twenty-two year old and handsome. Her parents are poor people.
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From the Wilkes-Barre Times-Leader, April 17, 1885:
SAD AFFAIR AT ASHLAND
A HANDSOME YOUNG WOMAN WHO FELL A VICTIM TO HER LOVER’S PERFIDY
ASHLAND, April 16 [1885] — Yesterday morning Amanda Herb, of Leib, a village in Mahantongo Valley, died at the American House, Girardville. The Coroner and District Attorney were notified and an inquest and post-mortem examination were held. It was discovered that the woman’s death was the result of malpractice. from the evidence brought out it was learned the girl, accompanied by Dr. T. H. Wetzel, a physician of Girardville, went to Philadelphia to have an operation performed. When they went cannot be ascertained, but it is established beyond a doubt that they went there. Samples of goods marked “Levy” were found among her effects. She was attended by Dr. Wetzel up to the time of her death. Dr. Wetzel has paid court to her for four years and was engaged to be married to her.
She came to Girardville from Philadelphia ten days ago and was quartered at the American House. Shortly after her arrival she was taken ill and her mother and sister came to attend her. The never suspected her condition until this morning at three o’clock, when the girl died. Dr. Wetzel remained to the house until 11:30 last night, but has not been seen since. Officers are on the watch for him. It has been asserted that Miss Herb went to Mrs. Hoepiner’s establishment in Philadelphia. She made no statement. Wetzel, who was accused of being an accessory, is consulting surgeon in the State Hospital, and was considered respectable. He claimed to be an allopathic, homeopathic, electric, hydropathic and anthropathic physician. Miss Herb was twenty-two years old and handsome. Her parents are poor people.
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From the Philadelphia Times, April 17, 1885:
DR. WETZEL A FUGITIVE
Special Dispatch to the Times
GIRARDVILLE, Pennsylvania, April 16 [1885] — The body of Miss Erb, who died at this place yesterday morning from results of malpractice, was removed late last night to her parents’ residence at Leib, Mahantongo Valley. Dr. Wetzel, who was accused of being an accessory and who skipped yesterday evening, was seen running up the Mahanoy plane yesterday afternoon, his trousers in his boots, and he was going at a break-neck pace. Nothing has been heard of him since.
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From the Pine Grove Press Herald, April 24, 1885 (reprinted from “Journal“):
ANOTHER SAD WARNING
When Coroner Halberstadt returned from Girardville Wednesday evening, where he had gone to investigate the death of a young woman named Kate Herb, who was supposed to have died from malpractice, he refused to give the representatives of the Pottsville press any information on the subject, on the grounds that its publication might defeat the ends of justice, by giving the supposed guilty party an opportunity of escaping. Special dispatches from Ashland, however, to the Philadelphia morning papers, gave the matter away, but we doubt weather [sic] the publication was of any special benefit to the party charged with the crime, for if reports be correct the bird has flown even before the coroner returned from Girardville.
The facts of the case are as follows: Miss Kate Herb, a resident of the village of Leib, in Mahantongo Valley, died at the American House, Girardville, after about a week’s illness. She came to the American House about ten days before her death, from Philadelphia, whither she had been sent by a local physician, it is said, to have an operation performed. The mother and sister were sent for during the girl’s illness, but they were ignorant of her condition until after her death, when it was determined to have a post-mortem examination, and Coroner Halberstadt was sent for. The result revealed unmistakable evicence of a criminal operation, and the testimony pointed to one Dr. Wetzel as the guilty party, in the double capacity of seducer and murderer. The doctor left the town immediately after the poor girl’s death, and has not been seen since, nor if there any clue to his whereabouts.
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From the Pottsville Republican, April 27, 1885:
GIRARDVILLE
Special Correspondence of Daily Republican
Dr. Wetzel is still at large and his whereabouts are unknown. But all the property belonging to him will be sold at the Girard House next Thursday on a writ of fiere facias issued by the sheriff.
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From the Pottsville Republican, April 30, 1885:
The sheriff visited town [Girardville] today to sell out what Dr. Wetzel forgot to take with him, a horse, buggy and sleigh, some books, office furniture and a case of instruments.
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POSTSCRIPT
From the Buffalo Commercial, August 8, 1885:
A SERIOUS CHARGE
HUNTINGTON, West Virginia, August 8 [1885] — Warrants were issued yesterday for the arrest of Thomas B. Laidley, member of the legislature from this county, and Dr. Wetzel, charging them with betraying and performing an improper medical operation upon Effie Jefferson, the daughter of one of the largest capitalists in the county.
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From the Buffalo Evening Telegraph, August 8, 1885:
A VIRGINIA SCANDAL
HUNTINGTON, West Virginia, August 8 [1885] — Huntington is greatly agitated over a sensational scandal implicating a member of the last West Virginia legislature and a well known and popular physician of the place. For some time there has been rumors which yesterday took definite shape in an indictment against Hon. J. B. Laidley, the ex-legislator referred to, and Dr. W. E. Wetzel of this city charged with being accessory to malpractice upon Miss Effie Jefferson, daughter of Washington Jefferson, a highly respected citizen of Cabell County. The victim is a handsome girl of 19, of the semi-brunette type. She was, the indictment alleges, betrayed under the promise of marriage by Laidley who finally refused to marry her. Laidley is under arrest and Dr. Wetzel has fled from the state.
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From the Norfolk Virginian, August 9, 1885:
A SCANDALOUS AFFAIR
[By United Press to The Virginian]
HUNTINGTON, West Virginia, August 8 [1885] — For some time there have been rumors which yesterday took definite shape in an indictment against Hon. John B. Laidley, an ex-legislator, and Dr. W. E. Wetzel, of this city, charged with being accessory to malpractice upon Miss Effie Jefferson, daughter of Washington Jefferson, a highly respected citizen of Cabell County.
The victim is a handsome daughter of 19, of the semi-brunette type. She was, the indictment alleges, betrayed under promise of marriage by Laidley, who finally refused to marry her. Laidley is under arrest and Dr. Wetzel has fled from the State.
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From the Pottsville Republican, August 12, 1885:
DR. WETZEL IN TROUBLE AGAIN
Information is at hand from a pretty reliable source bringing the intelligence that Dr. Wetzel, who stampeded from Girardville some months ago to escape arrest as an abortionist, has been arrested in the West on a similar charge, and a member of the Legislature taken with him as an accessory. Surely the way of the transgressor is hard.
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From the Pottsville Republican, August 14, 1885:
District Attorney James assures us that Dr. Wetzel is not pursuing his old avocation out west, and he ought to know.
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Articles from Newspapers.com.
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