Mascot Mondays #8 of 12: A Girl Gone Wrong

ANOTHER GIRL GONE WRONG.

MISS FLORENCE WARNER DIES FROM THE EFFECTS OF AN ATTEMPTED ABORTION.

Three Men are Suspected of the Parentage, William H. Barrow, a Grey-Haired Camp Street Hardware Merchant, and a Prominent Member of the Southern Athletic Club.

Many people in this city were acquainted with Miss Florence Warner, a young actress who had twice toured the United States as a young prima donna. Many also saw her upon the stage at the People’s Theatre in May last, when she took the part of Hebe in “Pinafore.”

Most people were of the opinion that Miss Warner was a modest, pure girl; some two months since a statement regarding her was brought to our office; but, as the man mentioned was single and it might have been his intention to marry her, we made no mention of the matter. At the same time we were informed that there were some queer doings at the People’s Theatre; that an actor and actress had been caught “in flagrante delicto” by the stage manager; but, not wishing to hurt the new enterprise, we suppressed the matter.

Now, however, silence is no longer a virtue: MIss Warner died last Sunday evening from the effects of a mechanical attempt to procure an abortion, and – when dying – told Dr. Bickham that the guilty party was Madame Aglae Guillot, of 103 Orleans street, a mid-wife by profession.

Assistant Coroner Archinard, upon being notified, visited the home of the deceased and held an autopsy upon her body, the result of which proved beyond a doubt the girl was the victim of malpractice. Chief Gaster was at once communicated with and Detectives Littleton and Flood were detailed to apprehend the guilty party, which they succeeded in doing on Monday evening.

The mid-wife denied all knowledge of Miss Warner; charges of murder and attempting to commit an abortion were preferred against her and she was placed under $20,000 bond by Recorder Aucion. She is now in the Parish Prison, being unable to find bondsmen.

Whether she be guilty or innocent, we wish to remark right here that it is time that the reprehensible traffic of these midwives were suppressed once for all. Even this woman herself admits that she has been in the habit of relieving married women and unmarried girls of children, which she has afterwards placed in St. Mary’s Home. She naturally denies having practiced abortion, but we would advise the police to investigate her premises and see if evidence of past crimes cannot be found. Such cases are hard to prove, as the girl – after having got rid of the evidence of her shame – is not likely to confess; the midwife cannot be made to criminate herself; it is only when – as in the recent case – the girl is dying that the truth is likely to be divulged.

Not long since we unearthed a case at Spanish Fort, where a man had committed incest with his own daughter, the girl was in a fair way to become a mother, a midwife was called in, the issue of the incestuous connection was destroyed, but we could not prove it. The midwife denied it; the father was a vertiable Sphinx when approached on the subject the girl was invisible; we could do nothing.

If girls have no means of evading the natural consequence of immorality, they will be more careful in their conduct; if there are no midwives to murder unborn babes there will be fewer girls ruined. There is an act in effect since January 1st, 1883, which provides that every individual practising medicine or surgery must have a diploma from some recognized Medical College; let the police make inquiry of every midwife and doctor in the city and prosecute those who are violating the law.

It is a notorious fact that at the end of the nineteenth century immorality is rampant; that it is becoming a practice amongst many married women to evade nature’s laws by destroying their unborn offspring; that marriages are on the decrease; that free love is becoming a recognized institution; that family times are being shattered, and that as a result the is race is becoming puny and weak.

The trouble is caused by the fact that women are ceasing to be home-lovers, but are becoming inordinately fond of gadding about the streets, gazing into shop-windows and sipping wine or coffee in cafes or drug stores instead of staying at their homes and attending to their households. To such women children are an encumberance; they dislike the pain of child-birth and still more dislike to stay at home and care for young ones. Suppress the midwives and these women will have to fulfill their mission in life; suppress the midwives and girls will think twice before they part with their honor; suppress the midwives and unborn generations will rise up and call those who do it – blessed.

On Thursday evening, we interviewed the woman accused of murder; she is a short, square-built woman, with a secretive face. To all our enquiries we could obtain no reply save “I am innocent; my lawyer has told me to answer no questions; which certainly does not appear like the answer of innocence.

Having been informed that at the house of Mrs. Benson, of 191 Ninth street, Florence Warner had been accustomed to meet her lovers we visited the house last Thursday evening after dusk, rang the bell, Mrs. Benson came to the gate – and before we stated our mission – whispered “Call to-morrow at 12 o’clock, my husband is at home.” We told her our mission, at which she was surprised and said she had never heard of Florence Warner or her death, although she had read the papers every day. She persisted in her denial and further inquiries were useless.

Afterward we visited the house of H. Barrow, which was in utter darkness; all the shutters tightly closed. After ringing for ten minutes, a colored girl looked through the railings and informed us that the whole family was in the country and that she did not know when they would return.

It was impossible to get further particulars; next week we hope to have sufficient proofs to warrant us in publishing the names of the other parties who were intimate with Miss Warner; in the meantime we present our readers with a portrait of the dead and murdered girl.

The Mascot; August 8, 1891.

I looked into this case briefly. I could not find an arrest for Aglae Guilliot or William Barrow, although I did find one for a W.H. Barrow for embezzlement.

Apparently, on Monday (July 27, 1891) Florence said she was going out shopping with William and when she returned said that she did not see him and looked pale and ill. The next day a Dr. Murphy visited her and questioned her about the abortion, which she at first denied but later admitted to. At this point they said “hope was gone.” On Friday, Florence sent a message to William saying that she was dying and wanted to see him. He sent a reply that he needed to leave the city and could not comply to her request. She died shortly after, never revealing the identity of her “seducer.” During her autopsy, they discovered that the girl was “horribly lacerated by instruments” and died from traumatic peritonitis. The newspaper stated that Barrow had an order for his arrest.

I do not know the fate of Guilliot or Barrow but I did find a city directory from 1895 that listed Guilliot as a midwife and living on Washington Ave.

Another tragedy.

P.S. This was done on Monday, but forgot to post!

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