Delphine Walsh (born Delphine Dockerty, 1907 – May 3, 1929) was an American dancer. Her death following an

abortion Abortion is the termination of a pregnancy by removal or expulsion of an embryo or fetus. An abortion that occurs without intervention is known as a miscarriage or "spontaneous abortion"; these occur in approximately 30% to 40% of pregn ...

performed illegally by two doctors made headlines in 1929.

Early life and career

Walsh was born Delphine Dockerty in

Bisbee, Arizona Bisbee is a city in and the county seat of Cochise County in southeastern Arizona, United States. It is southeast of Tucson and north of the Mexican border. According to the 2020 census, the population of the town was 4,923, down from 5,575 i ...

. Her father, Thomas Dougherty, worked as a

copper Copper is a chemical element with the symbol Cu (from la, cuprum) and atomic number 29. It is a soft, malleable, and ductile metal with very high thermal and electrical conductivity. A freshly exposed surface of pure copper has a pinkis ...

miner A miner is a person who extracts ore, coal, chalk, clay, or other minerals from the earth through mining. There are two senses in which the term is used. In its narrowest sense, a miner is someone who works at the rock face; cutting, blasting, ...

. She had an older sister, Dorothy. Due to poverty, Walsh's parents gave her up for adoption when she was 6 years old. She was adopted by Mrs. Mae Walsh, who later gave her dance lessons. Walsh left Arizona and traveled to

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...

to become a dancer. She was immediately popular with booking agencies and began to establish herself in the theatrical world.

Death

Walsh died on May 3, 1929, in a

Glendale, California Glendale is a city in the San Fernando Valley and Verdugo Mountains regions of Los Angeles County, California, Los Angeles County, California, United States. At the 2020 United States Census, 2020 U.S. Census the population was 196,543, up from ...

hospital two days after undergoing what the media then referred to as an " illegal operation". Walsh had actually undergone an abortion. Before her death, she implicated Dr. R.S. Lanterman and Dr. P.S. Traxler. Her death certificate lists her cause of death as Septic peritonitis following criminal abortion. Lanterman, who was a Los Angeles

coroner A coroner is a government or judicial official who is empowered to conduct or order an inquest into Manner of death, the manner or cause of death, and to investigate or confirm the identity of an unknown person who has been found dead within th ...

, had a history of legal troubles. In 1907, he was arrested at a

bordello A brothel, bordello, ranch, or whorehouse is a place where people engage in sexual activity with prostitutes. However, for legal or cultural reasons, establishments often describe themselves as massage parlors, bars, strip clubs, body rub pa ...

for being drunk and disorderly. The charges in that case were eventually dropped when a witness failed to appear to testify against Lanterman. He resigned as coroner in 1908 but was later indicted on charges of fraud after falsifying and submitted documents regarding his election and travel expenses to the Board of Supervisors. He was sentenced to a year in prison in April 1908, but his sentence was overturned in 1909. In 1916, he was charged after performing an abortion on a 17-year-old girl, but was later freed on a technicality. The following year, he was charged in connection with the death of Mrs. Regina Greenburg "Reggie" Evans. Evans died after Lanterman allegedly performed her abortion. Evans reportedly told her brother while she was dying that Lanterman performed the abortion but later told people at County Hospital that she had attempted the abortion herself. Lanterman denied the charges stating that they were "spite work" made by his political enemies. He was found not guilty and had his medical license reinstated in 1921 after a petition drive. The

California California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...

State Medical Examiners presided over the Walsh investigation. Lanterman and Traxler were indicted on murder charges on May 14, 1929, and were free on $15,000 bond each. Actresses

Natalie Joyce Natalie Joyce (born Natalie Marie Johnson; November 6, 1902 – November 9, 1992) was an American actress. Biography Born as Natalie Marie Johnson on November 6, 1902, one of eight children to Henry and Elizabeth Johnson in Norfolk, Virginia, ...

and

Mildred Harris Mildred Harris (April 18, 1901 – July 20, 1944) was an American stage, film, and vaudeville actress during the early part of the 20th century. Harris began her career in the film industry as a child actress when she was 10 years old. She was a ...

were interviewed by authorities. Joyce offered valuable information but the nature of her disclosure was kept confidential by Glendale officials. Harris confided that Walsh was a member of a troupe in which Harris played a leading part. However Harris did not know Walsh closely. Film director Mickey Moran was a key informant during the

inquest An inquest is a judicial inquiry in common law jurisdictions, particularly one held to determine the cause of a person's death. Conducted by a judge, jury, or government official, an inquest may or may not require an autopsy carried out by a coro ...

, and he was a state witness in the subsequent trial. Authorities revealed that Walsh received a letter from a man from

Vancouver, British Columbia Vancouver ( ) is a major city in western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the List of cities in British Columbia, most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the ...

approximately one week before she died. The letter contained a substantial sum of money which was believed to have been used to fund the operation. Lanterman and Traxler were represented by attorney

Jerry Giesler Harold Lee Giesler, known professionally as Jerry Giesler (November 2, 1886 – January 1, 1962) was an American trial attorney. Giesler was the defense attorney of record for many of the highest-profile litigations, both criminal and civil, in t ...

. Both contended that Walsh caused her own death by performing an abortion on herself before requesting their assistance. Lanterman and Traxler were found not guilty, but both had their medical licenses revoked by the California State Board of Medical Examiners. Delphine was buried in an unmarked grave at

Hollywood Forever cemetery Hollywood Forever Cemetery is a full-service cemetery, funeral home, crematory, and cultural events center which regularly hosts community events such as live music and summer movie screenings. It is one of the oldest cemeteries in Los Angeles ...

in Los Angeles. In 2020 her fans organized a fundraiser and paid for a headstone to be placed.

Footnotes

References

*''

Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' (abbreviated as ''LA Times'') is a daily newspaper that started publishing in Los Angeles in 1881. Based in the LA-adjacent suburb of El Segundo since 2018, it is the sixth-largest newspaper by circulation in the Un ...

'', "Director To Be Quizzed Over Death", May 7, 1929, Page A12. *''Los Angeles Times'', "Dancer's Death Quiz Continues", May 8, 1929, Page A12. *''Los Angeles Times'', "Dancer Clews Lead Nowhere", May 10, 1929, Page A5. *''Los Angeles Times'', "Director To Actor At Death Trial", June 6, 1929, Page A20. {{DEFAULTSORT:Walsh Delphine 1907 births 1929 deaths American female dancers Dancers from California Burials at Hollywood Forever Cemetery 20th-century American dancers 20th-century American women