A Profitable Business
The cost was $300 ($5,082 in 2018 dollars) per week plus board and medical costs.
To have the baby adopted into “good hands” was another $100. This was not a service for factory workers, maids or shop girls.
Unlike Madame Restell, Henry Dyer Grindle (1826-1902) was a real doctor. He graduated from the School of Medicine at New York University in 1867. And unlike Restell’s husband, Grindle’s wife, Julia Lockwood (1837-1900), acted as a midwife, although with dubious credentials. Like Restell and Lohman, the couple did abortions and adoptions at their illegal clinic.
Dr. Grindle’s first formal accusation resulted when Susannah Lattin (See Chapter 4) died postpartum in 1868 at the 6 Amity Place, New York City clinic. Grindle was acquitted because the death was during childbirth and not because of an abortion.
Three years later, 27 August 1871, reporter Augustus St. Clair wrote an article for The New York Times, challenging the Grindles. He mentioned they claimed to offer relief to women in trouble and for all female complaints. The advertisements mentioned the elegance of the environment as well as offering pleasant rooms for nursing.
St. Clair was not impressed with Grindle’s credentials, claiming his doctor title was obtained from New York University a mere four years before. Grindle claimed in his publicity he had 25 years of experience.
St. Clair mentioned that the couple had moved from the place where Lattin had died, which he described in detail: “He and his ‘Madame’ transact an immense amount of business, in which they are reputed to have amassed a handsome fortune. Formerly their premises were in Amity-place, but after the house becoming notorious they removed to their present locality in Twenty-sixth street, midway between Sixth and Seventh avenues. The house is of the three-story and basement style, with rear extension, and has a capacity for about twenty patients. It is appropriately surrounded by fashionable markets of infamy. A huge silver plate upon the outer door bears Dr. Grindle's name; a sign of similar pattern, bearing the ‘Madame's’ name, glares upon the inner door. The interior is furnished with taste and elegance. The parlors are spacious, and contain all the decorations, upholstery, cabinet-ware, piano, book-case, &c., that is found in a respectable home.” St. Clair continued: “A lady and gentleman who recently called there relate the following:
A neat-looking lad ushered us into a parlor, and went after the ‘Madame.’ A profusion of circulars were scattered over the centre-tables, some of them being folded as if intended to be mailed. Suddenly the door opened, and the Madame entered. She is fair, fat, forty, and evidently vigorous, and keen in all her actions. She addressed us with primping care, and in a voice as smooth as the flutter of a humming-bird. ‘My dear friend,’ she said, ‘we can do what you hint at. I understand the case. We have had hundreds of them. Poor unfortunate women! How little the world knows how to appreciate their trials. We think it our mission to take them and save them—a noble work it is, too. But for some friendly hand like ours, how many, many blasted homes, scandalized churches and disorganized social circles there would be. Why, my dear friends, you have no idea of the class of people that come to us. We have had Senators, Congressmen and all sorts of politicians bring some of the first women in the land here. Many—very many aristocratic married women come here—or we attend them in private houses.’”
The cost was $300 ($5,082 in 2018 dollars) per week plus board and medical costs. To have the baby adopted into “good hands” was another $100. This was not a service for factory workers, maids or shop girls.
St. Clair went on to report what happened if the alternative was used and quoted Madame Grindle, “We understand every branch of our business!” and talked about a second place with the best nurses.
There is no way to know if this article was yellow journalism or based on solid research. The cost of $300 a week for a week’s stay would mean their clientele had to be wealthy. No ordinary worker could have afforded the services.
When a woman complained that she had been charged for a $20 bottle of an abortifacient, the Grindles were indicted again. They were found not guilty in 1872.
The couple moved to Ramapo, New York. He was considered respectable enough to be president of the Blaine/Logan campaign for president against Grover Cleveland.
Dr. Grindle died in 1902.
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