Why did they publish that?

I was looking for something that happened in Arizona in 1917 and I found this. It's an index called "Subject Index To The COCONINO WEEKLY SUN 1891" (yes I know, 1891 is not equal to 1917 but you know how it is when you are researching and trust me I have to be much worse at staying on topic than you are). Subject number one is ABORTION.

ABORTION

* Dr. Helm, Arizona Surgeon-General, performed an abortion on Mrs. Alice Price Jy/25 2/2

What in the world? Why was that published? I have no idea. I do have an idea that I hope is wrong and I will get to it in a minute.

Look at some of the entertainment listings, fascinating stuff:

if you want to meet "a woman of grit", come to Conundrum Tea Se/12 3/3

Mrs. E. Gonzales, Flagstaff, showing freak "Arabian slave" in Denver Jy/11 3/3

Tucson has Grace Eden, mystic Oc/8 2/5

Mexican freak exhibition with Mexican at Powell Hall My/23 3/3

committees listed to prepare for entertainment of visiting editors Jy/25 3/4

people enjoyed themselves tripping light fantastic at Milton Ag/1 3/3

Zamloch, magician, to give last performance tonight Ag/29 3/1

$.50 to go to China lecture De/10 3/5

I didn't know the tripping the light fantastic expression was quite so old. It sounds so 1960s to me. The go to China is quite the bargain. I am exceedingly curious about the woman of grit. I don't think they meant the magazine...

Under the disease heading we find this seeming oxymoron;

John Grice, "Cast Iron Jack" died of natural causes Jy/25 3/3

And this string of ailments:

fifty cases of typhoid fever in Jerome Oc/29 7/1
children ill from school No/5 2/4
Flagstaff children have whooping cough De/3 3/2
attendance low at Flagstaff schools because of whooping cough De/10 3/1
great deal of sickness in Flagstaff De/17 3/1
300 cases under care of physicians De/24 2/3
Dr. McCaulless, Prescott physician, says he had never seen so many sick De/24 3/2

I know I am always saying that I count my blessings and it must get boring to read but it's so true. I had whooping cough two years ago October and it was pretty awful. It's hard to imagine all those poor kids so terribly ill like that. As much as the state of modern medicine drives me mad we've got some pretty good things going for us now like certain immunizations.

So anyway, to get back to the motive thing, I wonder if this poor women's abortion was published to shame her. I think not, because she was married and it was done by the surgeon general. I think it was likely not an elective procedure and is just the proper term for any medical procedure done on a fetus that is no longer viable.

I remember when I lost my own baby, fourteen years ago, I had such a hard time, partly because this one girl in my office got the call from my doctor to precert and the diagnosis was inevitable abortion (the fetus didn't have a heart and had been dead for awhile before I started bleeding) and this girl went around and told everyone that I had an elective abortion.

When I came back to work and people started asking me why I killed my baby I discovered that "seeing red" is a real description.

If the newspaper had published a story about it I would probably have hit someone in the office. I feel bad for Mrs. Alice Price even though she has been dead for many years. She should have had some privacy. The queer thing is that I am such a hypocrite even though I don't think her privacy should have been invaded now I want to know exactly what happened. Curiosity is a powerful force.