Month: February 2007

But the political hierarchy she had relied on for three decades was changing. Still, the saavy abortionist believed she could survive even in the new environment.

Inez Burns recalled that in the past when she had faced trouble, she found many important people who could be “bought.”

Seven years earlier, police arrested Inez for performing an illegal abortion without a medical license, a charge dismissed in court when witnesses refused to testify against her.

As a result of that case, the IRS became interested in her, imposing a heavy penalty on her federal income tax return, but mostly Burns practiced her craft without interference from the authorities.

Initially Inez didn’t expect any differences from the changed political climate, including the selection of a new grand jury. The gravest threat to her well being was the emergence of 39-year-old Edmund G. “Pat” Brown in the San Francisco district attorney’s office.

…To Be Continued…

Clutching a package containing colorful dime store notebooks, Inez Burns rushed out of her San Francisco Fillmore Street flat on September 26, 1945. The time was 9:30 a.m.

Walking briskly to keep up with his wife was ex-San Francisco Assemblyman Joe Burns.

The pair headed for a nearby garage where Burns’ shiny black limousine was parked. They hurriedly slammed the doors of the automobile and almost ran down the attendant as they sped away.

Moments later, police and officials from the district attorney’s office arrivied to “knock the place over” but were disappointed to find the premises quiet with no one to arrest.

Known for her excellent reputation as an efficient and safe abortionist, Inez had become a San Francisco institution by 1945.

When shopping at Ransohoffs, the Emporium and other fine San Francisco stores, the saleswomen rushed to her side. She was often recognized on the street and the famous San Francisco Chronicle columnist Herb Caen often greeted her warmly at Gallaghers, the popular 5th and Mission Street bar.

…To Be Continued…

 

Between Prohibition and World War II, Inez L. Burns earned millions of dollars as the “queen of abortionists.”

During her amazing career, Burns’ clients ranged from housewives to Hollywood movie stars.

Her San Francisco facilities were antiseptic and she was said to be a “perfect abortionist” (with no fatalities). She also practiced her illegal activities with little interference from the authorities.

Burns, who resided on Guerrero Street in San Francisco, wisely invested her illicit funds in real estate, including a lovely Spanish-style home in Atherton and a 1,000-acre horse ranch located in the magical redwoods of La Honda. At both homes, she installed family members as “caretakers.”

She began to face tough times in the mid-1940s as the lawlessness that grew out of Prohibition ended, blunting her 30-year streak of good, trouble-free luck.

But after receiving a telephone tip advising her that police were about to raid her San Francisco abortion mill, the 59-year-old Burns set her emergency plan into action.

…To Be Continued….