The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1870-11-10
The Double Child.
Details OF the Wonderful Freak of Ma
ture in Ohio.

Details of the wonderful Freak of Ma
ture in Ohio.
Delaware lo.) Cor. Cincinnati Commercial.
Our community is much excited over a
freak of nature in the production Of double
baby. The Siamese Twins are completely
overshadowed by this infant wonder. There
is living in Perm township, Morrow county.
family named Finley. Up to last Wednes-
day morning it consisted of Mr.. Joseph Fin
ley, his wife Mary and two children, little
girls aged three and Eve years. On that
morning Mrs. Finley was confined and gave
birth to twins Joined together in a manner
unknown to the books. When The gossips
brought the news Of the event to our city,
and gave descriptions Of the child, or rather
children, it was laughed at by the profess
sional and pronounced good hoax
gentleman living in the vicinity of the Finley
! home called on one of our physicians and
! assured him that there was no exaggeratlon
! in the description. as he had seen the Won
| der. Convinced that there was something
! in the case, party Of gentlemen, consisting
! Of Drs. j. A. Little and T. B. Williams. W.
| O. SeaInens, Professor of Natural History
| and Chemistry in the Ohio Wesleyan Uni
versity, and S. X. Donavin, on the 10Th
| inst, visited the family. Before reaching
/ the Finley farm the party called on DR.. A.
/ T. Westbrook, of Ashley, who had been
| called to attend the mother, and learned
| from him that the half had not been told.
! DR.. WestbroJk accompanied the party. An
hours drive brought them to the place. On
going to the gate leading to the yard.
| written notice was discovered announcing
that visitors would not be admitted. This
did not deter the party. They Immediately
entered the yard and on reaching the front
door Of the dwelling, they were met by Mr..
Finley 1.-THE father) and gentleman who
appeared to be acting as his aid-de-camp,
who informed the party that they could be
admitted to see the show on the payment of
25 cents EACH The Professor promptly
forked over, and the party stepped in. In
few minutes the nurse made her appear
auce with the wonder. a double child was
exhibited. Two perfectly formed heads, one
on eitLer end Of the spinal column.
To give clear idea of it, just suppose
that you sever the bodies Of two men at the
lower part of the abdomen, and then put
the two upper parts together, and you have
The trunk Of this child. At the instance of
Drs. Williams and Little the clothing was
taken from it and a critical examination
was made. 80 far as could be without doing
injury. From the occuput OF one child 10
the occuput Of the other there Is continu-
Gus apiue in direct line. Upon one side
and directly in the centre OF the trunk were
perfectly developed hips, thighs, legs ard
feet. They are in nice proportion to the
body of either child. On tie opposite side
there is one large, lmpeg fectiy formed leg
presenting the appearance OF the cOaso.ida>
lion of two legs There are eight toes on
this limb, two of which have the appearance
of great toes. being much larger than the
others Each has we'll formed head. good
features. good chest, good arms and hands,
lungs, heart, liver aud stomach. Between
the perfectly formed limbs and properly
situated are the anus and seXua' organs in
common. The lower portion of the bowels,
the bladder, and perhaps the kidneys, are IN
common. All the other organs are separate
There was but one Um bilical cord and one
placenta. The length OF the body is twenty
5 inches. and the umbilicus is central in the
: abdomen and equ-distant from each head
: 1t nurses well at both ends and when first
} exhibited to the party one child was asleep
and the other was crying. While the phy
] sicians were making their examinations
( both cried, bnt a few minutes after the one
2 which was crying first went to sleep, Will,
, the other remained awake. When either
: head would cry the perfect leg which wa:
7 nearest to that head kicked and Grew up
while the leg nearest the other head remain
a ed quiet. When either cried the toes on th,
= imperfect foot would move, but the limb re
!. manned stationary. Both heads nurse well
I and the child, or rather children, are in ex
b celleut health. The physicians could see nj
= reason why it. or they, should not live. Tn,
e mother is doing we'll. There was no ply
= sician present at the birth. and the labo
e pains lasted only fifteen minutes.
t Mr.. Finley is alive 70 the Importance ant
9 value of this addition to his family. He j
. now charging gate money, and he informed
y the writer that he had already entered int
c an article of agreement with a gentleman
for the sale of the body if it should die
s Price fixed is SO, 600. Negotiate tions are il
q progress for its exhibition if it lives. He i
n convinced that there is money in it. dead Q
e alive but thinks there is most in the latte
/ condition. He says that he is conscious O
L the fact that he sis an unlarned man, but ha
If sense enough not to be fooled out Of IT'D
C 1t is certainly ore of the most extraoidi
: nary freaks, if not the most SO, which ha
n ever occurred. and will certainly attraC
e great attention from the medical profession
= at least. Drs. Williams and Little are wei
n known to the brothers. Drs. Davies, an
d many other physicians of your city.
e l close by asking Where is the Curdi
d Giant now 2"