The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1870-03-24
The Truth About the SIanieSe
Twins.

These "twin brethren were born about
the year 1925, at Bang Meklong, viii
lage of fishermen, situated at the mouth
of the river Meklong, and distant about
thirty miles from the populous capital of
Siam. Their father was Chinaman,
and their mother was of Siamese descent
only on her maternal side. The Twins
are, therefore, three quarters Chinese by
blood, and one quarter Siamese. Any
one familiar with the oblique eye, and
other strongly marked features which
characterize the Monaghan race, will at
once notice how thoroughly the Twins be-
tray by the cast of their couEtenances
their Chinese origin.
The land of their birth is land where
the religion Of Buddha has taken the
firmest root. The practical rules of con-
duct which the great MessiaIr of Brahmln-
ism taught have sunk deep into thehearts
of the people of Siam and there Is no
tenet on w hch Buddha laid greater stress
than on that which upholds the sanctity
of every form of animal life. ''Shed not
blood, fer blood is the life," is one of the
great texts which the Apostle from Ma
gadha was continually enforcing; and IT
is probably to the practical application of
this rule that the Siamese Twins owe their
escape from an untimely destruction.
Perhaps in other countries such twins
may have been born, but they have prob
ably been destroyed or severed by SUR
geon's knife, to take their chance of living
or dying, as the Fates might determine.
But in Siam, maternal affection, beng
strengthened by the maxims of religion,
allowed no interference with this whim-
sical freak Of nature +; and so the Twins,
who belonged to the humblest ranks of
life, grew no to the age of seventeen or
eighteen years amidst the fishermen of
their native village. In those days, the
gates of Siam were closely barred against
foreigners-no trade with the white faced
strangers was permitted and the rulers
of this little kingdom, trembling with ha-
tired and fear, sat watching the progress of
English arms IN Birmah, with convic-
tion that they themselves, too, were one
day TO be swallowed up by the pale, gray
eyed invaders.
In the midst Of these agitations, there
arrived an American vessel in the road
stead at Bangkok, laden with a large
quantity of condemned guns and other
military stores, which the astute Yankee
| had. bought up in a Government auction
at Calcutta, and expected to sell at high
I prices 10 the Siamese authorities who, as
he imagined, would be only too glad to
t procure European weapons TO turn in case
of need against European intruders. 1t
was then his plan TO invest the purchase
money in rice, i'll those days abundant and
| cheap in Siam, and scarce and dear in
China. But the jealous rulers of the land
would not buy his guns and they displayed
their malice in forbidding any of their
/ people 10 sell the stranger rice.
BY some piece of good luck, the disap-
! appointed mariner fell in with the Twins,
and, having once enticed them on board
his craft, he was not long in weighing an
chor, and went whistling down the Gulf
/ of Siam, quite alive to the value of the
prize he had secured. BY exhibiting these
! Twins in the civilized world, he made a
! fortune for himself and for them and
! when they had accumulated sufficient
means, the Siamese brothers settled in
! America, where they have been peace
fully residing for many years. They
each of them married, and have each of
them family. 1t was only very recent
| ly that their parents in Siam died. In
consequence of pecuniary losses sustained
| during the late troubles in the Southern
States of America, ii became expedient
for these Twins again to appear before the
public. They therefore came to London,
during the early part of last year and
the discussion which then arose in some
| of the current journals in connection with
a proposed surgical operation, was proba-
bly, nothing more than ''puff," cleverIy
! got up to ''draw' a wonder loving public.
! No severance by the knife of a surgeon
was ever seriously contemplated.
MURDER WILL OUT.-A paper published
ID