National opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1865-1874, 1874-02-06
Tho Siamese Twins.

Tho Slamese Twins. ~.,l
Further Partioulars Of the Cireum.
) stansss Attending Thsir Death.
The Philadelphia Press gives the re.
port OF DR.. James Hollingsworth, OF
North Carolina, concerning the death
Of the 6iamese twins. Dr.. Hollings-
worth, u says, ID about Afty years Of
age, and very Intelligent he was born
in the county Of Surry, in . village
named Mount Airy, In which he now
resides. He studied medicine and
graduated from the Jefferson College,
In Philadelphia, in the year 1847. After
obtaining his degree Of NJ. d. he re.
turned South, and has since renamed
there. The Press continues:
"Soon after arriving in Philadelphia
DR.. Hollingsworth proceeded to the Of.
fee Of DR.. Panooast, OF Eleventh and
Walnut streets, and Q private consulta-
ton between these two gentlemen was
held regarding future movements to be
made in the matter OF examination.
The following sketch Of the deceased
was offered: The twins were born in
the village Of Maklong on the coast OF
Siam, in the year 1911, and came to the
United States about the year 1899.
After travelling through this country
and Europe, they, in 1916, bought q
plantation at small town named Trap
Hole, in Wilkes county, N. O., about
forty miles.from where they died. Here
they married two sisters named Yates,
who were native North Carolinians,
and, although uneducated women, were.
nevertheless, possessed of very good
intellects. The wives were both very
strong and healthy women. Their
mother, 1t is said, was 80 large that when
she died il was found impossible to get
the body out of the doorway of the
dwelling before portion Of the sides
of the door-frame was out away. Some
time after taking up their abode in
Mount Airy they purchased a second
plantation about two miles from the
first, and erected = dwelling upon it, to
which Eng removed his family, Changes
family remaining at the old homestead.
1t was their custom, and the plan was
never departed from, OF spending three
days at each house. Gold weather or
warm, rain or shine, nothing whatever
was permitted to interfere with their
idea. Upon one occasion child of the
brother at whose house they were stop
ping died upon the last day of their
visit to the dwelling, but the following
day being the appointed time for their
change of base the two brothers left
the scene Of death, and stuck to their
usual programme. On the Thursday
previous to the death the brothers were
at Changes residence, and the evening
Of that day was the appointed time for
q removal to Eng's dwelling. The day
was cold, and Chang had been COM
planning for couple Of months past of
being very i'll. The road leading from
The two houses was very rough and
frozen. Early in the evening they
started upon their journey in an open
wagon or carryall, and in q short time
arrived at Eng's.
Chang became chilled by the ex-
posure and complained Of being very
,old, while his partner was in apparent
good health, and grumbled because he
mad to sit by the fire. They retired
hat night, and, in answer to an inquiry
rom the sick mans wife, on Friday, he
stated that he was much better, On
Friday evening they retired to small
DOM by themselves and went to bed,
out Chang was very restless. Sometime
between midnight and daybreak they
got up and sat by the fire. Again Eng
protested, and said he wished to lie
Town, IA he was sleepy. Chang stvutly
and replied that it hurt his
breast to recline. After awhile they re-
;ired to their bed, and Eng fell into a
leep sleep. About four o'clock one of
he sons came into the room, and, going
o the bedside, discovered that his
lncle was dead. Eng was awakened by
he noise, and in the greatest alarm
urned and looked upon the lifeless
orm beside him, and was seized with
'iolent nervous paroxysms. No physi-
'ians were at hand, and, it being three
niles to the town Of Mount Airy, some
ime necessarily elapsed before one
Gould be summoned. A messenger was
dispatched to the village for Dr.. Hol.
and he sent his brother, also
physician, ct once to the plantation,
nut before he arrived the vital spark
lad fled, and the Siamese twins were
lead. The news spread like wildfre,
tut, the village being forty miles from
Greensboro, the nearest railroad and
telegraph Office, of course did not reach
he public of the outside world until
donday. DR.. Hollingsworth made an
examination of the bodies, and found
he band which connected them to be
n extension of the sternum for about
in length and two in breadth.
The band was convex above and in
ront and concave underneath. The
wo bodies had but one navel, which |
vas in the centre of the band, and it is |
that there were two umbilical
ords branching from this, one extend
ng into each body. The connecting
ink was found to be the ensiform
artilage, and was as hard as bone. and |
lid not yield in the least. TIT NAV be
lere mentioned that for some time pre-
'ious to their death no motions were
observable in the band. The doctor
aid he did not think they would have
urvived separation, not from the
act of being afraid of separating the
rteries, but from fear of producing
'eritonitis. No hemorrhage would have
zen produced, so far as could be seen,
s. there were no arterial connections Of
ny account.
There not being any means of en-.
aiming the bodies, the following
aethod was taken, after much persue-
ion by the doctors, and final consent
y the respective families, of keeping
hem from temporary decay A box Of
in was made and the bodies deposited
herein, and the coffin was Theoretically
called. This was placed in a wooden
OK, and . third box enveloped the
hole. This casket was deposited in
he basement Of a dwelling in the
lClnltV and N0vorad nth v,0-1o~oI |