The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1874-02-06
Death of the Siamese Twins.


The world-renown Siamese twins
died at their home in Mount Aiery,
near Salisbury, N. c., on the 18th of
January, 1874. These singular beings
we're born on the coast of Siam in 1871.
At the age of eighteen, Captain Coffin
and Mr.. Hunter bought them of their
mother in Meklong, city in Siam, and
brought them to this country in 1929.
Barnum engaged them in 1850 for 800
a week, and, excepting Tom Thumb,
they were the greatest natural curiosi-
ties ever seen in America. To men Of
science they were an enigma.
The feshy igature which linked them
was about fsot in length, two inches
broad, and four thick, and through it
ran a large artery and many veins, max
ing their circulation identical. Their
breathing, too, was simultaneous when
they were esleep. They were not so en-
tirely one, however, but that each had
an entirely separate existence. Their
senses were totally disconnected. One
could not feel hurt inflicted on the
other, the hgature being the only part
in which they were sensitive in common.
But it was not SO sensitive as their
bodies, for they were pulled about on
shipboard with a rope tied TO it, and
they seemed to enjoy it. After amassing
about $780, 900 they bought plantations
in North Carolina and took the surname
of Bunker. When forty-four years old
they married English sisters aged
twenty-six, who had been servants, but
had never seen the twins except at a
show in London. The counting was
done through an agent.
The damestic lives of the couples
were peculiar. Each family had its
own house, servants, and domestic es-
tabIshment. The plantations were
owned and managed separately, al
though in matters of consequence Chang
was usually the master The wives
lived entirely at their respective homes,
and the husbands Misunderstanding
one week at Changes house and the next
week at Eng's. Each looked after his
plantation and other business during
the weeks of living at his own place,
and the visiting brother was not sup
posed to interfere. The wives did not
agree very well, and the strangely tied
families quarreled so seriously that the
sisters frequently had periods of COM
plete enlargement, lasting for weeks at
a time.
So, although Chang and Eng were
rich, they did not live happily. Mrs.
Chang had the first child, and it was a
deaf mute. The families increased rap
idly, until Chang had six children and
Eng five, OF these children, four never
heard nor spoke, although In other re-
spects all were strong and not deformed.
Eight are living, the oldest, a daughter
of seventeen, having lately been mar
ried to the lessee of n neighboring plan
tation. About eight years ago they be-
came converted in revival, and joined
the Baptist Church. They were regular
in their attendance thereafter, and re-
tanned their standing as good Christians.
Their tenpers, however, were not I'M
proved by the spiritual change, and be-
fore the emancipation their slaves were
the most whipped of any in the region.
The rebellion freed their slaves, and
otherwise seriously impaired their
wealth. To repair their losses, they
again exhibited themselves through the
country.
The cause of their moroseness as they
grew older is believed to have been the
of the fatal effect of ones
death upon the other. The idea of sep
arating them by surgical operation
had been often preached, but physi-
clans had generally agreed that it
would kill them. Therefore, each was
haunted with dread of being left
bound to his dead brother, with almost
a certainty of dying with any attempt of
severing him from the corpse. 1t is now
thought, however, that the ligature
might have been divided after Changes
death, near his body, and that the life
Of his surviving brother might thus
have been spared. Chang died first,
and few moments afterward Eng, who
had for some days been well, became
lelirious and raved wildly. A stupor
and he died within two hours.
A clause in the will forbade a division
Or an examination of the bodies.