Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1874-02-23

Enc. whose name signifies orig A." Their
habits we're very active. During the latter
mart of their lives they lived with their fami-
lies in two houses, about a mile and halt
apart, and it was an infexible rule that they
should pass three days alternately at each
house. SO determinedly was this Attenuation
maintained that sickness and death In one
family had no effect upon the movements OF
the father, and dying or dead chi!a was on
one occasion left in obedience to II lndeeo,
Dir. Hollingsworth is very positively OF the
opinion that the death OF the twins them.
selves was the result of this rule, or, at least
was materially FASTENED thereby. This will
be made apparent hereafter
The evidences during life that the twins
were phvsiologically distinct were very nu-
merous and apparent. They were different
in form. tastes and disposition; all their ply
steal functions were performed separately
and unconnectedly. What Chang liked to
eat, Eng detested. Eng was very good ma
tured Chang cross and irritable. The sick
ness of one had no effect upon the other, SO
that while one would be suffering from fever
the pulse of the other would beat at its natu-
raj rate. The twins not rarely suffered from
bilious attacks, but one never suffered at the
same time as the other; a circumstance
which seems somewhat singular in view of
the close connection which the post norton
has shown to exist between the liyers of the
pair Chang drank pretty heavily-some-
times getting drunk; but Eng never felt any
influence from the debauch of his brother
q seemingly conclusive proof that there was
no free interchange in their calculations.
The twins often quarreled and, of course,
| under the circumstances their quarrels were
bitter They sometimes came to blows, and
on one occasion came under the jurisdiction
of the courts. After one Of these difficulties
Chang and Eng applied to DR.. Hollingswor'h
to separate them, stating that they could not
live longer together. Eng affirmed that
Chang was so bad that he could live no long
er with him; and Chang stated that he was
satisfied TO be separated, only asking that he
be given an equal chance with his brother,
and that the band be cut exactly in the mid
die. But as DR.. Hollingsworth advised very
dedly against this, and declined to inter
fere, cooler counsels prevailed.
InAugust, 1870, Chang suffered from a
paralytic stroke, from which he never fully
recovered; and during the last year of his
life he several times said to DR.. Hollingworth
awe can't live long"
Ga the Thursday evening preceding their
death, the time having arrived for their de.
parture from the house at which they were
staying the twins rode mile and half in
the night being one Of the severest OF the
winter. Chang had been complaining fol
some days of cough, with distress and actual
pain in the chest He was so unwell that his
wife thought he would be unable to bear the
trip; but he finally went. On Friday morn
ing Chang reported that he. felt better. but
that in the night he had had much pain in the
chest, and so much distress, that he thought
he should have died.
The twins slept in a room by themselves OF
with only Il very young child present; ano
sometime in the course of Friday night they
got up and sat by the fire. As they were &C
customed to do this frequently nothing was
thought of it by those of the family who saw
them, even though they heard Eng say he
was sleepy, and wanted to retire, and Chang
insisting on remaining up, stating that hi
breathing was so bad that it would kill him Il
lie down. Finally, however, the couple wen
to bed again, and after an hour or so the fam
lily heard some one call. No one went to The
twins for some little time, and when they die
60 Chang was dead and Eng was awake. H'
told his wife he was very "bad off," ant
could not live. He complained of agonizins
pain and distress, especially in his limbs
His surface was covered with a cold sweat
At his request his wife and children rubbed
, his legs and arms, and pulled and stretched
, ! IncUl 1OTClUly.+ 4 HIS was stedully CUHtiuues
until he went into stupor, which took plac,
= about an hour after the family were alarmed
The stupor continued up to death; according
to the statements of the family there were
no commissions.
DR.. Hollingswofth did not reach the house
until the death of both of the twins. III
found the wives, and especially the children
averse to any post mortem being made: but
after much persuasion, obtained permission
to put the bodies in a position to be preserved
until he could obtain some one from Phila
! dephia to perform the autopsy. He place.
the bodies, after they had been thorough.
cooled, in a coffin, which was put in a woodel
box, which was, in its turn, enclosed in tin
the whole being buried in dry cellar in sucl
a way as to be imbedded in charcoal.
AS bearing upon the question, What wa
the cause of the death of Chang! it is i'm
portant to state that DR.. Hollingsworth haC
repeatedly told Chang and Eng that, in hi
opinion, the death of one did not necessarily
compromise the life of the other; that ht
could separate them, by cutting close to thu
body of the dead one, without killing The
living one. 1t would appear possible, il
view of this, that the death of Eng was no
simply the result of fright.
n mo