The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1879-02-09
A HUMAN WONDER.
ONE OF NATURES NOsT HEMAHKA-
BILE FREAKS.
"MilIie and Chrisste," the Doubie-Head-
ed, Four-Armea and FOnr-FOoted Col
ored Pbeaomen0n-A Puzzle for the
scientists.

scientists.
IN. Y. Starl
In parlor OF the st. julien Hotel, corner OIL
Broadway and Washington Place, CURIOUS
party was assembled yesterday afternoon "A
Star reporter who had been invited to par
take Of the Inequalities Of the occasion, was
ushered into the room by d waiter oil the
hotel, and left In the midst Of as betero-
geneous congregation as that which made
the Tower OF Babel famous. The prevailing
language on this occasion was Italian, ana
the gathering included men, women and chill
dren. In o large easy chair to the left OF the
door sat what appeared to be two rather good
looking colored ladies'. They reclined easily
i'm the same seats, their heads slightly turned
aside from each other, and their feet resting
gracefully together on the floor. The hands
OF each were crossed comfortably In the lap,
and they were laughing and chatting gayly
to n gentleman on either side. At first
glance there was nothing singular In their
appearance, except the singularity OF their
presence at oil In company exclusively
white.
AS the reporter drew nearer, however, he
noticed that these two ladies had but one body.
The dress which clothed the two was really
but one garment, and the heads which were
nodding in response to pleasant remarks by
their gentlemen friends, while they were set
upon different shoulders, were really but ex-
pressing the emotions Of one person. That
person rose gracefully on her four feet as the
reporter was presented, both heads bowed
politely, q smile Of welcome wreathed both
mouths, and then this singular prodigy sank
back into It's seat with as much poetry of
motion MS WAS ever displayed by the belle Of
q ballroom.
The room was filled with visitors who had
been invited by Mr.. y. N. Smith 10 pass an
hour Of social pleasure with the Double
headed Nightingale as the woman with the
two heads IL called. In addition 10 the yisi-
tors were two other persons who are ranked
among the curious things which nature has
produced. They were two dwarf9, known
respectively as Baron Littlefinger and Count
Rosebud The Baron Is thirty-two years Of
age, and thirty-five inches high. He has q
wife, whom beintrodueed as the Baroness m
italian woman, tall and rather good looking,
and two children which she has borne him, n
boy and girl. These latter were playing
about the room, and the Baron seemed never
30 well pleased as when the company noticed
his "cherubs." He stroked his moustache,
pulled his goatee, and pointing with pardon
able pride at his offspring, appealed to every
newcomer TO gaze and admire.
The "Nightingale' Is O good talker, amia-
BILE to excess, and evinced Willingness 10 an
swer all questions readily. The reporter In
terviewed the left head-"Chrissie Mr..
Smith call it-and while the process was
going on, the right head, "Millie." carried
on an animated and evidently amusing con-
versation In Italian with tall gentleman
with d waved mustache. Chrissle said. speak
ing for both. II was born on the plantation
Of Mr.. Joseph Smith, In Columbus county
North Carolina, on the eleventh OF July, 1851.
Our father and mother were slaves, and they
had eight children before we came to aston
ish them. / was the first to appear In the
world. My head ismuch larger than Miles.
But Mile, to make up for this disadvantage,
possesses by far the stronger will, and gen
orally succeeds in getting her own way"
as 1t true that you have been asked for
your collective hand?"
a." said Mile; a." began Chrissie.
zone at time, please" suggested the Wis.,
OF our native land, I've no doubt that / shall
be able to interpret your meaning"
Mile looked at the reporter In a good
humored sort Of way, while Christine
smiled on him from around the corner. He
put his foot on the toe OF the former. Chris
tine said:
"Pease don't do that again. Mile and
are fast friends, and 1t isn't right you know,
because we have no secrets from each other"
young man. chimed In Mile Il like
you, and you are welcome to cali upon us
here at any time. No danger OF either of us
being out"
''How old are your" asked the scribe.
"Twenty-seven."
Inc reporter lOLBhu uOWH W1su he was
Rrasped by the hand.
what are you putting DOWN." asked Mil
lie.
"Your united ages-fifty -four between you"
Mile Chrissie demonstrated, and the OBJ
noxious number was blotted out.
What an expense for mtlinery there must
be-" unused the reporter, aloud.
Certainly. OF course we have two hats, II
you mean that" said Chrissie. smiling.
The two heads are perfectly formed and
fha If hn Ia artra 4
pleasant for the colored race. They look
almost exactly alike, and IL they were separ-
ated cit would be difficult to distinguish one
from the other, except by the difference In
characteristics Of the negro. Each neck rests
upon well-rounded pair Of shoulders, from
which depends perfect pair Of arms and
hands.
Just below the shoulder-blade Of each the
two bodies merge into one, the same spinal
cord performing it's functions for both the
heads. This single body continues until the
end OF the spine is reached, when two sep
arate organizations again appear, the legs
and feet of each being perfect. OF course,
born in this condition, the heads found them
selves naturally back to back, but by contin-
ual twisting the band of union seems to have
been forced to give somewhat, and the two
heads are now, when in repose, very nearly
side by side
Physically Millie-C Christine is, to all intents
and purposes. but one person; but mentally
she has a dual existence. Each head thinks
for itself, and eats for ITSELF and talks for
ITSELF and does everything else that heads
generally do. Both can converse intelligently
to different persons on different subjects at
the same time. Food administered to one
does not satisfy the cravings Of the other, and
the desires and tnclinations created In the
mind OF the one have no relation to the desires
and inclinations which move the other On
every point, however, which influences the
actions Of the one body, there is perfect har-
mony between the two heads, and the one
seems to know by instructive sympathy when
the other wishes to move or in any way dis
pose of the common body. Feeling is not
common to the two heads. The one may feel
pain to which the other is utterly insensibe
and touch on the one Is not felt by the other.
On the contrary touch on the foot of Millie
is instantly felt by Chrissie, and the head of
Chrisste will describe the sensations as per-
fectly as will that Of MflIie. Science explains
this by the fact that the heads are above the
bond of union, and above that the sensations