The Dickinson press., 1889-03-09
A MARVELLOUS CHANGE.
A Jersey City Woman Who was Once Black
IS Now a purn White.

Is Now u Pure White.
a full white negro or Indian woman has
been discovered in Jersey City She called
at the City hospital with negro boy, who
had been playing in the street and had fallen
and sprained his shoulder She was fine
looking woman, anil was very well dressed.
Her skin was white and her complexion was
perfect. The boy was dressed in ragged
clothes, and his face was very black Warden
Osborn asked her whether she employed the
boy She sad, "Oh, no, he is my grandson. "
This aroused the wardcn's curiosity. and he
asked, "How is it that you arc white and he
is black"
"lndeed, I'm no white TRASH" she replied
"I'm an honest colorcd woman, am"
"Your hair is straight" said the warden
The woman took down her hair and showed
that 1t was kinky She said her name was
Mrs Sisco aud her husband was black. She
was black herself eighteen years ago, She
said, and had been gradually turning white
until year ago, when the last trace of black
disappeared from her body She had not
been sick day. she said. She took her
grandson homo with her after his shoulder
was dressed.
A Sun reporter called on her last night
he found her just us Warden Osborn des
crbed. fine looking, well built woman,
with u negro accent, kinky hair, negro chill
dren, negro husband, but with skin as white
us any white woman ever had She said sho
was full blooded Indian. Her father was
Hoosac and her mother IL Mohawk She
was born i'll this state and lived on Mulberry
street in this city until 1861. when she first
began to turn white Then she moved to
Jersey City She was as dark as colored
people in general are, sho said, when sho
married Sam Sisco, II negro. In 1851 white
spot appeared on her chin and after being
there month itdisappeared. In 1866 several
white spots appeared on her neck, but they
also disappeared. In 1873 another spot up
peared OIL her chin, and it stayed there Other
spotsappcared on her neck and body These
spots kept getting larger, until her whole
faco and tho upper part Of her body turned
white Finally, about u year ago, the last
black spot on her body disappeared, and since
then there has not been u blelnish on her skin
In all that time sho had only been sick
twice, she said Onco she had Il cancer, and
the other time slle had trouble with her lungs
She had never had n doctor give her anything
for her skin. She had had three children (lll
OF them were with her whle she was talking).
They arc all black, and their children are
black, too. Mrs. Sisco said she was IS years
old, rs near as she could remember Her
daughter, who is 81, said she could remember
when her mother was II black woman "Shc's
got awful pale lately though" slie added
Alr Sisco said that when he married his
wife she was us black as he was. He didn't
know what had turned her whito 1t didn't
seem to interest him much DR. Pyle, who has
attended tho family for fifteen wears sail he
remembered when he first called OH her. 1t
was for trouble with her lungs She was
black then. a little while nfterward Il whto
spot appeared on her upper lip. 1t was round,
but it gradually spread, until it looked like
an irregular patch of white skin Other spots
appeared on her throat and breasts, and they
continually spread until they ran into each
other Finally ono hand turned completely
white, and the entire arm followed
by this time nearly all of her face had
turned white There wcre no eruptions OH
her skin, he said; tho white skin was no
coarser or thicker than tho black. Ii any
thing, the white part was softer to the touch.
About u year ago, hc thought, the last black
spot disappeared and slio was perfectly
white. She always had good health, he said.
except for slight lung troubeand cancer
She asked him to prescribe for her to stop the
change in tho color of her skin, but as she
was not inconvenienced at all by it he did
not do it. llo thought it was merely tho dis.
appearance of the cooring matter of tho skin.
Such cases were rare. He had never heard
OF case before where tho whole body
changed color. Both Mrs Sisco and her hus.
band are in excellent general health.-Ncw
York Sun.