The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1922-03-30
.SIAIN[SE TWINS
D|EEA 1
Death Of One Followed in Few
Seconds by Death Of Her
Twin Sister


CHICAGO, March so.-Joseta and
Rosa Black, the "siamese Twins"
died at a hospital here early this
morning, Josefa's death occurred
first and was followed In a few sec
onds by the death OF her sister.
Physicians had declared early IN
the night that In the event Of the
death OF one OF the sisters, the 9th.
er would die quickly as their broth.
er. Frank Black, had refused 4.
permit an operation which would
sever their bodies.
/ The twins had been in the hos.
pttal ten days. Josefa was Ill With
yellow jaundice and that was fol-
lowed by pneumonia. Shortly be
fore her death Rosa was afflicted
with bronchitis.
Preparations had been made for
the severing operation and the
physicians were ready to make
every effort to save the life OF al
least one OF the women,
Hope Of saving the life of Josefa
was abandoned at midnight, accord.
ing to DR.. B. H. Breakstone, chief
OF the surgical stan. at the hospital.
u tried to get the consent OF the
brother to operate to save the life
OF Rosa. but he refused 10 give his
permission" added the physician.
Or. Breakstone explained that a
delicate operation would have been
necessary. Before their death he
had expressed the opinion that the
physiological affinity OF the twins
was so vital that II one should die.
the other might also succumb be
fore the band of flesh and bone that
joins them could be severed.
Although the twins possessed
separate respiratory and cardiac
systems, DR.. Breakstone explained
that they had only one set OF sec.
ondary digestive and provocative
organs. The operation, he said.
would have necessitated the build
ing up OF a part OF the digestive and
other essential organs to save the
life Of one twin.
Rosa was once married. her
name being Rosa Black Dvorak
She is survived by normal IL
year.old boy. Her husband was a
captain in the German army and
was killed in action In 1917. She
was married fifteen years ago.
Joseta never married.
The little son, Frantz, has been
at the bedside Of his mother. who.
until within the last few hours was
less critically III than Josera.
The twins were the second off
spring OF normal parentage in
Czecho.sloyakla forty-two years
ago. There were four other chill.
dren all normal and all still living.
The father Is also said to be alive,
his age being So years. The moth
er died year ago at the age OF Sc
years.
Medical records recalled BY
physicians who have been inter.
ested In the case disclose a num-
Der OF so-called siamese twins.
The original siamese twins, Chang
and Eng, lived to the age OF "a.
They married sisters and Chang
had six children and Eng five. all
OF them normal. Eng died first
and surgeon separated them.
Chang died soon after.
Twins that have attracted world
wide fame include the Hindu sis
tiers, who were Joined face to face.
the connection being at the chest;
the Newport twins, somewhat
similar to the Hindu twins; the
orissa sisters. Raddica and Dod
dica. Joined side to side; the
Biddenden maids. shoulder to
shoulder with only two arms; the
Hungarian sisters, Helen and
Judith. Joined to the back OF the,
lower segment Of the spine; the
North Carolina sisters, Mile and
Christine. Joined as were the Hun.
garian sisters; and the Bohemian
twins, Rosetta and Josepha, died
in the same manner as the twins
who Just died. Their connection
was through the pelvls. the right
hip OF one and the left OF the
other being fused together.