Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1922-04-05
"sIAMEsE" TWINS" ARE DEAD.
Passed Away in Chicago Hospital
Within Few Seconds Each Other,


Rosa Black, the "Siamese Twins
died at hospital here this morning.
! Joscpfas death occurred first and
was followed in Il few seconds 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 other would die quickly,
as their brother, Frank Black, had
refused to permit an operation which
would sever their bodies.
The twins had been in the hospital
ten days. Josefa was i'll with yellow
jaundice, and that was followed by
pneumonia. Shortly before her death
Rosa was afflicted with bronchitis.
Preparations had been made for the
sevcring operation, and the phys-
clans were ready to make every ct
fort to save the life Of at least one Of
the women.
Hope Of saving the life OF Joscfa
was abandoned at midnight, accord
iHs to Dr.. b. II. Breakstone, chief Of
the surgical STAFF at the hospital.
Il tried to get the consent Of The
brother to operate to save the life OF
Rosa, but he refused to give his per-
mission," added the physician. DR..
Breakstone explained that a delicate
operation would have been neccs-
sary. Before their death he had ex-
pressed the opinion that the physio-
logical affinity Of the twins was so
vital that il one should die the other
might also succomb before the band
OF flesh and bone that joined them
could be severed
although the twins possessed sep
aratc respiratory AID cardiac sys-
tens, Dr.. Breakston. explained shat
they had only one SCI OF secondary
digestive and procreutivn organs
The operation, he sdlG. would have
recessitatcd the building up OF
part Of the digestive and other essen
tial organs to save the life Of one
twin.
Rosa was once married, her name
being Rosa Black Dvorak She is
survived by a normal ll-ycar-old
boy. Her husband was a captain in
the German army and was killed in
action in 1917. She was married fiji
teen years ago. JOsefa never mar
ried. The little son, Franz, has been
at the bedside of his mother, who,
until within the last few hours, was
less critically i'll than Josefa. The
twins were the second offspring Of
a normal parentage in CZecho-Slo-
vakia AZ years ago. There were four
other children, all normal, and all
still living. The father is also said
to be alive, his ago being S5 years.
The mother died a year ago at the
age Of Go years.
The twins reached the Uuitcd
states in February, 1921, and start
ed on a show tour.
They were born fl years ago in
Prague, Czecho Slovakia. For the
last twenty years they have toured
the theatres Of Europe.
Both were moderately wealthy,
good looking and we'll educated.
Each twin was fully developed and
free from deformity, save for the
narrow flesh strip that joined them
at tho hip.
They enjoyed theatres, dinner par
ties and other amusements Just az
normal people do; but where one
went the other had to go also. When
they differed in taste they settled the
matter by the flip Of coin.
The two had gone to leading sur
geons on both continents, but al
ways had been adv.scd against an
opera ation to separate them. Doctors
told them that such an operation un-
| doubtedly would result in the death
OF at least one Of them.
Twins of this kind are called ST.
amcsc twins because Of the famous
case OF Eng and Chang. Chinese, who
! were born in Siam with their bodies
! Joined. They were born in 1911 and
| died in 1874.
''Many Siamcsc twins have been
born, but they seldom live to reach
MATURITY said one OF the hospital
! physicians treating Josefa.
During tour OF the world the
twins acquired considerable wealth.
| TlGN died Without makinp q will o l.