Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1931-07-20

Father and Uncle Fea-
tured As Attraction
In Barnurn Shows

L~ANE L0DGE, kan.s July
n.-Patrick II. Bunker, 8l-year-old
son OF n Of P. 7. Barnum's fam
ous original Siamese twins, Ing and
Snang, wants to see his children.
BUNKER, Inmate Of the county
nome at Medicine Lodge. Is grow
ing feeble. Somewhere in the
Onlteo states he hopes his six chill
oten may still DO living. This man
win q life story stranger than any
IiStion mas only one remaining am
more.
Bunkers father and his uncle
came from Siam to America IN
1880. They were joined together by
. memnranous band extending from
me breastbone Of one TO that OF
the other. It was Ing and Chang
VINO were responsible for the coin
ing OF the phrase "Siamese twins"
70 mean children physically at
tached to each other. regardless of
what race Barnum. The famous
snowman, exhibited them through
OUT The United States and Europe.
Ing was Bunker's father.
My father and his brother never
quarrelled," Bunker Is careful 10
explain. Lots OF people have said
70 me they've heard Dad and Uncle
Chang used to fight. II isn't true"
How he Got HIs Name
The aged mar Is asked frequently
20 tell why the son OF a native OF
siam should have the surname
Bunker" and be called Patrick.
II was ike this ne says. "As
soon as my father and uncle ar
rived In New York they were put
on exhibition. II became necessary
for them TO be naturalized. They
went TO the government office and
gave their names as Ing and Chang.
the only names they'd ever had.
Someone told them they must have
a surname. a man named Fred
Bunker was standing near and he
suggested they take his name. that
was how my father besame Ing
Bunker and my uncle became
Chang Bunker"
The twins were born about 80
miles from Bangkok. Siam. in 1911.
When they were 10 an American
0AAR GAkA0AA 0AH tAlCLl UhtAAAUk III
q river. Realizing what a curiosity
they would be TO the American
public he arranged 10 bring them
TO New York. Barnum made them
the featured attraction OF his show
and gave them widespread pub
Lefty.
Twins wed sisters
Bunker remembers accompanying
his father on several OF these
tours Despite their huge incomes
from these trips the twins money
disappeared rapidly. AT the height
OF their wealth the twins married
Sallie and Adelaide Yates, OF Dutch
and Irish descent.
"5allie was my mother" Bunker
says. and she was a handsome
woman and a fine Christian. She
had a wonderfully good disposition.
Father and his brother we're mar
ried or the same day in a double
ceremony. They each had farms
not over half a mile apart. They
would stay at our house three days
and nights and then 60 10 my
uncle's house for three days and
nights. Father had III children and
Uncle Chang had TO-"
Chang and Ing we're born face
to face but after they learned to
walk they found 1t easier to get
around side By side so they were
almost always in that position.
They could chop wood. according
TO Bunker. Father was on the
right side and Chang on the left"
ne says. 80 father would grasp the
az handle with his right hand and
Uncle Chang would take hold with
his left AS he was left-handed any
way that gave them a strong grip.
at the table they would help each
other cut the food. but each would
feed himself
Temperaments Differed
Despite their physical union the
twins had different temperaments.
Bunker's father, for instance. was
fond OF playing poker. Chang never
could be persuaded 10 join the
game but he was obliged TO sit 81
until late hours at night while Inc
enjoyed himself.
On a return trip from Europe n
1874 Ing awoke one morning and
found Chang dead by his side. Half
en hour later Ing also was dead.
Surgeons found that the two men
had a large artery In common and
declared the oft-proposed operation
to separate them would have
proved fatal.
Burker's descent to The aims
house Is q brief story. He and a
brother. James Monroe Bunker,
Sumner county, Kansas. James
died there several years ago Pat
rick married and re and his wife
had three sons and three daugb-
ters.
Divorced BY Wife
zone day my wife told NE she
wanted a divorce" Bunker Says
.She asked for the custody OF the
children too. I said, Molly. you
don't want 20 do that. but she tn
sisted OH Il.
NO man ever made anything
lawrag with hS wife 50 ! decided
her the farm and everything Oh II.
After a while she married again
and I reckon she set the children
against me. Anyhow they don't
come To see me. I knew where
some OF them we're for a while but
now I've lost track"
A few years ago, after doing odd
Jobs around Medicine Lodge for a
living. Bunker walked into the
room in which the county commits
--.4.- - M..-~-4~MA j